Getting to the point where there is new landscaping in our front yard was not without its agonies. Our arborist recommended Birch Hill Landscaping, but it turns out they were just not a good match for me. We should have stopped going down that path this spring when the exchanges to figure out what we wanted were a real drag: we'd ask questions, they'd answer cursorily, we'd make proposals, they seemed impatient with our lack of rush to nail everything down. They provided little detail at any stage until we asked for it. It wasn't the fun process that planning a garden could be. No doubt they have customers who prefer to leave everything to them, and the customers are happy, and they are happy. We were not those happy customers. They were not the happy service provider.
And then when we finally got it all squared away, we had a misunderstanding regarding the stump removal that needed to happen before they could do their work. It was my mistake, but their communications played a role in my making the mistake, and they were not gracious about that.
So the landscaping is finally in. It looks good, I think, but how much instruction did we get about what the plants are, and how to take care of them? None.
I guess it was a good lesson in choosing a landscaper for future projects: we need someone pleasant; someone who enjoys having a detailed discussion about options; someone who presents lots of information up front (cost breakdowns, design plans, relevant photos of their past work, communications about next steps); and someone who shares my aesthetic preferences (types of plants, European style).
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| Recall that after the trees were chopped down, this is what we were left with in early May |
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On Sep. 8, the area had been cleared but for the stump, including where there was previously grass on the right.
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| This is what it looked like after stump removal |
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| Here, they've put in the rocks |
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| And this is the final product, minus the topiary (still to come) where the red flag is. |
