Mother Nature Lawn & Landscape

A gentlemen came and gave ideas and stated he would give me an estimate and never.

Tom and Ed did a very good job, the installation was very professional. Tom provided good status updates and has provided good follow up on the health of the lawn over the past few weeks. I had gotten quotes from several others on Angies List and Texas Landscape was one of the most reasonable. I would definately recommend them and would use them again myself.

The designer, Cindy, worked very diligently with us to come up with a plan, but then we never heard from Tom Flaherty. I heard that it does happen with him occasionally, and it did happen with us. His landscaper, Cindy, gets "A" marks at what she does, but Tom doesn't follow up. I don't know how she gets paid when he doesn't follow up, because she does a lot of hard work. He supposedly specializes in drainage and those type of issues, and those are the type of issues that we had. Cindy came up with some very good ideas. Cindy was very quick with follow through. She sent us pictures of the different types of plants that we weren't familiar with. She was very knowledgeable about different types of plants. We had a real disaster with another landscaping firm. They planted a bunch of plants that we had never heard of. They are all over our front yard. Cindy informed us that they would grow to be about 10 feet tall. The other plants in the front yard died, and Cindy was able to analyze why. We certainly didn't want to use her, because she works in conjunction with Tom Flaherty.

I called three times for someone to come out and drive by my house over the course of three weeks. Each time I was told they would and give me an estimate on some work. No one ever did. On the third time he was rude to me. I think someone should report on this company because they are highly rated on Angie's List. I think it is highly overrated in terms of professionalism and reliabelity. It does not deserve to be that highly rated. I had a very negative experieince with them and that should also show on Angie's List.

We were on the go that week and every thing seemed to go pretty smoothly. It took several days to complete the project,, but they finished on-schedule as promised. They provided some additional plants and soaker hoses at no extra cost. Some plants had to be replaced by us but that may have been due to the extreme summer temperatures. Staff was easy to work with. We have received several complements from our neighbors on the landscaping.

Our experience with Texas Landscape Solutions, Inc. was excellent. We hired a designer to create a landscape design that converted more than 50% of our yard from grass to xeriscape. Although our designer recommended TLS, Inc., we were not obligated to go with them. We chose them because of their good reviews on Angie's and because their bid was very favorable. Tom Flaherty was our contractor with TLS, Inc. He brought an excellent, industrious crew with him. From start to finish, our project took about 10 workdays. The crew chief, Lee Martinez, did an outstanding job of following the design plan which he carried with him, measuring and insuring all the organic and rock materials were installed accurately. Special attention was paid to the drainage requirements for our lot which is sandwiched between neighbors on all sides. The crew did their work during the record-breaking 100 degree weather in San Antonio; they exercised due caution regarding plenty of fluids and rest; even so, we were very impressed with how they worked together to accomplish the xeriscape in a timely manner. Ed, who manages the office, promptly responded to calls to contact Tom when necessary and was unfailingly helpful. After the installation was complete, Lee and Tom both have returned to ensure watering and plant survival. We know the real fruits of this labor will occur in the spring of 2010. Even now, our "desert" landscape and hummingbird & butterfly garden are such a joy to look at. We have already seen hummingbirds and a Monarch butterfly checking out the plants as well. Texas Landscape Solutions is a very busy company; we were prepared to wait a couple of months but they got to us much faster than we expected. We think the quality of their work makes any wait worth it.

We were very happy with the entire project from start to finish. Masonary flagstone work looks great. Plants and beds are very attractive and doing well even after days of 100 degree weather this summer. Tom and Ed were very easy to work with and even came back after 3 months to fix a leaky valve. Our yard was awarded "Yard of the Month" by the Homeowners Association this month.

Everything was professional from the beginning. I have nothing but the highest praise for the technicians and the work they performed. I would not hesitate using them again.

Tom Flaherty was a pleasure to work with. His bid was very professional with a lot of detail. We received bids from 3 different companies and the prices were extremely close but as I said, we liked the way Tom broke everything down in detail on his bid. (We had previously hired a landscape designer to lay everything out & then requested bids from 3 companies) Tom knew that we wanted to stay with native plants & have a very natural look. He came up with suggestions to achieve that within our design and some alternate ideas that we thought were very good. We delayed the job by about 1 1/2 months when we realized we wanted to complete some other work at the back of our property first, so that the landscape work would not be ruined. Texas Landscape was very understanding about that & when we were ready they worked us back into the schedule & completed the job. 3/4 of the way through the job we realized we hadn't considered lighting, so they gave us a design for that too which really shows off the landscape and house. Lastly, we decided to add a water feature but wanted something very natural. They made a little basin with stacked stone in the center & water cascading down from the top. It is GREAT! The birds love it & it fits in perfectly with the landscape.

I ran out of funds and couldn't do the work but I will certainly hire him when and if funds become available.

I contacted Texas Landscape Solutions for an estimate on doing back yard landscaping. They referred us to Cindy Stauder (see other report) who was wonderful and had a plan back to us within a couple of weeks. When we received the estimate for the work from Texas Landscape Solutions, I contacted them via email to see if we could do the work in phases and get another estimate for part of the work, as we would be doing some of the work ourselves. After getting no response for a week, I called, and was told that Tom would get back with me about meeting to discuss the work. I waited a month before starting the work myself, and did not get another communication from Texas Landscape Solutions until 2 months after my previous contact with them. I hear that they do wonderful work, but their communication with potential customers is horrible.

ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING EFFORT BY TOM, CINDY, AND THE TEAM! We began by contacting Tom to explain our project. He immediately contacted Cindy Stauder for us; she visited several times to work out a landscape design that incorporated all of our ideas and her recommendations. The plan took into account sight lines, varying plant heights, our desire for reduced watering and maintenance requirements, and aesthetics. Once the plan was complete, we visited several times with Tom. Between Tom and Cindy, we worked out changes to the overall plan to incorporate our existing irrigation system, as well as changes to a few of the plants to vary colors. Both Tom and Cindy were very receptive to our inputs. Once we committed to the plan, Cindy came out to draw outlines of the planting beds, and left the marking tool behind for us to make any changes. Again, both Tom and Cindy were receptive to our inputs, and the installation process began. Tom's crew was outstanding! They cleaned up the driveway and sidewalk at the end of each day; they were hard-working and well-supervised throughout the entire process. There was certainly no "lounging around" as might be found on another project site. Tom was extremely cost-conscious throughout the project--in our favor. Where the opportunities presented themselves, he reduced the size (and cost) of the installed plants (i.e. from a 50-gallon tree to a "mature" 35-gallon). Also, as he wanted the project to succeed through hot Texas summers, he ensured that our existing sprinkler system was entirely revamped; our water expenditure will drop significantly, while the sprinkler coverage will be much more effective. So what was the result? Two full planting beds (with decorative boulders, trees, plants, mulch) plus river rock in the front yard; perimeter and internal planting beds (with trees, plants, mulch) plus river rock in the back yard; full sprinkler system re-do; flagstone steps leading to a side gate as well as steps from a deck in the back yard. Top-notch effort all around. Especially notable was the personalized service provided by Tom and his crew. All of our questions were answered; our concerns were addressed immediately; our suggestions for changes to the original plan were acted upon. Tom was on-site almost every day ensuring that we received the product we paid for--and beyond.

It went great. There were a couple of delays but the results were great. I will definitely be contacting Tom when I am ready to do the next part of the landscaping.

The estimate was the final cost: the owner, Tom Flaherty works from a "package deal". While this sounds inflexible, Mr Flaherty works it flexibly, accommodating changes or additions by staying within budget and adjusting elsewhere, or adding to the cost...your choice. He makes this arrangement clear, and is open to modification to meet your desires. This is one strength of the company: they sincerely want you to get what you hoped for, as closely as they can within the budget you agree to. Mr. Flaherty was always able to offer alternatives that we could choose to meet the overall vision. Another strength of the company is the quality, that extends from the owner down thru the foreman and mason. Both Lee and Mario, respectively, were committed to making something they could be proud of having made. Responsiveness was a third top criterion. Any time we asked if they could make something slightly wider, or turn at a slightly different point, or substitute an equivalent plant, they jumped right on it. Overall we made few changes, due to the extensive work done in design and planning: Tom was always checking to make sure his vision matched with ours. The initial estimate exceeded our budget, but we worked together to make adjustments prior to contract approval. Work began in April and extended over 3 months. The pond was a striking accomplishment; as naturalists we are enjoying the ecosystem that we can already see evolving with the seasons. In appearance the water feature looks like it's the result of a natural spring. Plantings are all doing well. The landscaper has returned several times to check on things, and tweak a couple of things. Follow-up has been great. I gave the price an excellent grade, but at first we were surprised that things cost so much. Some checking around showed us that our estimate was in line with others. Constructive criticism would be to communicate even more with the customer: there were a couple of days when they said they would come at a certain time and were late, and once when they couldn't make it. I don't downgrade the company for it, because we live a long distance from their location and each time there was a justifiable cause. After one call to Tom, he made sure that we always knew what was going on. We understand that in construction, a lot of elements have to come together; in any case, being late was rare. In general, if they said something would be done, you could count on it. Tom will tell you. If something doesn't look like you thought it would, let him know right away. He said "things are easily changeable early on, not so later on." This turned out to be good advice and we followed it, so had no major issues. One word of advice: if you're planning a substantial project, start working to set it up in late winter. This is the off-season (sort-of), and will place you first in line for the "spring rush". Overall our experience was excellent: this is a great company.

Texas Landscape Solutions is the the best company I have ever dealt with in making home improvements. The first callback was from Cindy Stauder, a certified landscape designer and horticulturist, who for a $250 fee did a professional design that we liked. Tom Flaherty, one of the landscaping company owners, was involved from beginning to end, making sure all work was done well. His crew of craftsman did a meticulous job of building the patio, which we absolutely love. The landscaping crew relocated an irrigation line and did more than it had to building and finishing the new beds. Flaherty was flexible, also, when we decided not to do all of the original design. Everyone was very pleasant to work with and they worked with us to finish the job in time for a large party we hosted. The patio was the hit of the party, with everyone complimenting us on what is now a new "room" in our home. We would use this company again in a New York, San Antonio or any other kind of minute.

It was a pleasure working with Tom and Cindy. Both had great enthusiasm for the project and were very flexible in making any needed changes. Tom made adjustments with no or very little cost and stayed within the budget we planned. The project went very smoothly, his workers were reliable and always cleaned up afterward. We are very pleased with the work that was done in a sound and professional manner. We would recommend Tom's company without any reservation. We would gladly select Tom's company again for any future landscaping project.

Mr. Tom Flaherty recommended Ms. Cynthia Stauder to us, to help design a plan to correct a drainage problem and to install a patio. Ms. Stauder drew up an initial set of plans. Mr. Flaherty and Ms. Stauder then came to the house together. They discussed the plan with us before it was finalized. Mr Flaherty then gave us a cost breakdown of the projects, plant materials and miscellaneous fees. He was very flexible during the project and as problems arose, he made adjustments with no (or minimal) additional cost--staying within the budget. We're very pleased with the overall result and I would definitely recommend his company.

Mr. Tom Flaherty recommended Ms. Cynthia Stauder to us, to help design a plan to correct a drainage problem and to install a patio. Ms. Stauder drew up an initial set of plans. Mr. Flaherty and Ms. Stauder then came to the house together. They discussed the plan with us before it was finalized. Mr Flaherty then gave us a cost breakdown of the projects, plant materials and miscellaneous fees. He was very flexible during the project and as problems arose, he made adjustments with no (or minimal) additional cost--staying within the budget. We're very pleased with the overall result and I would definitely recommend his company.

There were a couple of days they were supposed to come but they didn't show, when I called they were quick with reasons why they didn't come. They were professional and got the work done. They were pleasant to work with and clarified everything for me so I didn't feel like I was being taken advantage of.

He was very easy to talk to and very nice to deal with. I felt very comfortable. He was very obliging. I was impressed.

Mr. Flaherty recommended Cynthia Stauder to us to help design a plan for our yards. Both of them provided concise proposals quickly so that we were able to receive permission from our homeowners' association to proceed in less than a month from when we began the process. The entire project was completed approximately two months later. Considering expected delays for weather, waiting on a few materials and waiting for another company to complete an arbor and deck renovation, we were very pleased with the overall result. We have contacted them several times since the initial installation to help us with lighting adjustments, sprinkler system repairs, replacement of a plant that did not make it through the winter and with general questions. Tom has always called us back and made arrangements to have our concerns addressed. Our relationship with Texas Landscape Solutions is on-going. Mr. Flaherty is hard-working and honest about what services his company can provide.

The sprinkler system has functioned very well. One of the pipes developed a leak and a crew was sent out to repair. It has worked fine since then.

Mr. Flaherty recommended Cynthia Stauder to us to help design a plan for our yards. Both of them provided concise proposals quickly so that we were able to receive permission from our homeowners' association to proceed in less than a month from when we began the process. The entire project was completed approximately two months later. Considering expected delays for weather, waiting on a few materials and waiting for another company to complete an arbor and deck renovation, we were very pleased with the overall result. We have contacted them several times since the initial installation to help us with lighting adjustments, sprinkler system repairs, replacement of a plant that did not make it through the winter and with general questions. Tom has always called us back and made arrangements to have our concerns addressed. Our relationship with Texas Landscape Solutions is on-going. Mr. Flaherty is hard-working and honest about what services his company can provide.

Tom is wonderful to work with. He came up with a plan that incorporated what we wanted using his plant expertise. He is very respectful of budget, time and our ideas. His crew was polite and cleaned up after themselves daily. Tom continues to come by and check on how the plants are doing and has made small revisions where they were needed. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.

Tom is wonderful to work with. He came up with a plan that incorporated what we wanted using his plant expertise. He is very respectful of budget, time and our ideas. His crew was polite and cleaned up after themselves daily. Tom continues to come by and check on how the plants are doing and has made small revisions where they were needed. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.