Taylor Made Landscape

    Even before our lawn was torn up by People's Gas and we had masonry work done on the front of our building, our little front yard needed some serious help.  It not only was boring, but what we did have there was unkempt.  Sure, we cut the grass and watered, but the bushes were more than we could handle - grew several feet every year - and we could never keep much in the way of bulb flowers and annuals growing.  It was all very scraggly-looking.  

    We tore out the bushes (which we hated anyway) last fall so our masonry guys didn't have to crawl behind them to work.  Once he finished this past spring, it was the perfect time to start over and do something really nice out front.  We knew it was beyond our expertise, so we started the search for a landscaper.  It wasn't easy, especially after this past cold, wet spring; other landscapers we contacted were far behind in their work and were trying to catch up.  We'd sort of given up and thought we'd have to wait until next spring to actually get bushes and plantings in.  But then a good friend told us about Maureen and the wonderful job she'd done in her backyard, an already-established yard that our friend wanted to spruce up.

    Maureen came out within a few days of my initial phone call, which she returned the same day I made it.  She spent over an hour with me, looking at the front of our building, measuring the space, and asking all sorts of questions - how much time did we have for yard upkeep, what plants and colors, if any, did we like, did we want something formal, exotic, etc.  Maureen took photos as well.  I did have definite ideas about what we wanted, especially about the overall look.  But I just didn't know how certain shrubs and perennials would do with our lighting and our "micro-climate" - half a block from the lake, brutal wind in the winter, and sandy soil.  Trees and shrubs can be pricey, and mistakes with them are not only expensive, but time-consuming.  This aspect of DIY landscaping had been paralyzing for us in the past; what to put in that we wouldn't end up losing in a year or two?  So we ended up not doing much of anything, and it showed.  Maureen listened and took notes.  At the end of our meeting, we already had some "definites" on placement for a small tree and shrubs, and several ideas for species.  Same for the smaller perennial plantings.

    While Maureen came up with the plan and estimate, which took about ten days, she gave me homework to do.  I went to a few local nurseries and gardening centers and scouted out trees and shrubs to see what I liked.  It was very helpful to see them "in real life" - photos online are good, but I found that actually seeing the plants in person was much better.   I took some photos myself, and made lots of notes.  I wanted to be actively involved in the process, so this worked well.  We emailed back and forth a lot.  Some things we decided against, and one or two others we decided to put off for the future because of our budget constraints.  Maureen did re-work our initial plan, because we couldn't spend what it required.  Maureen will work with the budget you've got, and I'm sure would be happy to be given free rein on plant choices, if you don't have the time or inclination for that!  

    Once we approved Maureen's plan and estimate, the work began.  It happened in stages.  First, a small crew came and tore out some small bushes, and completely tore out our icky grass.  Nothing but dirt left.  Then, Maureen came with two men and put in the tree, shrubs, and perennials.  She also split some of my existing hostas and used them.  We'd had some purple "sage" (it's really a variety of salvia, Maureen told us) and that was saved and transplanted to fit in with the scheme.  Last, another week after that, another crew came in and put in the sod and mulch around the plantings.  Fertilizer and plant food was put in as well.  Maureen kept in touch with me the whole time, letting me know what to expect when.  Finally, Maureen made another visit, took more photos, and gave me the tags that came on the plants from the nursery on a nice handy ring, plus printed, every-step-of-the-way instructions on watering the sod.  I know that I can call Maureen whenever I have questions about anything, either now in these next few months or for years to come.  Along with our handyman and plumber, she's on the permanent roster!  It became very apparent to me, as we went through this process, that Maureen not only has loads of experience and knowledge about what she does, but loves it too.         

    We are now the proud and happy owners of a beautiful front lawn and garden - everything but boring, and the certainly best for blocks around!  As with many things, it's a work in progress.  Maureen left me with plenty of ideas for other parts of our yard, and I have room to play with annuals every year, if I so choose.  The new plantings stand on their own and don't need any help, but I know we will add more in the years to come.  Maureen will be the first and only person we call!  

Our back yard was a mess -- my daughter was killing plants by bouncing a basketball off the garage wall, so we wanted a lanscape that could handle her outdoor play and also be used functionally as an outdoor living space.  AND, gardening is my big hobby!  I just couldn't get a handle on how to pull everything together and make it all work. 

Maureen is very friendly -- came in and we discussed our needs and what I wanted to preseserve and what could go.  I felt like she listended to what I wanted and didn't try to force her preferences on me.  I knew we didn't have the money to do everything all at once and this was going to be a two-year process.  She took numerous notes and photos and within a week came back with some options for hardscaping a paver patio that could double as a basketball court.  Once we finalized shape and size together, she drew up a design for the yard with a list of suggested plantings.

In 2010, we did the hardscaping and installed sod.  This year, we added the major plantings -- bushes and perennials.  When I e-mailed her this spring; she told me where to go to get the plants and her professional discount.  I wandered around that nursery for an afternoon and came back with a list of plants I wanted.  Some of my choices were not on her original design.  We discussed the pros and cons of each plant.  She placed the order and arranged for plant delivery and a two-man work crew to spend a day with me getting it all planted.  The finished yard is just phenomenol -- I am so happy with it!  It's really my pride and joy!!!  This was something I never could have done on my own.

We called Maureen in March to give us a quote on a backyard refresh given the awful state of our backyard. She was responsive and very friendly. She came over as soon as it was convenient for us to understand what we wanted from a landscape perspective. We had a few conversations in person and over email, at which time, she submitted a proposal. Given our budget was a bit lower than what we aspired to do, Maureen was happy to work with us to get us what we needed for this summer, understanding that we can always go back and have additional landscaping put in. I should mention that we also had another landscaping company give us a quote for the same services and they were over DOUBLE what Maureen bid. And they were not willing to work with us. She worked with her workers to bring the budget more in line with what we could afford, and we couldn't be happier with the end product. We now have a beautiful walkway, a safe entryway, a lovely landscape and 2 new adorable trees. We will be working with Maureen in the future, for sure.