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Moodscapes LLC
Deck or Porch - Build or Replace, Designer - Landscape, Excavation - Major Grading or Resloping,
About us
We create and maintain landscapes that are people and pet friendly to promote health and happiness using an ecological approach. These landscapes are designed to be sustainable and low maintenance for you to enjoy throughout the season for years to come. We work in teams of 3 in the field to provide personal service and take great pride in knowing that our staff is educated with the most relevant certifications. Cost is determined by job size. We service Arlington, Belmont, Winchester, Lexington, Newton, Watertown, Medford, Concord, Brookline, Cambridge, Needham and surrounding Massachusetts areas.
Business highlights
28 years of experience
Services we offer
Ecological, decks, fences and more., installation, maintenance and fine gardening. Landscape installation projects can range from simple plantings to complete design renovations that include masonry, sustainable and healthy landscape design
Reviews
4.7119 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 84% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 5% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 1% |
Showing 76-100 of 119 reviews
Tracey Y.
Sep 2012
Judy responded quickly to my request for an estimate for the work I wanted done. I was depending on someone to give me a lot of guidance with patio and landscape design and she took the time to talk to me about what I was looking for in types of plants, i.e., low maintenance.
There were a few unexpected details/problems and she arranged for them to be taken care of.
I am very happy with the work Judy and her crew did. We continue to be in touch and I plan on having her do more work for me.
There were a few unexpected details/problems and she arranged for them to be taken care of.
I am very happy with the work Judy and her crew did. We continue to be in touch and I plan on having her do more work for me.
ROBERT H.
Sep 2012
Judy and her Moodscapes team were great - we are delighted with the results and enjoyed working with her and her team. She took the original plan, added detail that improved the aesthetics of the original design, and helped ensure the feasibility of implementation. The team that supported her was top notch - a great fence designer/builder, superb patio installer, and top notch deck contractor. The fantastic hardscape is matched by the great outcome on the design and execution of the plantings throughout the property. We look forward to enjoying our outdoor space significantly more in the months and years to come thanks to her and her team's work
Serene F.
Sep 2012
Overall, disappointed with the project. Met with the owner (Judi) for the first time in the spring to try to get an idea of the cost of our project (landscaping for front yard, down the driveway and back of driveway). Based on her estimate, we decided to move forward and have a plan put together. When she presented the first draft of the plan, it was 25+% over the budget we had set in the initial contract. Despite repeated conversations about getting the project down to the budget, we were still over budget even after eliminating a big chunk of the work (all the work along and in back of the driveway) and paring down the plantings in the front.
While the plan she developed looked pretty good and was detailed, we're disappointed to spend $1,200 on the plan and really have nothing to show for it. Beware of the initial estimate. Had we known at the onset how far off the initial estimate was, we never would have moved forward even with the planning the stage.
While the plan she developed looked pretty good and was detailed, we're disappointed to spend $1,200 on the plan and really have nothing to show for it. Beware of the initial estimate. Had we known at the onset how far off the initial estimate was, we never would have moved forward even with the planning the stage.
Response from Moodscapes LLC
"When I originally met with the client, based on our conversation , I gave them an estimate for the design and installation of their landscape as a whole. However, after discussing their needs in more detail and preparing the design plan accordingly, I realized that the installation would be more costly. I offered to modify the plan to bring the cost down or to install in stages. Both options were declined.They paid for a comprehensive and detailed design of their yard , which they can install at any time themselves or with a less expensive installer. I am very sorry this happened and I wish them well."
PAT N.
Aug 2012
While the planning took time, we had some revisions. The execution and installation of new plantings went quickly. The team cleaned up after the job and were very responsive to questions. Moodscapes' owner came by our house several times after the initial planting to see how things were.
JESSIE S.
Aug 2012
The design was superb, the workers courteous and professional, and the results are excellent. Judy has an amazing eye for design. Initially I only planned to do the hardscaping, but after only a brief discussion, Judy had several suggestions that were perfect for my house and how I use the yard. She was also very up-front and specific about costs and was always willing to write up the pricing for any new idea we discussed. She was flexible about a few last minute changes and requests.
The yard is completely transformed, as is the view from my house and the whole experience of coming up the driveway. I have gotten compliments from neighbors, visitors, and the police officer supervising traffic last week! Judy is wonderful to work with, always kept in touch about the progress of the work, and is committed to making things right if something doesn't work out as expected. When workers mistakenly ripped up a (very weedy) set of my plantings, Judy bought new plants and replanted free of charge. The plants are all healthy and vigorous--one of the bushes has grown two feet in the last month. Her team also came back twice to fix a drainage problem that was more complicated than expected. A great experience and a wonderful result.
The yard is completely transformed, as is the view from my house and the whole experience of coming up the driveway. I have gotten compliments from neighbors, visitors, and the police officer supervising traffic last week! Judy is wonderful to work with, always kept in touch about the progress of the work, and is committed to making things right if something doesn't work out as expected. When workers mistakenly ripped up a (very weedy) set of my plantings, Judy bought new plants and replanted free of charge. The plants are all healthy and vigorous--one of the bushes has grown two feet in the last month. Her team also came back twice to fix a drainage problem that was more complicated than expected. A great experience and a wonderful result.
Andrew M.
Aug 2012
They were very good. They came on short notice. They came late in the season when most landscapers would probably be done. They had to dig by hand and everything. It was a tough job. They came and got it done in a day. They did a really good job.
David H.
Aug 2012
The project is beautiful...Came in under budget...and was so exciting and beautiful a neighbor asked Judi to quickly redesign her yard and plantings, incorportating grassy pavers to expand parking. My project was done under a time constraint in that it had to be completed for a Memorial Day party. As she had been juggling other jobs and completing them before starting my project, when we were worried about a new lawn being well established, Judi added turf so that the lawn in the yard would be ready for the party...at no additional cost.Â
Judi used all local plants that came from a Southcoast nursery, and they were totally acclimated to the area and every plant, shrub, bush and tree is doing quite well. I would recommend Judi for any project--her attention to detail and ability to design, implement and install our ideas into a beautiful landscape is unmatched.
Judi used all local plants that came from a Southcoast nursery, and they were totally acclimated to the area and every plant, shrub, bush and tree is doing quite well. I would recommend Judi for any project--her attention to detail and ability to design, implement and install our ideas into a beautiful landscape is unmatched.
HILLARY A.
Jul 2012
I met with the owner in mid-May and it took until September or October for the plans to be delivered to me. The plans delivered did not appear to take anything I specifically mentioned into consideration. The plans are of no use to me.
Response from Moodscapes LLC
"I am so sorry that the client was not satisfied with the work. This was part of the Angies List Big Deal. Because over 90 people signed up it was impossible to work in a timely manner and to give each design the amount of attention to detail I usually give. I will not do anymore big deals since it compromises my ability to do my best work.We did give the client a concept plan, not a planting plan ,as that is what the big deal called for. The next step was to meet to review the plan and then to do a planting plan with more detail and a proposal for installation. We contacted her about meeting but did not hear from her. I hope that the client will accept my apology and I'd be glad to meet at anytime to discuss the details further."
Elizabeth A.
Feb 2012
I hired Judi and her team last summer to fix my back yard. Before she came it was a mess, with rocks and weeds and it was very unattractive. She came, and was easy to work with, eager to save me money, had lovely ideas about what to plant, and did a quick and beautiful job. I particularly liked that she was interested in using local plants as much as possible, and that she was focused on what things would look like in different seasons. I now have a lovely back yard where I can sit and look at the nice plants. I am very happy with the work that Moodscapes did. They did an excellent, professional job.
Sally W.
Nov 2011
Judith was great. She came to my house in June to get an idea of the project. She asked lots of questions but also supplied ideas when it was clear that I didn't really know what I wanted. She was clear up front that she wouldn't be able to get to the project until August given her other commitments. She then provided a quote, which was broken out by category so I could see what different things would cost. In August the project got started. I ended up expanding what I wanted (including asking for a long pathway to be replaced using the same stones being used on the patio). This project also involved digging drainage areas under the pathway for the gutter downspouts. Thus, although the eventual cost was greater than the initial estimate, this was because I added things, not because Judith went over budget. Throughout the project, Judith and her team communicated well about timing, cost, noise, etc. Once completed, Judith's team also did a great job cleaning up everything. They also removed yard materials that I didn't need anymore that had nothing to do with the project. They have followed up to make sure I am happy with the project and to see if I had any questions. The work looks great! I am very happy with how my small little yard looks.
Allison V.
Nov 2011
.Judith promptly answered my call to come and give an estimate. She was extremely pleasant and helpful with ideas as we discussed the project. Her bid was not the lowest, but also was not the highest out of all our estimates. Between my positive initial experience with her and her prompt submission and price of her estimate, we went with her company. Once we agreed to have the work done, she was very clear as to when they could do the job and they saw it through as promised. Her assistant, Jesse, along with his crew, did fabulous work and left the project beautifully clean - we couldn't be happier. We have decided to rehardscape our front stoop to tie everything in, and we will definitely use Moodscapes to do this extra project in the spring.
Michelle C.
Nov 2011
We originally purchased the $99 Big Deal and met with Judith to talk about our backyard in April. We were having construction done to the back of our house and our yard was torn apart. We were looking for a space that was pet/kid friendly yet had plenty of areas for planting. I really appreciated that Judith liked using native plants and she had great ideas about what would be best for our small yard. They started the work at the end of the summer. The work was done very quickly and the results are beautiful. They have been great at responding to any minor issues that we have had and the plants still look great. We are very happy with the results.
CHERYL K.
Sep 2011
We didn't have a vision in mind, but we knew we wanted a natural look and we knew it could look a whole lot better than it did before. The end result is beautiful! With just a little input from us, Judith picked a beautiful selection and variety of shrubs and perennials, all layered to give depth to the (small) front yard. The mason she works with was amazing - he put in fieldstone and bluestone steps. Every day since the work was completed, I've paused to admire how great it looks, and wonder why we didn't do it sooner! All the work was done on time, following the original schedule, and on budget. We highly recommend the creativity and professionalism of Moodscapes.
PATRICIA G.
Sep 2011
So far, I like them very much.
Alison C.
Aug 2011
I am writing in regards to a Big Deal service I purchased for Moodscapes LLC. I met with Judith and spoke with her at length about the deal and what I expected. I understood that it would not be a very detailed plan, but I was shocked at the lack of detail I recieved. I sent over the survey of my property as requested, and what I got back was the same plot plan with 4 green blobs where planting beds should be and a list of suggested plants. I could have bought landscaping software for that amount of money and had better results. I feel that this purchase was a poor use of my money and I will not recommend this company to anyone. I tried to resolve this directly with the vendor who just gave me another list of plants. I would like to have a refund for this purchase. This was the email I received from Judith on Thursday, May 19, 2011 . ____________________________________________________________________ Hi Allison, Attached is your concept plan, outlining the garden bed shapes and stepping stone path from driveway to walkway/entrance. The following are the plants I would suggest you plant in the front garden beds: Hydrangea 'Lady in Red' Knockout Roses Ilex crenata compacta Spirea japonica Buddlea Dahne Carol Mackie Physocarpus 'Summer Wine' This now concludes the Big Deal. Please let me know if I can help you further in any way. It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you! ________________________________________________________________________ Here is a link to the image of the plan I got. http://tinypic.com/r/2ewmazm/7 Please let me know at your earliest convenience what outcomes I can pursue. Sincerely, Alison Crawford 781-420-9497
Joyce
Aug 2011
Everything turned out exceptionally well. Even the discussion with her before the work was done was wonderful. I told her I was having the house painted the next week and she said that we should wait until after we finish painting to see how the color comes out before we plant any bushes or flowers. She was very kind and explained everything to me that she was going to do. She was very responsive and quick to help me with any concerns. She was just wonderful.
Julie W.
Jun 2011
Judith visited our condo association, met with several of us, walked around the property several times, and took photographs.
She listened very carefully to everyone's concerns and priorities. I asked her to meet a deadline for submitting her design and estimate for implementing the plan and subsequent maintenance. We all agreed that her design was beautiful--extremely artistic and sophisticates. None of us are very enthusiastic gardeners, so we welcomed her ideas and expertise.
In the end, we hired a different landscaping company for a variety of reasons, but we all agreed that Judith's design was stunning. (She also referred us to an arborist for to help us save a sugar maple--this, too, was successful.)
We are grateful to Judith for opening our eyes to the landscaping possibilities for our property.
She listened very carefully to everyone's concerns and priorities. I asked her to meet a deadline for submitting her design and estimate for implementing the plan and subsequent maintenance. We all agreed that her design was beautiful--extremely artistic and sophisticates. None of us are very enthusiastic gardeners, so we welcomed her ideas and expertise.
In the end, we hired a different landscaping company for a variety of reasons, but we all agreed that Judith's design was stunning. (She also referred us to an arborist for to help us save a sugar maple--this, too, was successful.)
We are grateful to Judith for opening our eyes to the landscaping possibilities for our property.
Eric S.
Jun 2011
I was interested in having work done in my back yard and called for a consult. I was promptly contacted to set an appointment. Because I work from home, I'm very flexible on timing and picked a date that was mutually acceptable. Prior to the initial appointment (it was either the day of or the day prior), I received a call rescheduling to a later date the following week. At this point, some other reports that mentioned similar inconsistency with scheduling came to mind. When the next appointment came around, no one arrived at the time specified. I received a phone call 20 minutes after the appointment time stating that the person who was to meet with me was "tied up" elsewhere and would need to reschedule. I should note that my interactions via telephone with who I presume to be the owner's assistant were polite and cordial. In part due to impatience (it had been over 3 weeks since the initial call) and a lack of confidence that any future appointment would be kept, I declined to reschedule and will choose another company instead. As a customer, I'd like to feel valued and appreciated by service providers, especially ones I'm prepared to pay thousands of dollars to. My interactions here failed to impress.
Response from Moodscapes LLC
"I am sorry for what happened when scheduling the member's appointment. The appointment was reschedule initially due to a job we were working on that had complications and required me to be on site. We rescheduled his appointment for 1pm last Thursday. I had every intention of meeting him. I went to a 11 AM appointment with clients, thinking that it would be done by noon and then I would head over to his house. I lost track of time and realized that the appointment had gone over the hour. When I went to call him, I did not have his number so I called the office to have my associate call. By then it was after one. I am sorry that this happened and understand his frustration. This time of year is very busy and while we have streamlined our scheduling process my tendency to try to do too much caused this error."
Mary R.
May 2011
I have hired Judi to do more work this year: renovate lawn and prepare new garden area. At our first meeting I was impressed that she brought up soil preparation. She was the first landscaper I have worked with who introduced the idea of good soil preparation. She made interesting recommendations for plants which coincided with my own taste. Plant meterial which she secured was of good quality. We are working on replacing one large shrub which did not look well shortly after planting and looks even less well after the winter. Her crew was excellent: hard working, pleasant and neat. There were some glitches but Judi responded promptly to make them right. We are stilll working on correcting the patio area: laying the stones with large gaps between did not take into account the slope of the yard so that stone dust washes out with any amount of rain. Her fencing contractor ("Art of Fence") did a brilliant job: strangers literally stop their cars to ask who did the fence because it looks so good.
Jeff G.
May 2011
I would rate them bad in terms of keeping an appointment. We scheduled an appointment a month ago and they did not show up. When I called them they said they had forgotten that I was on their schedule. They made an agreement on the phone and did not show up. Then they said they will come the next well and before coming they called and said they will be late and that was by end of the day. Since they were too late we moved the appointment to Monday and then I cancelled them as I decided not to be jerked around like this. We were pretty unhappy with that. When I called the owner to complain he said that he was busy during spring time and he had 90 calls do deal with. He said he was sorry.
Response from Moodscapes LLC
"I want to thank the member for his comment .We did miss an appointment and then I had to reschedule. I had to pick out stone for a client before the appointment and it took much more time at the stone yard than I expected. My assistant called The members to let them know that I was running late and asked if we could reschedule for Monday which was the next week day. He or his wife agreed. I then got a phone call from the member while I was at the stone yard. I explained what had happened to him said that I was very sorry, which I was and explained that I was a bit overwhelmed due to the huge response from the Angies List Big Deal. He decided to cancel the appointment and was unhappy. While I was very upset about this ,I used it as a learning experience and decided to revamp our appointment scheduling procedures , I added more designers to help with the plans I am doing for the Big Deal and I added new laborers to get the work done in a more timely fashion. We are a small personal service company and we are trying to still give personal service to our clients while working with more of them. This has taught us a lot."
Lora S.
Apr 2011
went well. Judy had a lot of information, and was very helpful.
Virginia K.
Apr 2011
Today I consulted with Judith and developed a landscape plan for my yard, 25 X 30'. She immediately took note of the plant material that was in place and my rough drawing of locations. She felt out what my preferences might be and where I'd want to head as I begin organizing beds that had been thrown together over many decades. We discussed expanding the planted areas, things to remove (including a small tree), using multiples (instead of one of this, one of that ) and she made great suggestions for additional shrubs and a tree. She had noticed that I was particularly interested in native species and adding height. I loved her choices! She suggested ways of rearranging what I had for a more natural effect. Even though I live in a tight urban space my yard will eventually develop into a lovely oasis thanks to her guidance. Judith is professional, warm, and obviously loves gardens. We made a schedule, she arrived promptly, she gave me full attention for the time we had together. I'd recommend Moodscapes and Judith Lipson-Rubin for garden planning. This service was provided using My Big Deal, hence the low cost, so though I will be doing some of this work myself this summer, I will be setting aside some funds for summer 2012 to have Judith back with her great ideas and gardening equipment to work on the yard, driveway, front of the house and north side. I think her professional rate is fair. THANKS, JUDITH.
SEENA A.
Apr 2011
This is not the way to do business so I have decided to refund my big deal. They could of at least answered me and explaining the delay in the situation and the work. They didn?t acknowledge me even trying to contact them and our commitment. I don?t do business with companies like this.
Response from Moodscapes LLC
"I apologize for the misunderstanding that has occurred. Our email account has been kept up-to-date as best as possible and emails have been responded to within a day or two. I recall that an email was sent to you on March 7th asking if you had availability to meet on April 14th, by the time you responded, March 17th, the day had already been booked and therefore ,I suggested new dates for us to meet. You let me know that you were unhappy with this so I was trying my best to schedule you for a date closer to April 14th. Possibly I should have made it clear to you of my great efforts to do so via email ,but I was trying to move the schedule around a bit and wanted to do so before I got backto you.Scheduling for the Big Deal is complicated since it involves so many people I hope you can understand the diligence all of us at Moodscapes have been exerting in order to schedule appointments with the 93 Big Deal purchasers in a timely manner, as well as, write up proposals and and do the concept plans. We have a good reputation and work hard to please all of our clients."
ANNE F.
Oct 2010
Overall, the experience was good. They were a little pricey but the quality was good.
Marie T.
Oct 2010
I would recommend them to others. They do an excellent job.
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FAQ
Moodscapes LLC is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
No, Moodscapes LLC does not offer free project estimates.
No, Moodscapes LLC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Moodscapes LLC does not offer a senior discount.
No, Moodscapes LLC does not offer emergency services.
No, Moodscapes LLC does not offer warranties.