Earthworks Landscape
About us
For 35yrs Earthworks has been designing and installing South Florida landscapes for all budgets and all types of tastes. Larry Dieterich is a certifiable plant freak whose passion for unusual and interesting plants makes for unique and longlasting landscapes. Having traveled throughout the world researching and collecting unusual palms, plants, bromeliads and aroids I am bored by the mundane and predictable pallete so commonly seen in the average yard. This is not to say i install plants so rare they require specialized maintenance and watering. I believe a good landscape design should serve the test of time, be in scale with the area of work, have strong "curb appeal " and is easily maintained. And of course have moderate to low watering needs. I am known, at least in name, by nearly anyone worthwhile in the south florida nursery, plant and landscape world. Several photos of myself can be seen in the foremost authoritative text on palms," An encyclopedia of cultivated palms" by Paul Craft (my best friend).I have written many articles on landscaping and design for a home improvement magazine. Insured and licensed, I occasionally charge a small deposit($100-200) for a landscape sketch, which is refunded against any work contracted, (provided the work is contracted in full). I am Earthworks... the head hole digger, designer, rock placer, truck driver, delivery boy and my own worst critic. All attributes that ensure your work is installed as best it can be. Warranty policies; Plants want to live, even in a vacant lot there may just be weeds but plant life is evident and unavoidable. If a plant we install dies there is a reason and a solution. Numerous factors are at play in the urban environment, it may be our fault or it may be your fault and depending on who, what and where the fault lies determines the approach to a resolution. Labor is a commodity we can replace, the dead plant may not be. However service is the single most memorable quality a client refers to, and Earthworks is commited to prompt reliable service. Rock work and boulder installation as well as waterfall work is a special talent of Earthworks. A huge fan of Graham Stuart Thomas, Larry "sees" elevation and rockwork as an asset when and where it is feasible and more importantly, be esthetically appropriate. Not as an afterthought or an "add-on" to compliment the final invoice! But I do not do multi-colored mulch/gravel or cheesy little stacked stone walls around the base of a palm!! Budget is usually criteria one to most clients and I am mindful to accomodate the plant design and selection within the desired budget. However, if that budget is unrealistic for the area to be covered I will work with the client to stage the project or, phase down the scope of plant sizes and spacings. I charge an hourly labor rate of $105 for a crew separate from the plant and materials cost. My Nursery, is a ten acre tropical paradise replete with a 25 foot swing over our alligator inhabited pond. Visitors are welcome 7 days a week provided they call for an appointment and children are welcome...to weed anything! The important part of selecting any contractor is establishing a level of trust. I'm Larry and I thrive on trust. I did not choose this profession for the money making capabilities it provides, or the short hours and health benefits. I do it because I love it, I strain to be pragmatic and realistic in my design and plant selections. I have 10 acres of plants so I understand maintenance..believe me. More importantly I know plants and what works and where to get them and how to make a yard look amazing, all within a reasonable budget. Please read the reviews here on AngieslList, I am not the fastest landscaper but possibly the most serious and I greatly appreciate your taking the time to read this rant/Bio. I hope you might consider me for your landscape project to whatever degree that may entail. Sincerely, Larry D...
Business highlights
Services we offer
Annuals Installation, Boulders, Fertilization, Irrigation Repair &Adjusting. Mulching., Landscape Design & Installation, Low Voltage Landscape Lighting, Maintenance, Maintenance & Contract Growing, Palm, Pavers & Hardscaping & Walkways, Plant Babysitting, Plant Transportation & Brokerage, Rootpruning, Soil Testing, Some Sod Work, Storage, Tiki Hut Construction, Tree & Palm Transplanting, Tree Delivery & Installation, Water Features, Waterfalls
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 1% | ||
| 6% | ||
| 16% |
Having lived in southeast Florida for almost 14 years, and having contracted with a least that many landscapers over the duration, I am SO pleased to be writing this review. Based on past experience, I was beginning to wonder if there were ANY professional landscapers in southeast Florida who had a passion for their work and real knowledge within their chosen profession. Without question, I have found that Earthworks Landscape has delivered on both of these attributes as well as many more! In short, professionalism, communications, dependability, attention to detail as well as a thorough knowledge of horticulture and a true landscape design sense, Earthworks has delivered in ALL areas!
Plant variety and plant quality are key components of successful landscaping. It was very refreshing to actually be surprised and excited to see the unique and unexpected planting options offered. These were certainly NOT what is found at Home Depot!
I would also like to emphasize that I live in a zero-lot-line community, so landscape space was somewhat limited. Additionally, my initial purpose in contacting Earthworks was to replace the pump in an existing small pond-less water feature. I was very impressed that Earthworks Landscape approached my job with the same enthusiasm as if it was equal to a full-scale landscape gig on Palm Beach Island!
I highly recommend Earthworks Landscape if you are ready to commit to a landscape experience that is not your typical southeast Florida experience!
"As [Member Name] mentioned the space was small so scale of plant size was critical for the best effect of the work. What he isn't mentioning which is always a huge contribution to the overall success of any landscape is that he has great taste. Even though we didn't use a lot of flashy plants the combination worked with the existing plantings and he was open to my removing plants that were not. This ability to "see" what helps or hinders a garden is not an attribute all clients share and this is where TRUST plays such a big role. As always I am very grateful for this trust and will likely be returning from time to time to "tweak" the garden and keep it looking current and not over planted."
"Thank you for listening, as usual this client also had a good sense that lean and clean was the way to go. I am grateful for their trust and business."
"Remarkably the kindness of people can lift not only a persons spirit but their faith in what and why they do what we do. Very very few clients know exactly what they want but nearly all know what they don't. On this garden, having the benefit of working with someone who knows design and understands the creative process, I was fortunate on many levels. Good architectural features, an outstanding neighborhood with stunning street tree canopy throughout and clients that engaged with the design concept. I cannot begin to convey my gratitude and explain what a pleasure it was to work with such kind supportive folks, who allowed me the price ledge to "play" in their garden. From hanging their front drive lamp in the great Oak, to moving the mailbox and mounting an epiphytic ornamental in the trees to installing the crocus like "rainlillies" and other bulbs I was provided free range and given the review posted here I would consider the effort a success!! Thank you both...Larry"
"this member is the star of the show, I only made practical but esthetic suggestions and she supported my ideas completely. I would like to add that she has no irrigation system so I am proud of her follow through with the initial hand watering of the new plantings. Now that the rains have started we just last week went back and did a quick maintenance including mulch and fertilizer and everything looked great...except where the 14 dogs dig and lay about!! Again, a great review due almost entirely to the trust of the client and good communication. !!"
"I am not a client of this person, I sent a registered letter to him asking he give the credit to the proper vendor probably with a like sounding name. I never heard back so I called Angieslist and they tried to reach him, still no luck. I appreciate the B rating but I didn't do any work to deserve it...oh well."
He did not always show up when he said he would, and the job took longer than anticipated, but he did a good job , and I would highly recommend him.
"Thank you (Member name removed), I couldn't do it without you guidance, suggestions and keen eye for detail."
"I did in fact do a sketch which was mailed to the client as they made it clear they had NOT made any decision but were getting bids. I sent my pool contractor to them also whose idea they took but not his price and can only assume they did the same with my design. This is the first contact I have heard from them which is odd because they have my email. This will be the last FREE estimate I give, once they have your ideas they just bid it out to any lawn cutter with a shovel...very frustrating."
11/18/13 Still have not heard from Larry. He has not responded to e-mail or phone. His phone recording says that the mailbox is full. So something may have happened to Larry. I don't know...
"I have contacted [Member name removed] to complete or remove the $2,300 worth of lights I have never been paid a dime for."
"I have no record of a call or message from this person."
Larry is one of the nicest and most knowledgeable
landscaping people I have ever met. His
passion for interesting and unusual plants and his creative ideas breathe fresh
life into a project instead of the usual, mundane landscaping plans using the
same, tired, pedestrian flora recommendations.
Larry is patient and willing to do a project within a reasonable budget,
even recommending stages to the project to fit within whatever budget is
provided. Larry is courteous and
professional. He is also an excellent communicator, whether by email, text or
phone and has been promptly on-time for all of our meetings. We also took Larry up on his offer to visit
his nursery. We were amazed by the magnificent
variety of palms and plants he displayed that we had never seen before. Our project has starting with the cutting and
removing of some of our driveway to make room for additional plantings. Larry and his helper arrived right on time
and worked fervently and diligently at cutting the driveway and removing the
pieces. This was the first step in our
staged landscaping project and Larry?s work ethic is incredible. Not only does he talk the talk, he also walks
the walk. Rarely will you see someone
work as hard as Larry does! We are
looking forward to the additional stages of our landscaping project and based
upon what we have seen so far, can recommend Larry with exuberance and
confidence! Additionally, based upon our
interactions with Larry over the past two months, we can only assume negative
remarks that have been posted are based either upon confusion of a similarly
named service provider or a lack of communication from the clients.
"I thought I responded to this review. Well what the client isn't telling you is that he is of the ilk...a palm and plant freak. So it was he who made the job a breeze. The enthusiasm and support of each client is critical to the success of each unique project and it is this synergy that produces the best results...this is a FACT! Thank you You both."
some of the work was magnificent but he did not respond to email txt or phone calls --and over the summer while we were away he never returned a call --he had said he was going to do maintenance for us monthly
when we returned the yard was so overgrown and over planted that we had to hire another landscaper to help us straighten it all out
"The clients, with separate last names,paid consistently on time for two invoices and on the third stated they were not going to spend more than X. As the next project continued the client filing this review demanded more and more work be installed. Ultimately I was not paid over $5,800 in labor and plant material and the client continued to call requesting maintenance. But the garden looks amazing and I have the photos to prove it!"
"As stated this client was attempting to place their home on the market but it was visually obscured by low branches, high shrubbery and ill placed plantings. They were kind enough to listen to my opinions and then trusted me to follow through with the appropriate corrections and even the highly skeptical Realtor was impressed with the result. I am always grateful to those who listen to my advice and then allow me to perform the work they've sought my expertise for."
"(Member name removed) was one of my first AngiesList clients who only hired me for the special 3 hour labor with 3 men which we did. He then expanded the job to include designing and planting the front. This was also completed and both he and his wife told me how fabulous it looked with a palm I had leaned out over a newly made berm. I have never heard from him again until reading this review. I would have appreciated a call to discuss his garden and as for maintenance it is clearly stated in both my services description and I tell people verbally, I do NOT do maintenance. It sounds to me like he assumed I owed him follow up free maintenance and as for over billing my prices are average to below average for all tress and plants. These "all F's" reviews are notoriously an indication that communication was the issue, not the work!"
"Once again it's nice to collaborate with people who "get it". The clients couldn't have been easier to work with, not for...and they were realistic with regards to accepting what absolutely had to be done, namely the sprinklers put in working order, and then what could be done given the site, the proximity of the Ocean and the desire to keep to a reasonable budget. By sticking to a simple and basic design together we achieved what will be a long lasting planting with minimal maintenance. I am very grateful to have been able to do a little for a couple who have given so much. I look forward to the next phase...."
"[member name removed] My company is Earthworks Landscape NOT Earthsomething, I have never worked for you and you have me confused with whom you think sounds like my company. Remove this post from my company profile or I will seek representation for compensation for damages to my good standing. Thank you"
Specifically, Larry created some large beds around several groves of palm trees in the back yard, providing interest to an otherwise simple lawn which looks out on a wild, open expanse of wetlands, next to Lake Okeechobee. He dug additional beds along a fence on the east side of the house, selecting new plants for both summer and winter color, texture, fragrance as well as overall size and layering to provide screening from the neighbor's yard.
The most dramatic new item was an in-ground planter that Larry dug in our pool area to correct for some drainage problems which had resulted in an unsightly and uninteresting corner. This turned out to be a more ambitious job than I had anticipated, but Larry worked very diligently despite some uncooperative weather. The pool deck has been transformed with the selection of tropical plants Larry chose to install, the drainage problem is gone and overall the pool deck remains cleaner and a pleasure to behold. We are considering putting another, perhaps slightly smaller planter, in another location, next year.
As was the case last year, Larry was enthusiastic and professional. He showed up when he said he would and he and his workers have a work ethic that is hard to beat. After we had discussed what we were hoping to achieve, I let Larry make the necessary decisions, choosing the plants and locations according to his knowledge and artistic sense. Based on our experience last year, I was confident he would keep costs down where possible. I got way more than I expected and it is a delight to take a stroll through our yard, sit around our pool deck or just look out our windows. We have noticed people taking pictures in front of our house and have received a number of compliments. It was money extremely well spent.
"Just incredible! People pay me money to do what I love...lots of money, and then they praise ME for it. Once again the credit goes to the client, first they trust me with the front yard and then do twice as much in the back.... To anyone reading this I can only say I wish everyone who spends money on their garden gets the pleasure of its use, whether that be sitting in it, walking through it, or just viewing it from inside. The fact that so many of my friends (clients) have expressed the pleasure they perceive from our collaboration is the highest compliment they could bestow. [member name removed], thank you so much for your support and trust! Larry"
Licensing
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2874 162nd Dr N, Loxahatchee, FL 33470
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