Springwood Gardens Landscape

The team did a terrific job. Mr. Gibbs brought his designer/consultant with him. She and Mr. Gibbs made some very useful useful suggestions for what could be done to enhance the appearance of the property. This was my first Big Deal experience, and I'm so glad I signed up for it. The yard looks really beautiful--I could never have done it on my own.

Everything went well. We bought the Angie's List Big Deal, and I called Mulberry Bush on Sunday, expecting a response on Monday. Instead, I got a call within a few hours--on a Sunday. They arranged to come by the house Tuesday to get a feel for what needed to be done; instead, they started and finished their 2 hours of work by 2 people Tuesday afternoon. The 2 guys doing the work listened to what we wanted cleared and cut out, and when they ran out of work, they asked for more, until their 2 hours of work was done. They suggested other work that they could do. They also cleaned up after themselves, bagging up the yard waste, and let me know when they were done. The only reason they got a "B" for punctuality was the change in plan--initially, someone was going to come by to review what needed to be done, but because of traffic and other issues, they just sent the work crew over to start the work. Everything turned out GREAT, but I was initially a little unsure.

I bought the Angie's List "big deal" for four man hours of lawn work for $200. Mulberry owner Joe Gibbs called me right away to schedule, but then had to cancel twice - once because he said he was overbooked and had to do an installation for another customer before it rained that week, and a second time because it was raining the morning he was supposed to show up and he didn't call because he said he assumed I would realize he wasn't going to show up. Not the best way to make a good first impression, but Joe made up for it by sending his crew over on a Sunday afternoon, which is more convenient for me because I don't have to miss work. Joe sent Roberto and two other men to do my job. I explained to Roberto what needed to be done. He made a few good suggestions of additional small things that he could do to make improvements. Roberto asked if I had the paper lawn bags to put the trimmings in and I did not. So he got Joe on the phone with me and we worked out a price of an additional $150 for Roberto and his guys to haul away all the trimmings - and I was fine with that because it was a substantial amount of trimmings. (Filled up the back of his pickup truck.) Then Roberto and the two men went to work and they were quick and efficient and did a great job. They finished in an hour and a half and left my front and back yards looking very clean and trimmed. Roberto was very pleasant and polite and professional. I would definitely hire them again.

On the day of the appointment, Sylvia (who's last name I do not know) arrived at 10:30. She had one assistant with her. She discussed at length the trimming of the five azalea bushes and the camellia. Her assistant began cleaning out the flower bed below the shrubs. She left almost immediately to go to purchase a hedge clipper, which I would have expected her to bring with her. Approximately one hour later, she knocked on the door to show me her work. She only trimmed 4 of the 5 azalea bushes, explaining that she did not have a ladder and couldn't reach the 5th bush. I had explained on the phone that the bushes were very old and large. She pointed out a few other things that needed to be done but again said she didn not have a ladder. Sylvia informed me that the azaleas needed to be sprayed as well as fed and stated she would do this. She then left for an appointment elsewhere and her assistant went to lunch. .At about 1:30 p.m. a crew of four men arrived. They removed the sticks and branches, and raked a small area on the side of my house, which I had not asked them to do. They then blew the leaves onto my front lawn and left them there. They explained that they had not brought leaf bags and could not take the leaves with them. They then left, having been there for less than an hour.Clippings from the shrubs were left in the yard. The feeding and spraying was not done. I was left with a large pile of leaves on my grass with no way of securing them until leaf collection is done by the county next month. I called Mr. Gibbs to inquire about getting the leaves removed and he said he would charge me $200 to do it!I I wrote a letter of complaint to Mr. Gibbs explaining that the work had been left undone and that I was very dissatisfied with the amount of work done and the pile of leaves left behind. Mr. Gibbs called me and rather testily agreed to remove the leaves which he did two days later. Nothing further was said or done about the treatment of the azaleas that had been promised

Joe was very easy to work with and I was able to make the appointment for a Saturday so I did not have to take off work. My wife was very impressed with their work when she came home. Joe stayed for most of the job and he has a foreman who ran the show. They cleaned up everything when they left. I was worth every penny. I talked with Joe a real landscapping job in my backyard as well.

I'm thrilled with the job that Mulberry Bush did. I purchased the Angie's List deal and was very pleased with what we got for the money. I've purchased the Angie's List deal in the past and been disappointed with the responsiveness of the contractor and the work. I know that they often get overwhelmed with the number of people who purchase the deal. That was not the case with Mulberry Bush--and they had some bad weather to deal with as well. Joe was great about calling when he knew they couldn't make it because of the weather and he even came by the house to tell us personally once when the weather prevented the work. I feel like we got more than we paid for--the crew hauled away some extra yard debris that we had and also stayed a little longer than 4 hrs (although we did tip them). They also did a great job and cleaned up our VERY messy yard. I plan on calling them again to do more work in the future.

We had to postpone a couple of times because of heavy rains. When it cleared a bit, men came out but it started to rain again. Men were not deterred, gave all time due to get the job done well. Do be clear, make a list of what you need beforehand, go around with men and discuss possibilities.

I am very happy to share a very positive review of both the work and my overall experience with Mulberry Bush Landscapes. Joe Gibbs quickly returned my phone call and he was prepared to set up an appointment for that very week! I had purchased four hours of labor (or two hours with two workers) through a Big Deal promotion, with the hope that I would learn something about the garden I inherited when I purchased my house. Joe exceeded all of my expectations! The crew of two courteous workers and Joe arrived when scheduled and Joe was kind enough to stay behind to talk with me about my garden, while the workers went right to task. He devoted much time with me, to guide me through my yard, to educate me about the plants and trees I have. Joe is exceptionally knowledgeable about local flora and how to care for them and was incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge with me, as I took copious notes. He shared tons of great tips for how I could make easy and cost-free changes to my garden and offered many other ideas of cheap changes I could make to my garden, to open up more space and maximize its existing beauty. Meanwhile, the two workers worked swiftly and efficiently throughout the two hours we scheduled and they left my front yard, looking completely manicured, with trees pruned and even a dead tree unrooted in my front yard and one in the back! They came a day or two later to clean up the debris and remove the dead dogwood and they left my yard in even better shape than when I purchased the house (the yard had been one of the selling points!)! Overall, I was entirely satisfied with the work performed by Mulberry Bush Landscapes and I look forward to working with them again in the future.

The Mulberry Hill Landscapes team, Roberto and Dennis, worked very efficiently and effectively -- mowing down the grass, digging up the weeds, taming the hedge, and generally revealing my yard as it is intended to look. Admittedly they dug up some of my solar walkway lights also, but that was a small thing and easily resolved. They also laid down mulch to impede the regrowth of weeds, which should be pretty effective at this time of year. Happily for me, they cleaned up very well and hauled away a bountiful crop of unwanted greenery. Moreover, the work was done within the limits of the Big Deal, which was also gratifying. With my encouragement, Mr. Gibbs spent some time looking over my yard and discussing other work that I might want to have done, without pressing me to undertake anything overly ambitious and expensive. We agreed that he would send me some suggestions and estimates, and I intend to contact him in late fall to come do leaf clean-up and other preparation for winter. All in all, a happy ending to a ridiculously complicated effort to get some basic and essential work done. I am now a satisfied member of Angie's List.

Joe and Sylvia and their team did a fantastic job transforming our front and back yards, large areas requiring lots of work over an extended period during the summer, wonderful results, they were a pleasure to have around and I would highly recommend them

We are currently using them for a project. They came by a couple of times to look at the land. They came out when they said they would. When they were not able to come they would call us and keep us informed. The quote was for $25,000. I don't have any complaints thus far. The work isn't completed yet and I feel we will be a better reference once the work is done. We had a very positive experience with them.

Everything was great. The process was quick and efficient. The patio looks great, the water issues are solved, and we have beautiful landscaping. We also were very happy that we could see that Mr. Gibbs treated his workers very well and ensured they were taken care of (for example he provided them drinks throughout).

We were moving out of the house, and needed to get it in good shape for showing to potential buyers/renters. The front walk was a treacherous jumble of bricks that a previous owner had placed (without mortar) over a crumbling concrete walk. Water was seeping into the basement, and the shrubs and lawn were in terrible shape. We were referred to Mulberry Landscaping by good friends in our neighborhood, and found out that Mr Gibbs of Mulberry Landscaping was himself a neighbor. He took me on a walking tour of the neighborhood to see some of his previous jobs, and I was very impressed with the quality and thoroughness of his work. We hired him. He started right away, got the work done very quickly and with great attention to quality. Overall, a super job.

Let me start by saying that we've been very pleased with the end result. We've had several significant rains since the work was completed, and the drainage issues seem to have been largely resolved. We really like the selection of plants that Sylvia and Joe recommended for the front of the house (we didn't have much of a vision). The stone walkways look excellent. We've also gotten a great number of compliments from neighbors and passersby on the transformation. That being said, I share some similar experiences with some of the other recent reviewers. Joe was very eager to sign the contract and was great about meeting with us to discuss our plans and needs. Once the contract was signed and the first payment received, communication issues began. On the date the contract was signed, the crew dropped off some left over red clay fill from another job. There were then several promises that the crew would come out and get started that came and went with no work done and no call to explain. I almost always had to initiate contact and was often given the excuse that they were very busy with other jobs and would be back out soon. For several weeks, very little progress was made. More materials showed up and a window well would be put in here and then a week or two later, the rest were finished. When they did finally get started on the "demo" of the front yard and side walkway, the debris was left sitting in our front yard for over a week before they finally came to remove. It was unsightly to say the least! After some persistent calls and follow-up, Joe finally agreed to push to get everything else done by Mother's Day. Things did start to pick up, and the final product came together over the course of the last week or two. Once the work was complete, Joe was very patient to walk the yard with me and describe in detail the materials & plants used, as well as recommended care instructions. Joe and Silvia are definitely very knowledgeable and their portfolio is very impressive. I'm pleased with the quality of work done. My main concerns were around communication and and responsiveness. Despite the issues experienced, I would consider using them again and recommend the company to others. I do encourage future customers to be very clear with expectations, establish deadlines up front (preferably incorporated into the contract), and be persistent in communication. I can appreciate that this is a busy time of year, I only expect that my contractors set my expectations and not make promises that it is unlikely they can keep. Again, after some persistence, the communication with Joe did improve towards the end of the project.

The mulch that was laid down was uneven, and the red clay was still visible in a number of places. The owner had given me a “deal” on this fill dirt from one of his other jobs. When the dirt was dropped off, there was a good deal of concrete, asphalt, and root material mixed in. I asked if this extraneous material would be removed and was assured it would be. Of course it was not removed, and neither were numerous large clumps of clay broken up and smoothed out, giving the finished work an extremely uneven and messy look—a problem that has been made worse in subsequent rains as the mulch settles. Another disappointment was the “bonus bed” the owner offered to create on the side of the yard with extra fill and mulch. To do this, his crew produced an uneven, strangely shaped mound and buried the bases of two azaleas about 8” deep in the middle of it. Admittedly, the azaleas were in poor shape and ought to be removed, but I hardly think piling a bunch of fill dirt—hard clay, at that—around them was a wise or aesthetically pleasing option. Obviously, this was done so the owner would not need to pay to have the fill dirt moved again. To add insult to injury, shortly after the job was completed, I found two 7-11 coffee cups thrown behind my air conditioner, half-buried in mulch, clearly left by the crew. Needless to say, the disrespectfulness of this infuriated me. This was a small, presumably simple job, but not a single thing was done correctly. It is clear that the owner has virtually no communication with his sub-contractors, in addition to having difficulty communicating with his customers. A really poor showing on all counts.

The job went very well and was nearly completed by the time I returned from an errand.

The work went fine. They were referred to us by a real estate agent.

We are incredibly dissatisfied with Mulberry Bush Landscapes Company. We paid the owner a retainer because were planning to have more work done by him but he didn’t even do all of the work that he was supposed to do on the retainer. I came home and I had to call him because the work was so incomplete. His follow through was extremely terrible. He gave me a lot of excuses for not finishing the work. He told me that he will send his crew to finish what they had left incomplete but they never did. He had told me that he was going to mark where he was going to do additional work in our yard, he didn’t do that either. We had arranged a specific time for a telephone conference to discuss our issues but he never called at that time. I have a small dog and we had instructed him that the gates needs to be closed at all times. I came back from work to discover that his crew had left our gates open. It would have been catastrophic as I could have lost my dog if I had not discovered that on time. His crew left their equipments in our yard. They also left a lawn mower on my property when we had nothing to do with mowing my yard. I never really heard from him since I called him about all this; it’s been more than a week now. We do not plan on using him even though we already paid him the retainer. We feel that he was incredibly costly for the work that he has actually done. Every time he had different excuses for not responding to our calls and not completing the work. It was weird. He not having the courtesy to return my phone calls is just terrible. I don’t even know whether he plans to finish the work or not. My husband and I are not naïve about this kind of work. We have had lot of people do lots of work at our home and in our property. I’ve never had to deal with someone as terrible as this person from Mulberry Bush Landscapes Company. He just did not do the work that we had verbally discussed. He dug the holes for the trees to be transferred from the pots but he left that unfinished too. He left the trees in the pots and just left the pots in the holes. I had to call them to say that the trees were tipped over because it was windy at that time. He told us that he ran out of time to finish that. I don’t feel that we got our money’s worth for what he has done so far. This was supposed to be the initial part of a big project that we wanted to get done from him; he didn’t know that. Our experience with Mulberry Bush Landscapes Company has been the complete opposite of the reviews that I read about them. We are now planning to hire another company to finish the work.

They were very friendly, courteous and prompt; but their quote was way too high. We have a tiny back yard and their price was twice as much as another company I had estimating. I probably won't call them again, but don't want to rule out any possibility.

There was nothing wrong with them; we just got a better estimate. They were fine and professional.

We had water coming in through a window well because the ground under the concrete pad that the previous owners put down had eroded. Additionally, we live at the bottom of a hill and rain water was streaming at our house and our back yard was not much use. After walking the property, we collectively designed a paver deck that starts in the front yard and makes its way along the side of the house and flows out into a patio in the back. there is a retaining wall all the way along the patio that has drain pipes to catch the water coming down the hill. It really was a joint effort with everybody pitching in good ideas. After a year, we are still in love with it. It is perfectly graded and water flows just where it is supposed to. We are planning on doing more plantings this year and will be working with them again.

The owner missed at least two appintments with last minute cancellations. I really have little faith in professionals that cannot keep an appointment, and when they fail to, don't bother to make a diligent effort to follow up and meet. Very frustrating and a waste of time.

I am pleased with my experience from start to finish. They are very professional and do high-quality work. Sylvia was extremely helpful in choosing plants that I liked and would work well in my yard. I particularly appreciate that she re-purposed almost everything previously in my yard for her new design. Joe and his employees were hardworking, conscientious and polite. The end result looks fabulous. I?ve received lots of compliments from my neighbors. I enthusiastically recommend Mulberry Bush.

Mulberry Busch delivered on what was promised. Had them do the spring clean-up and mulch, very professional completed work in a timely manner. They offered free consultations of our landscaping and recommended small changes that have big impacts (while keeping pricing within budget). Talk to Joe or Sylvia

Do walk your yard with Mr. Gibbs and explain EVERYTHING you wish the company to take care of. Don't just presume that the workers will know not to trim a particular shrub or bush. I did not want any of my hygrangers trimmed, and they were left alone--just as I wished.