I do not understand the other review for Natural Environments. My experience with Ron Zander and his crew has been nothing but outstanding. While I've never used his tree trimming services, Natural Environments did the design and landscaping work at my Preston Hollow home. Natural Environments also corrected some drainage problems we had. And we use Ron to mow the lawn and do seasonal plantings. I have found Natural Environments to be nothing short of excellent when it comes to keeping my yard looking great! read more

Ron came and evaluated my poorly draining patio and back yard. He proposed a comprehensive solution and the crew got to work. They worked carefully around the irrigation and pool plumbing and put everything back exactly as it was. The pricing was right where I expected it to be and I am extremely pleased with the results. No more pooling water and worrying about water infiltration. read more

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I hired Ron & Natural Environments to prepare a master landscape and irrigation plan. After an initial consultation, the plans came back quickly and were in line with what I was envisioning. I own an 1920s pier and beam home, so fixing drainage and irrigation were priorities. Ron's crews worked in the Dallas heat efficiently to install new gutters and run drainage lines first, and then later installed a new sprinkler system (the house had no existing irrigation) and some of the building blocks of the landscape plan (beds, turf, granite, etc.). Throughout the process, Ron was consistently available and responsive to any questions. Very pleased with the work. read more

Landscaping. Like most North Dallas households, we lost several hedges, trees and shrubs to the freeze last year. We used the opportunity to rethink our outdoor design and were very lucky to connect with Ron Zander of Natural Environments who is a Preston Hollow resident. Ron provided us with a plan and helped us track down the new plant materials, which was not an easy task given the shortages. He has good contacts with wholesale nurseries, and after several months, we ended up with everything on our list. The plants were healthy, delivered on time and at a reasonable cost. We are very pleased. www.naturalenvironments.com read more

During the heavy rains of the spring of 2021, we had problems with flooding of our small front yard in a house we had recently purchased. Ron Zander of Natural Environments assessed our complicated issues and created a plan that resolved it. While the work was being done, Ron stopped by often, checked the progress and discussed it with us. He is excellent at customer service. Our front yard is below street grade and when there was heavy rain, the water would rise and seep into the house. Several remedies were needed: removing shrubbery planted too close to the house that had raised the soil level; increasing the size and quantity of our gutters; installing a French drain across the front of the house; and having these drain into a sump pump that carries the water to the curve and the storm drain. I still check the front yard every time there's a heavy rain, and the drainage created has been very successful. There's been a couple of minor issues, but Ron has immediately responded, even when he's been out of the country read more

I used Natural Environments per a recommendation. They replaced all of my drains with French drains. I had a leak coming into my bedroom. Ron Zander, the owner, personally got involved and made sure everything was done perfectly. He helped me with other things that needed to be repaired as well. At some point I will probably use the company to landscape my front and back yard . They did architectural plans that I will probably put in place at some point. I would absolutely use them again. read more

We hired Ron Zander to find and fix a leak under our patio. After removing the tiles and finding busted irrigation lines, he installed french drains around the perimeter and retiled. Ron's crew led by Gerardo did a great job. read more

I am very impressed with the quality of the work done by Natural Environments and Drainage Solutions. My house was built in 1972 and is on a slope. My backyard is uphill, and our driveway goes up to our alley. We bought our house in 1994. Our garage has always flooded with hard rains. Over time it has suffered considerable damage. I have tried various options including drains, rain barrels, and various water barriers without success. Mr. Zander spent a considerable time reviewing the situation and gave an array of options. I was struck by the level of his knowledge and the low-pressure way in which he described the options. He cut across the concrete driveway and installed a drainage runoff. He rerouted our downspouts to the street. He increased the width of the gutters to accommodate our steep roofs. He also installed a French drain. He implemented all the work in a very detailed and professional manner. I have had some hard rains with no garage flooding since he completed the project. I was expecting a good result, but I did not expect the aesthetic touches he used throughout the process. I would highly recommend this company. read more

I used Natural Environments to install a French Drain from my property edge to alley to divert runoff from raingutter downspout. This job was required by my HOA. Mr. Zander showed up on time, assessed the job, and gave timely estimate. The cost was reasonable and even lower than other estimate. He kept me updated on when he would start the job and completed the job in a timely manner. I also like that he lives and knows our area. He is very knowledgeable and has alot of experience in landscaping. read more

I contacted Ron when a fourth story gutter was knocked off during one of the big storms Dallas has experienced recently. He had someone out the very next day and made an issue that could've been a huge headache a breeze. Highly recommend for quick, competitively priced, well done work and friendly service. read more

I contacted Ron as I knew I wanted to update my landscape but didn't really know where to start or what I wanted. Ron walked me through the entire design process. First, a call to get to know me and a general idea of what I wanted. Then, he came to my home to tour the interior and exterior to further understand my style and discuss different ideas. When he brought over the first hardscape mockups, I knew I found the right landscape architect! Such great ideas and attention to detail. I HIGHLY recommend Ron at Natural Environments! read more

If you choose to deal with Natural Environments, get an estimate in writing first. Better yet, find someone else. After collecting a few bids to trim my trees, I found a Groupon (groupon.com) advertised online for Natural Environments. The "deal" was $250 for $500 in tree trimming. The Groupon I purchased stated that "Natural Environments usually sends crews of two or three men for about six hours to shear away excess shrubbage and makes lawn kingdoms safer by removing branches that could obscure driveway sightlines or break off and fall during a storm." The "deal" expired that weekend and required the purchaser to buy the Groupon in good faith. I purchased the Groupon. When I spoke with Ron Zander (the owner), I expressed my concern that I had bought this Groupon in good faith and I had no idea whether his prices would be in line with other bids I had received. I shared that I had collected three other bids (from certified arborists) and that those were within $150 of each other for trees in my yard. He told me that he would be in my neighborhood the next day and would let me know what he thought. He didn't call back. Almost two months later, he called me late on a Friday and advised me that his crew would be at my house the very next morning. When his crew of three men left on Saturday, it had taken them 3 hours (9 total man-hours) to trim all of my trees but one. The foreman advised me that the heat was too much and that they had finished all of my trees in the front yard and the only remaining work was one additional tree (of similar size). That sounded acceptable and in line with my other bids. On Monday morning, the crew did not show up. I called Ron and he said they would be there on Tuesday instead. I told him I would not be home the next morning (I was leaving town). He said I didn't need to be there. Three days later, Ron emailed me an invoice for nearly triple what I'd told him others had estimated. He claimed that his crew spent 53.4 hours on my trees, meaning they spent 45 HOURS on the remaining tree. Two of my estimates were broken out by tree and had estimated $120-$225 for that remaining tree, including haul away. Ron was telling me I owed him over $1400 for that same tree, which did not include haul away. Ron's 53.4 hour total was 3-4 times higher than what his Groupon said was a "usual" job and nearly three times higher than the quotes from certified arborists for my property. At no point did he attempt to contact me and let me know that the final tree was taking longer than expected. Purchasing the $250 on a Groupon "deal" simply gave Ron license to take advantage and charge whatever he would like. We ended up settling for a reduced total price, but still double what others quoted. Be very careful if you choose to deal with this business. Get something in writing first. Unfortunately, there are similar stories/reviews online if you search around a bit. I would not deal with them again. read more

I HAVE USED Natural Environments for drainage solutions and landscape installation for more that three years as a licensed landscape architect in Texas. I would highly recommend them on any landscape construction and drainage project. They really know their stuff. --- J.R. Phillips, PLA read more

We purchased an old home where the front and back yard were filled with overgrown shrubs, poorly placed trees , inconvenient narrow driveways and walkways and we did not know where to begin . Ron and Berit worked with us and listened to our needs and were extremely happy with the final product. Additionally, Ron was prompt at replying to my emails and or texts during the work week and during his vacation . He chose beautiful trees with a pop of color to complement our home. I had no time to review the tree and plant selections due to my work schedule and other home decisions; we trusted Ron 100 percent in picking the right trees, plants, grass, front walkway layouts and driveways. I am thankful he did such a great job ! read more

I had a fantastic experience with Natural Environments. They arrived on time and completed the job - French drain - on time. The functioning of the drain was challenged just a few days later with a huge rain storm. It performed perfectly. The on-site crew were courteous and they cleaned up the job site nicely, except for leaving a few pieces of dug up concrete on site. Wish they would have taken them. Other than that it was a flawless experience. I would use them again. Thanks for reading my review. Jackie read more

We had Ron come out and get an estimate for replacing our gutters. His crew did an excellent job and we have noticed a huge difference. We would definitely use him again if need be. read more

I have worked with natural environments on many occasions in the past in the capacity of doing the hardscapes with their designs. The designs they create are very unique to each person, Their experience level can transform an ordinary yard to extraordinary. Basic is not part of the vocabulary you will find here. If you want a holistic transformation from front to back then make the decision to let them design your plot. read more

I agree with the other reviewer, stay away from this company, unless you have tons of money to waste and are not in a hurry. Their guys work hard, but the owner hires a bunch of cheap day laborers to get the job done. Worse, they send the day laborers without supervision and you end up managing them. Constantly trying to find ways to crank up the invoice costs, and hopes you won't notice. Overpriced, slow, disappointing overall. Won't hire again. read more

After knowing Ron's work, I referred him to a friend in mid-1980, where he designed and installed her front yard. To this day it is beautiful! In 2018 we bought an old home with poor drainage. Looking on-line for a drain specialist, I stumbled onto the familiar name "Natural Environments"! Ron came out the next day and immediately visualized the solutions to our water entering the garage and the carriage house. He is familiar and confident of code requirement boundaries. He is passionate about what could fail and what not to do. I appreciate his standing on the side of caution when it comes to roof and heavy rain water! He also provided me advice on how and where to harvest rain water. Thank you Ron for staying in Dallas and in the same profession after all these years! read more

Ron has been very thorough in trying to find the best solution for our yard. We have already had gutters installed and they were in and out quickly and look great! read more

I've worked with Ron and his guys on many occasions with great results. We had a drainage issue in the park in our HOA and his assessment was right on target, the work was completed within the budget he provided, and the problem was solved. There were no surprises. I will recommend Natural Environments and Ron Zander to anyone that wants a project done correctly the first time. read more

I wished we could give a BIG FAT ZERO as that is what service we received from Natural Environments (owner, Ron Zander) after almost 18 months of waiting for a Groupon deal! 18 months!!!! If anyone thinks this is OK, then go for it. We purchased Ron's Groupon deal in June 2011, for $500 worth of tree trimming for $249, with an expiration date in November 2011. We contacted Ron and was told that he was overwhelmed that he received 60 potential new clients (had no idea he would receive so many), and he added us to his list but couldn't give us a timeline. Well, almost 18 months later, and several phones calls to Ron, we are still waiting for service. Call us dumb, because that is what we were for trusting that Ron would honor his deal. When I told him we were out the money, he explicitly explained he didn't get the money until service was rendered....well, Ron, we didn't get any service and guess you think it's OK for someone to be out of pocket for almost 18 months! We feel that Ron pushed us back time and time again because of numerous reasons. Ron "recently" told us that he has a small crew and cannot and will not add more crew due to cost. He can afford an answering service, but not additional crew...hey invest where it benefits you the most (and sometimes he never called back, so answering service isn't dependable). He recently suggested (twice) that we get a REFUND because the 60 "potential new clients" he simply couldn't get to in a timely manner (some had already dropped out for refunds). Hey Ron, have you ever thought about working First Come, First Serve....18 months is too long and we still had no promised service date insight. We also feel that he ignored us due to the fact that we told him we would not go past the allotted Groupon...what??? No extra money for me??? That is how we feel and he did nothing to prove us wrong. We would love to be proved wrong for promised service and promised timeline. We did get a full refund from Groupon, today, November 7, 2012..but that is not why we bought the deal in the first place. We bought a service that had an expiration date of 6 months and we felt...great, we can have something done in a timely manner....WRONG. In fact, Ron extended this expiration date numerous times. I'm sure Ron and his crew do a good job, but his response time is more than just wrong....it's really not a way to treat people. read more

These guys are pros!! I've used them many times over the past 15 years and they've always done what they said and usually come in on time (sometimes we've had some delays for weather) I've used them to fix drainage problems and redesign my backyard. Great company! Highly recommend! read more

Ron's provides a high quality service that is very hands-on. He has very in tune and knowledgeable in landscaping and concerns that are important to the functioning of the home such as drainage along with landscape design. His service and advice with our landscape was invaluable. read more

Ron has developed a multi-phase plan. The lot is on a hill, so controlling water with a French drain system to redirect fierce rain is the first phase. Ron's team has done a great job. It works well and we are looking forward to the next phase! read more

Found an old invoice (May, 2017) from this company (and Ron Zander the owner specifically) and wanted to make sure to spread the word as best as possible to STAY AWAY! The scam is as follows: charge consult fee to view property ($175, never again will I do this) - wait several weeks to judge if more work needs to be done (based on how much/long you spend trying to get your moneys worth out of him) - spend a couple of hours making and printing a landscape design (loosely based on your conversion) - bring to client and demand pay before revising work (because who really ever gets it right in the first draft) - take $1000 and disappear or string you along further if there is hope of bilking you out of more funds. Read these reviews and you will no doubt notice a consistent theme with dissatisfied reviewers; expensive, slow and poor quality. We never made it to the quality of work as he strung us along for weeks before I told him to take a hike. After he called and gave me a sob story of his daughter graduating college (and gong on vacation) and he's been out of town a lot. With $175 of mine in his pocket already, I relented against my better judgement. Then he brings some plans to our house (first draft mind you) took a check went off to make changes, only to never be seen nor heard from again. A COMPLETE waist of money. He must have paid for the hand full of good reviews he gets because he is probably the worst landscaper/business operator I've ever had the misfortune to run into. Although, he did manage to talk me into giving him multiple chances and got paid for work he "said" he did, so he does run a good scam I guess. I'm sure he'll have some BS excuse as to how or why things happened in my case but the internet is on to you Ron. And I'll be headed to Google to place this exact same review. You not only have questionable business practices but are clearly just not an honest person. read more

Natural Environments replaced my driveway with exposed aggregate along with a new stone entry and stone borders. They also replaced drainage from the roof. This is the second project I have used them for, the first being a drainage project. The quality of the work is outstanding! All stonework included a concrete base, drainage pipe was white PVC, not the black flexible pipe that collapses. They graded the driveway so there are no flat spots (which was a problem with the original driveway). I am very happy with their work and would absolutely hire them again. read more

This was a complete scam. Ron Zander, company owner, came to our home for a $175.00 upfront consultation fee, which we paid in good faith. My husband and I spent about an hour with Ron going over the various things we would like done to the property including drainage, outdoor entertainment area, and landscaping. Ron stated his next course of action would be to get his "gutter guy" out to measure so we could move forward with addressing our drainage issues prior to landscaping, etc. Prior to leaving, he attempted to sell us his $1,500.00 landscape design fee, which we (thankfully) declined, deciding to wait to plan that with him after we fixed the drainage situation around our home. It has been four months now and despite numerous attempts to reach out to Ron, we either get no answer or a text stating he is out of town and out of range. I would strongly reccomend going with another landscape company. I am just glad we did not pay this fraud more than the $175. LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKE!!!! read more

This is a great team! They always arrive very promptly and do a thorough job cleaning up our landscaping.