Dean's Lawn & Landscaping

It went very well and we have received many positive comments on how nice our house looks. All personnel we very good and professional. Jesus was very outstanding on how he "customized" our installation on the spot. He seemed to instinctively know what was needed and what would look best. We are very satisfied and plan to have the company quote on work need in the back of our house.

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Dean did extensive landscaping for my elderly father a couple summers ago.  He put in a manufacturered stone raised patio, along with shrub borders along the north side of the house and the east and north fencelines. The stone patio was beautifully done and the shrub plantings were nice. Good, large, healthy plants.  Deans removed all Dad's topsoil (which was sandy) and replaced it with what was suppossed to be black dirt, but turned out to be mostly clay.  Dean even apologized for it being crappy soil and said that he didn't know how bad it was when he purchased it. Two complaints here-A.  He should have checked out the soil he purchased (and tested it) before he purchased it or used it.  B.  When he saw it was crappy, he should have removed it and replaced it.  Probably the biggest issue with the plantings was that he put in substitute plants (based on his initial drawing) which were not what my Dad wanted.  Before he even called Dean, my Dad was going on and on about how he wanted blue flowered hydrangeas.  When Dean submitted the plans/quotation to my Dad, the hydrangeas shown were a blue variety (maybe Niko Blue).  When the plants were put in, however,all the hydrangeas installed by Deans were a white mophead variety, which will not change color based on the soil's pH.  While they are beautiful, to this day my Dad is adding supplements to the soil, trying to get them to turn blue. Dean also did some simple landscaping/ shrub installation  across the front of the house, again removing the existing top soil and replacing it with the clay soil. Half the front border gets mostly sun, with the remaining half getting shade from a large sugar maple tree. Dean planted the same viburnium variety on both sides of the porch.  When the one planted in the shade died after a few months, he replaced it with the same variety, which also died, despite my Dad being extremely conscientious about its care. My Dad did not contact Dean about another replacement.  Earlier this year, for a reason only known to him, my Dad called Dean to get a quotation to redo the front landscaping that Dean had done previously.  When he got the quotation, it included a sevaral hundred dollar charge for removal of the existing soil (which was what they installed previously).  Included in the plan was a small ornamental tree with berries that are loved by birds, that was to be planted right near the front door (where the birds could eat the berries, then do what birds do, all over the front porch and stoop.) Final quotation to redo this work was several thousand dollars, which both my brother and I felt was waaaaay out of line.  My elderly Dad does not like to make waves,and knows very little about plant varieties, etc., so some of this may have to do with him not speaking up when the plants were not what was promised.  Before Dad could sign a contract with Dean, my brother stepped in-went and got shrubs and replacement soil and installed them at a cost of a $200, rather than paying Dean 10 times that. The patio Deans installed is beautiful-they did a really nice job.  My Dad said that the workers who installed it worked their butts off, never really took breaks, came early, stayed late and were really conscientious about doing things right.  So on patio installation, would probably give Deans an "A".  On the plant design, I would give Deans only a "C" because I'm not sure he knows his plants as well as he should.  I've been to store/nursery several times; all the plants I saw were healthy and well cared for-they have a huge variety. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase plants from Deans to install in a plan where someone else had checked out the plants design first.

We wanted three inches of dirt removed before new put down.  This did not happen.  Charged us for yards of dirt not put down.  We had taken pictures of work done, so he credited us for three yards of dirt.  Sod inundated with mushrooms following spring.  Was told spores must have blown into our yard.  No mushrooms in neighbors yards.  Now we have yellow circles all over our new lawn.  Treated ourselves and hoping for the best.

Patio went fine, beautiful work .  When shown the original design for yard last fall, I told Dean that the design for the backyard was not what I really wanted.  I wanted a much simpler plan, that my main concern was to stop the weeds and growth coming under my fence into my yard.   I wanted something built along the fence to block it .  I also told him that on one side of my yard it slopes down to the fence and that when I watered there, the water would go into my neighbors yard, instead of watering my plants. I told him I wanted to make my life easier, that it was getting too hard for me to take care of the yard.  Also told him no  bushes or trees.  The way the power lines connect to the house and with telephone lines down by the parkway fence; trees are in the way.  I had 3 trees in the yard, when I bought the house.  One by one I had to remove them or risk knocking down the power lines.  Also told him that I don't like peonies and I am allergic to roses.  I was told not to worry, all that would be discussed at the beginning of the project the following spring.  
When they came out to do the patio, I tried to talk to Dean regarding the yard.  He brushed me off and told me that we would discuss it when work was started on the yard.  Okay.  I reminded him that I did not want my grassy area to be as small as shown on last spring's design and no trees, no bushes.   Work was started on the patio, I was not home a lot that week, due to doctor visits for me and my mother.  Much to my surprise, my yard was all dug up.  All the plants that I wanted to keep were gone.  The grass was carved up, leaving a much smaller grass area.  I  was not happy about it and told him so.  We negotiated, and I agreed to a smaller area then I had wanted, but larger then He had planned.  I was told the remaining carved out area would be replaced with grass.  After the patio was done, I was told that the yard work would be done May 6th & 7th.  I had my godchild's wedding on May 11, and still had some shopping to do to be ready for it.  I told him that would be okay, but the rest of the week I had appointments so I had to go shopping Wednesday.  They did not show up on the 6th or 7th.  I went shopping on the 8th, and return home late in the afternoon to find his men loading trees, bushes, and plants into my backyard.  I was appalled,  I told his men to stop, that I did not want any of the stuff brought in.  Dean came out, and brought some other stuff  with him, but seemed surprise that I did not want any of the original stuff .  I told him I wanted a much  simpler yard.  That I had wanted to keep the hostas , blue hydrangeas,  and the deep purple irises that his men had dug up.  Told him I wanted lavender and/ or sage planted along the fence by the parkway.  Also that I wanted some kind of blue ground cover if possible in the focal point of my yard.  I had bought a sleeping stone dragon and I wanted it to look like it was sleeping in a field of flowers.  Instead I got a dragon sleeping on a flat stone which is placed on rocks. I was told lavender and sage would bring bees, and if I'm allergic that could be a problem.. He told me he could bring out a green hydrangea.  and just kept talking and placing plants  in different parts of the yard.  I was never told to go to his center and walk around and pick out the plants I wanted.    I agreed to 2 trees ; a dwarf Japanese maple and some other one.  I am told that neither will get big .   The dwarf Japanese maple is adorable and if it doesn't get much taller, it will be okay.  However the other tree , I am very concerned will grow and need to be trimmed.  An expense I do not want or need.  At final walk around, Dean did admit that maybe in 10 years or so it might need to be trimmed to avoid the wires.  I told him, it better not or I'm coming to get him.   I have 5 bushes along one fence, that I do not remember agreeing to before they were planted. I don't believe we ever got that far when changing what was to be planted.    They are suppose to be Burning Bushes and per Dean will not get big.  I just have to trim them right after the 4th of July and again in the fall. 
The yard looks nice and clean.  A lot of rock with bushes and a few small plants .  I have bought plants before for similar prices, but I had a grown plant, not a seedling.  I have no idea what these plants will look like when they grow up.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see if there is any color there.  
Most of all I don't believe the problems I wanted fixed were fixed.  I already see growth along the boulder trim at the fence.  To prevent growth,  a heavy plastic ground coverwas placed and  covered with stones.  Along the fence,  boulders were placed varying in size from the size of a baseball to the size of a grapefruit.   I did tell Dean I tried something very similar, and it did not work.  I had wanted a brick or stone wall placed along the fence  to stop the growth, and a very simple yard with plants that don't require a lot of care.   What I got is an HGTV garden that has to be water for 2 hours everyday.  Since Dean had hose planted in the ground on each side of the yard, that means 2 hours on each side.    Oh and the grass that was dug up; he seeded that and thanks to all the rain it has filled in fairly good.  Good thing, cause with 4 hours watering the bushes, I don't feel like watering the grass.
Also when work was first started, I asked him to replace 2 bushes, and remove  one so I could put in a birdbath.   The ones I wanted replace; turned out well.  However, instead of removing the bush on the west corner, he removed the bush on the east corner.  This meant he had to replace the bush removed in error and remove the west side bush.  He said that the bush dug up in error was rotted anyway, but it was only a few years old and looked healthy to me.   He replaced with a bush that is not as pretty and looks like it could get large.  The one that I wanted removed  was getting too big for the front yard.  This despite the fact that I trimmed 2 to 3 times a summer. 
I guess what really got me so  angry is now when I look at the yard, all I see is work.   If he had done what I wanted, all I would have had to do was place a sprinkler in the backyard to water my grass and plants.  I wanted nothing fancy, just to fill in spots where I use to plants annuals.  Annuals that brought in bees, which despite being a very allergic person, I never had problems .
Also having trouble getting a final bill to pay what I owe.  I get emails and then I get a bill in the mail, neither agree on the total amount.  I have ask for a bill that shows just the cost of the patio, and the cost of what was done to my backyard with the payments I have paid so that I have a clear picture of what is owed.   The first bill had credits for all the plants I refused plus what was planted.  Very confusing.  Then the next one had an invoice listed that the email showed one price, and the mailed bill showed another.
I wonder if the growth along the fence gets as bad as it usually does, who will I get to fix it .  

In the past I've bought pavers from them for various projects and always found their quality to be much higher than other places.  The work they do is high quality and their rates are very reasonable.  I've recommended them to others and will continue to do so.

The job had some ups and downs, but overall went well and the follow up has been especially useful in guiding me to maintain a healthy lawn and avoid the problems I had before. Dean is very personable and willing to give your problem the time that you need to answer all questions. I would certainly use him again.

I THINK DEAN'S LAWN & LANDSCAPING DOES A FINE JOB WHEN THEY MOW MY LAWN. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR SERVICES YET. THE PEOPLE ARE ALSO SO FRIENDLY. I JUST THINK THEY OVERPRICE A LITTLE FOR THE SERVICES THEY DO PROVIDE.

THIS COMPANY WAS VERY HELPFUL IN DESIGNING MY LAWN. THEY MADE SURE THAT I KNEW WHAT TYPE OF BUSHES AND TREES WOULD GROW BETTER THAN OTHERS AND WHAT TYPE OF SOD WAS BEST. THEY DID EXCELLENT WORK AND MY FRONT LAWN LOOKS WONDERFUL.

THIS COMPANY WAS VERY HELPFUL IN DESIGNING MY LAWN. THEY MADE SURE THAT I KNEW WHAT TYPE OF BUSHES AND TREES WOULD GROW BETTER THAN OTHERS AND WHAT TYPE OF SOD WAS BEST. THEY DID EXCELLENT WORK AND MY FRONT LAWN LOOKS WONDERFUL.