Kollins Landscaping
We fill a whole lot of flower pots with plants on our deck and at the front door every Spring. Since we were using Kollins Landscaping to cut our grass, my husband asked them if they would do the pots for us. They agreed, but at the time did not give us a quote as we were not sure of the number of pots waiting under our deck, as it was after dark. Later I spoke to "Paul", who called me about what plants to use. I explained that I usually used Impatiens, since it was semi-shade, and we agreed that he would use Vinca due to recent root rotting of Impatiens in our area (Rockville/Potomac). I said I definitely did not want Petunias, when he asked, because there is not enough sun and mine always get spindly and die. I asked for the yellow-green Potato Climber, explaining that it's bright color was a favorite of mine. I also suggested that Coleus did well here.
When no one showed up the week he said they would come, my husband called the following week and they promised to come then. That night it got dark early, as a storm was brewing. While I prepared dinner in the kitchen, I thought I heard someone moving on the deck and thought we had intruders. I turned on the deck lights and saw two figures carrying pots. It was already beginning to rain and was dark outside. I realized it must be Kollins Landscaping doing the pots. No one came to the front door to inform us. I assumed they would return the next day in the light and after the storm. The next morning, when it was light, I saw that they had planted some Petunias, the Vinca we had agreed on, and a very dark, reddish black
Potato Climber that I did not know existed and made the whole area look dark and ugly. They planted 53 pots of different sizes, some containing one plant, to a maximum of four or five plants, as well as 16 hanging baskets.
When some of the plants seemed to be wilting badly a couple of weeks later, I tried to see why, and noticed that they were not actually planted, but just dumped on top of a little soil. This must have been because of the dark and the rain and wanting to be done in a hurry. No one announced that they were leaving.
Last year, we paid another contractor about $300 for plants and another $300 to do a lovely job of planting. He also supplied stones, soil and fertilizer.
We have just received the bill from Kollins Landscaping. It is $1,600 for a greatly inferior job.
When I spoke to "Paul" after the shoddy job, he explained that there are two Pauls, and I must have originally spoken to the other one. He said the yellow-green Potato Climbers were out of stock because it was so late in the season, yet no one let me know. He had no comment on the other issues.
We asked them recently, when they cut the grass if they could weed the beds. The said they would. I saw the one worker rushing through pulling off the tops of the weeds in a huge hurry. I asked him to please pull them up by the roots. He got a tool and did one or two. I then went inside. Needless to say, they were all up again in a day or two.
I get the feeling that these guys have to get through an unrealistic number of jobs in a day, no matter the quality of the work, the cost to customers or the courtesy of a hello or goodbye for one time jobs. read more
