We just loved working with Nick and his crew. We got so much more than expert landscaping, we also…read morelearned so much about the plants that are now part of our lives. Nick continues to be such a resource for us. Can't recommend Earth Ecology enough!

Highest praise possible and so much gratitude to Earth Ecology for the amazingness that has become…read moreour yard. I was fortunate enough to see some of their handiwork at an event held in the yard of someone who had previously discovered them. Hearing about what that space had looked like before and seeing the magical landscape that had been created there, I knew my wife and I needed to meet Nick Lake. Since then, he and his fantastic team have completely transformed our outside space into the most beautiful part of our home. Nick is an absolute treasure trove of inspiration and information. From the moment we first met with him, we knew we wanted to proceed as soon as possible. We didn't have pressing issues that made landscaping work an "emergency" (e.g., no water problems directly related to the yard), so an outside project easily could have waited. We also did not have a high level of horticultural knowledge, nor did we even know exactly what we wanted when we first started talking to Nick. We knew our yard had "potential", i.e. it was a smallish but not tiny, pretty drab space that wasn't particularly functional and wasn't much to look it. It was our conversation with Nick and his vision for the yard that made us want to move forward at that time and turn it into something great. Since then, with a combination of "demo" work, mulching, softscaping and hardscaping, every aspect of our yard has become a thing of beauty that we see and enjoy every single day. Throughout the process, Nick and his team have worked closely with us on every decision and every detail. Nick plays an integral role in all parts of the process and communication with him and his team has always been easy, fun, rewarding, and thorough. There have never been any surprises in terms of cost or how something was done. As a result, everything is exactly what was discussed and we could not be any happier with it. Nick certainly deserves the lion's share of the credit as the owner of the business, the mastermind behind the work, and a hands-on contributor to the implementation. That said, huge shout out for his entire crew and honorary mention for Tulsi, the smart and adorable dog that might make some appearances if Tashana is working and you give the green light. Every member of the team brings something important to the job, always including hard work but also creativity and individual areas of interest and expertise. The result is frequent flashes of brilliance and pleasant surprises throughout all phases of a project. It isn't a great time of year for pictures as I'm writing this (I'll add more in the spring) but below is a stone bench that took form during one day's work. This was not even part of the original plan, just an off-the-cuff idea (thanks to Kyle, Tommy, Daniel and Tashana if memory serves) to which we could have said "no thanks" if we were that foolish. Even once there are more pictures to add, they can only do so much. Nick knows he is always welcome to swing by and show off the beauty, which keeps getting better with every growth season. Whether we are sitting in the yard, walking through it to get to or from the house, or just staring at it through a window, we count ourselves lucky that this is actually part of our home. I cannot recommend Earth Ecology strongly enough. With Nick and his crew, you will get everything that you wanted and a lot more. As happened for us, you will get done with each step and be so happy that you decided to go for it, and occasionally scratch your head wondering if there is anything else you can do out there. Thanks, Earth Ecology :-)

I wasn't sure how to go about changing my backyard from possibility to realized. Hiring Amy was…read moreone of the best decisions I have made in regards to my home. She was communicative, efficient and affordable, dependable and a good listener. My back yard is on the way to becoming amazing. She made this so easy. I can't wait until everything grows in and flowers. I love it! It is so fun to sit outside now.

We built a new back porch in 2019, and Amy was recommended to us by our GC who had worked with her…read morebefore on another project. I had no idea what to expect; my architect just made space for "plants" and I didn't have any strong feelings besides wanting something nice and low maintenance, and maybe some things we could eat. Amy took our general indirection and came up with a comprehensive design for our entire property. She visited the site many times and was a pleasure to work with. She was super patient as I pontificated on minor details and eventually I learned to trust her judgment; the final result speaks for itself.

Grace Constantine did a truly amazing job creating a joyful and peaceful space where there was a…read morewasteland. I could never see what she is able to see and create. I picked intermediate plantings and am now watching them grow and fill in. It's such a pleasure to be in my yard! And not just me.....the birds and bees love it also. All work was seamlessly coordinated also. I would highly recommend Rejuvenation Artisans for any landscaping needs. They're really creative, professional and expert at what they do.

I believe that the photos in their website are manipulated. I had over $12,000 worth of work done 3…read moreyears ago and it should be looking beautiful but at least half the plants died or had to be removed because they were invasive and/or ugly. Nothing has filled out or grown in the way that the before and after photos on the website are indicating.

Fernwood is top notch. They provide a premium service from planning to installing and planting. We…read morehave found both the owner and installer to be kind and thoughtful. The planting isn't done but here is an example of hardscape.

Fernwood Landscaping did a bunch of work on our backyard. Even came back to finish the drip…read moreirrigation a month later once my planter boxes got installed. They did a great job and I highly recommend them

Donna was fabulous! We wanted an Asian influence to our front and back yard in Summerplace. Donna…read morelistened and gave us an easy to maintain landscape design that is gorgeous and will grow ever more beautiful as it matures. She's a pro from the contract to recommending wonderful gardeners to complete the design. We can't recommend her enough!

We hired Donna late in the season last summer to redesign our backyard garden and do a light…read morerefresh of the garden in the front, and she was able to work us in within a couple of weeks. Donna starts with an interview of sorts to make sure she understands your preferences and needs, and she listened well to our preferences and our admission that we are not gardeners and needed a garden that would be easy to maintain. Within a couple of weeks of our first meeting with Donna, we had garden plans and a detailed plant list. We did not hire Donna to manage the planting and landscaping work, but as part of her service she recommended a few landscape contractors she knows and trusts, and she showed up at no additional charge during the planting to help place plants where they belonged. We've been happy with the contractor we chose would hire both Donna and contractor again without hesitation. As for the garden, we had it planted in early December, which wasn't ideal but worked out okay, and we have been enjoying watching the garden come to life for the last couple of months. We love the plants Donna chose after listening to our needs. She also suggested some changes to a rock wall that separates a stone patio from a raised portion of our back yard, including adding some steps, and that change (which never would have occurred to us) has made a huge difference. Thanks for the great work and referrals, Donna!

Before hiring Carol we were lost. We bought a house with a huge (by our standards) yard with lots…read moreof existing growth, but little cohesion and a lot of underutilized space. We knew that we couldn't afford to overhaul the entire yard all at once but we needed some semblance of a plan. Throughout this process I came to think of Carol as something of a "landscape therapist" in addition to being a skilled landscape designer. Her obvious experience, openness and curiosity immediately put me at ease, and she was committed to figuring out what would work for us specifically. Her business is called "Design in a Day," but she put a significant amount of time into multiple phone calls with us prior to her visit, and it eases my mind knowing that I could call or email her with follow-up questions. As for the plan itself, it's safe to say that we now have solutions to various puzzles that I NEVER would have thought of on my own. The detailed garden plan, including a full plant list and information about where to source both plants and landscaping materials is incredibly helpful. I now feel that we have a plan that we can spend the remainder of our time in this house developing, and that idea is exciting instead of overwhelming. I was initially concerned that a landscape design service wouldn't be suited to our somewhat modest budget and slow timeline, but now I'm glad that we didn't wait a minute longer to contact Carol. Get her before she's all booked up!

Our Beautiful Yards…read more We looked for a long time for the right fit to redesign the landscapes in the front and back yards of the home we purchased a few years ago. The yards were such a mess it was really difficult for us to picture the future state on our own. Carol applied her years of experience and took the time to understand what we were looking for. The changes were all made last summer. Removed a nuisance maple tree pushing on the house, complete some hardscape items and then plant the plan Carol developed. Those plants are now embracing spring and our yard is looking lovely. Carol was awesome throughout the process and with our follow up questions and substitutions after the fact. We would highly recommend Landscape Design In a Day for your next outdoor project.

We couldn't be more pleased with our yard. James created a landscape that is inviting and low…read moremaintenance. We like his recommendation of native plants and his re-use of materials already in our yard. It looks good year round!

I had struggled for years with a large backyard that was initially covered in ivy, and was also…read moreprimarily wooded. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to have any success growing anything, and lacked the expertise and vision needed to really create a garden that was functional and beautiful, and could also flourish. In order to fund this project it required refinancing my home, so it was a big commitment, and step I had been unsure about. Luckily, meeting James with Garden Stories was all the assurance I needed to know that it was the best next step. As a woman home owner, I had also had some negative experiences in getting estimates and working on projects, so the integrity and trustworthiness of the person I'm working with became the most important factor to me when beginning a project with someone. I already knew that James did amazing work through looking at his portfolio, but it was in meeting him that I immediately felt at ease, I trusted both his vision and his professionalism, and appreciated his intuition and thoughtfulness -- all are appparent in how he approaches both the work, and the working relationship. James thought of details for our garden that I would have never thought of, I feel like each time I'm out there I notice another detail that feels so incredibly well planned and intentional. James expertly planned and created a garden that is absolutely customized to our space -- our lighting, our soil, our climate, our view and our landscape. He never takes a cookie cutter approach, he doesn't take short cuts, and his integrity is apparent at every step of the work. Our yard really feels like such a gift, and we feel so lucky to get to watch it develop and grow. James makes a genuine investment in his projects, and creates spaces that are both artistic and functional. He also makes a genuine investment in the working relationship, supporting collaborative decision making at every step of the process. Projects in a home you love feel personal, and he treats your space with the same care, respect and thoughtfulness as he would his own. Working with him is a pleasure, and I look forward to future projects as our space continues to grow and develop. I feel so grateful that I found Garden Stories, and can't recommend them enough!

Michelle Mathis and Learning Landscapes Design create wonderful natural playscapes for children of…read moreall ages. They are well versed in the design and maintenance aspects of outdoor nature play spaces for schoolyards and public facilities and are clearly devoted to designing exemplary play environments. Their playgrounds focus on accommodating all ages and abilities in a fun, safe and immersive environment where children's imaginations are allowed to run wild!

I think Learning Landscapes usually works with schools and companies, but Michelle visited my home…read moreto share design advice because I wanted a nature playground for my kids so that they could be engaged in our own yard and it would attract other kids in to build a community of friends. Michelle was awesome! She said she also has kids and is doing the same thing with her yard. Michelle very quickly took in our entire area. She listened closely to my situation and adapted everything to our family, including the budget and existing work already put into our garden. She had a practical sense of things like budget, HOA restrictions, and maintenance. She offered suggestions of things I never thought of, like providing a welcoming entry-point for passing neighborhood kids. It was clear also that she had worked with kids by what she recommended. I noticed she had a masters degree in education, but that does not always mean a person can relate to how kids play. She offered ideas about things that I know from my experience kids use, things like little forts, natural canopy areas, water play areas, and even a different type of area for slightly older kids getting into their teens--think hammock. Michelle is personable and quick. I would recommend her for anyone wanting to design an outdoor play area for kids. I am very happy with her work. I cannot think of any recommendations on how to do better.