Chicago Master Gardeners

Although I explained what I wanted, Laury Lewis totaled ignored me. He planted what he wanted to plant in the very expensive boxes he talked us into. He dropped off 25+ bags of potting soil and left them in a pile on my deck for weeks. I had to clean up after him every time he came to do some work. The window boxes were expensive because they supposedly have unique drainage systems. I had to replace all of the soil in all of the boxes this spring because it wouldn't dry out because the boxes don't drain out excess water. I have called the master gardener three times this spring to have him check the boxes, but he has yet to return my calls. He truly does not know what he is doing and is inconsiderate at best. His prices were outrageous particularly given the service you don't get from him.

They never gave me a written proposal, which in retrospect was a mistake for both of us. There was no negotiation up front. I accepted the price she gave me, even though it was higher than another bid I had gotten. But she seemed to know about plants, and I was looking to establish a relationship with a company that did more than just "blow and go". It turned out that I thought things were included that weren't. I thought trimming the boxwoods was included. It wasn't. Everything I asked about was an additional charge. I understand that she should charge for add ons, but everything felt like nickel and dimming. I asked if they would take a big pot to the alley, a 15 second walk. Paula said she would have to charge me for that. I was looking for a company who would go the extra mile (in this case 1/8 of a block). At the end, we did a walk through and there were a variety of things that she said they would do that they didn't. After I pointed them out, they addressed each one, but there was tension and it was getting uncomfortable. At a certain point I just wanted them to leave. The lawn still has dandelions and other weeds. They charged $250 for that and I didn't feel that I should have to point out every dandelion and other weeds that they missed. I didn't feel that they were professional, and I would not recommend them.

Joni does a great job with picking plants that are low maintenance and that come back year after year. I have referred her to many friends and she has made their landscaping a show stopper. She takes pride in her work and during this pandemic we should all be helping small businesses.

Serena is a terrific gardener and a very hard worker. She has helped design, install and maintain a garden in my large yard. Her ideas are inspirational and very economical. She charges a fair price for her work and earns every penny of it as she tirelessly maintains the garden.

Denise, the gardener, is a pleasure to work with and is a very good teacher! She has done an excellent job designing and improving areas of our garden. We will continue to use Denise for advice, lessons on how to care for plants and for larger garden projects as well.

Maureen and I began emailing in February, but the weather delayed our first meeting, as there needed to be no snow on the ground for her to see my garden space. Once she arrived, she listened to what I liked, what I currently had in my garden and we brainstormed ideas. We walked to two gardens in the area that I liked and talked about them in relation to mine. Maureen asked great questions and took photos, telling me she would send me a garden plan within two weeks. True to her word, I received an amazing garden plan!

VirgilI and his team did an outstanding job at my home. Garden beds were grossly over grown with weeds and ground cover. (New Home) my yard looks better now than the photos the realtors had from last spring. Pea Gravel installed along side of house, bushes and King Hydrangea trimmed back, reserved some areas we had mulch pulled from. Everything looks great. Will definitely recommend and look to use for future projects.

LISA SUM DID A WONDERFUL JOB COORDINATING THE PROCESS. ALL GARDENERS WERE PROFESSIONAL IN APPEARANCE AND JOB ACTIVITIES. THEY CAME, DID THEIR JOB, AND CLEANED UP! POOF, NEW LOVELY GARDEN!!

Joni was amazing! From her attention to detail, on-the-spot knowledge, and willingness to educate novice gardeners, she was incredible to work with! Our garden has been transformed into a beautiful oasis!

Excellent - Design Service, Installation, Craftsmanship and Customer Service. From a farmyard to a beautiful back garden and patio. When we bought our house we inherited an unkempt back garden with poor drainage that became a mucky mess every time it rained. Dan from Joe and Tony Landscaping helped us transform our garden into a functional and beautiful outdoor space. Dan was experienced and knowledgeable and when he came to look at the garden he listened to our requirements and took the time to walk us through his recommendations for our garden. Within a day we had a drawing, video and pricing for the project - the plan was excellent and beautiful. Once we had decided to move forward - Dan's crew of landscapers came in and transformed the garden with ease and professionalism. They had all the machines and resources needed to complete the project in the shortest time frame possible and we are beyond thrilled with the patio and landscaped garden we have now. The project included the installation of proper drainage and the grading of the entire space. Our back garden and patio are beautiful, it was well worth the investment and we would recommend Joe and Tony Landscaping to anyone considering a landscaping project.