Portera Landscape Design

fResponded quickly to request for estimate. Started job in timely manner and finished in few days. Very flexible and accommodating. Results look great.

Went great, the plants are well stabilized and starting to spread, the french drain arrangement works great (as seen after the last few very heavy rains including hurricane Irene residue), hill looks good. Not the cheapest supplier avialable but worth every penny. If you want it done right and professionally use these guys.

I tried all summer long to complete this landscape project, and I had so much trouble finding a reliable company that would follow through and send estimates for what I wanted. I joined Angie's list to avoid further disappointment. The reviews for this company were so positive. I felt confident in my decision to call Andy. The reviews were accurate. This company was professional and responsive. Everything from start to finish went smoothly. Andy showed up on time, was courteous, sent an estimate when he said he would, and worked with me to ensure that I got the plantings I wanted. I did not know how to rate the pricing only because this was the first landscape job I had hired out. I'm so glad that I signed up for the list and finally got this done! I would highly recommend this company and would hire them again for future projects.

After I made the decision to redo my front landscape, I contacted Portera Landscape Design to handle the project because they were so highly recommended by Angie's List and the reports from their previous clients were extremely complimentary. They responded very promptly to my initial inquiry for an estimate which got us off to a very positive start. Andy Portera met with me soon thereafter to discuss the design and plants I wanted to utilize and he made many helpful suggestions which helped me in making my final choices. This happened to be a particularly busy time for landscapers in Birmingham because the day after I met with Andy, the destructive tornadoes tore through our state and I knew it could be quite some time before I would be able to get my work done. However, Andy consistently, stayed in touch with me and fortunately for me as soon as he had an opening he called and his crew was there to do the work. I only had to wait a month, so I was extremely pleased. Two days and the work was complete! Andy's brother and the guys who work with them are very pleasant to work with and very hard working. They had to dig up all my shrubs which had been in the ground for at least eight years. Believe me, they hard a hard-working bunch and it was beastly hot at that time! The plants they put in for me were very high quality and beautiful. The end result was absolutely wonderful and so many of my neighbors have complimented me on how nice it looks. There is no question that I will use Portera the next time I need any landscaping work done. They are exceptional. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants a first-class job well done!

Portera Landscape Design completely redid the foundation plantings in the front of our townhouse; took out old plants and put in new. Also added plants in a shady area under large trees in the front. Looks great! On the side of our house, they cleaned out a large, overgrown bed taking out trees and shrubs, and shaping the remaining two trees. This large bed was replanted in evergreen shurbs and roses....looks wonderful! Andy Portera did this work while we were out of town. We would not normally schedule work when we were away, but it needed to be done timely and our evaluation of Andy was that he was reliable. We were right. We were very happy when we came back home to see how great the landscaping looked. We needed to be away again, for two weeks this time, just over a week after the landscaping was finished. We asked Andy to water for us while we were away, which he did. He did a great job and charged fairly. We highly recommend Portera Landscape Design. Andy Portera is easy to work with and a real pro. Maggie & Basil Hart

Portera did a great job. Initially they visited the property several time to make sure they had all the measurements and understood exactly what we wanted. The project was started when all the supplies were available and was finished in a very timely manner. Every evening when they concluded work, the entire area was cleaned. They did a great job and it still looks fantastic today.

Great! They came on time. Kept the job site neat and orderly, and finished on time. The quality of the plants is terrific. They get a double thumbs up from me! UPDATE: Now after six months a number of the plants have died...including a large holly. A pair of the new hollies looked a little sick when they went in but we agreed to watch them and see what would happen. One of the hollies died and the other is limping along. Most of the beds now are filled with weeds and a number of the smaller plants have died. Portera told me that I should have applied a pre-ermergent weed killer to the beds. The were happy to replace the large plant that died, but did not seem at all interested in the smaller dead plants. As far as the sick holly goes, Portera said that i was causing the problem by improperly using the irrigation system. In retrospect, I think that most of the problems came from the way the plants were planted. It appears that no soil amendments were used and that many of the planting holes were dug straight into hard clay. I am not sure why I got so many weeds. Portera said that they used pre-ermergent when the plants were installed, but I cannot verify. In fairness, Portera did ask what it would take to make me happy. But when you are standing in a yard with a number of dead plants and weeds growing everywhere six months after spending $15K....its hard to know what to say. I can no longer recommend this company.

So far, so good. Low maintenance and still living!

I found Portera's on Angie's List. From start to finish the service was excellent in terms of their skills, professionalism and overall nice people.

In both projects, the design was excellent. The drainage problem was completely eliminated. The design of both projects was innovative. The plants chosen for both yards are perfect for the amount of sun/shade they receive. Portera Landscape is owned by two brothers, John Paul and Andy Portera. Working with both of them was a pleasure. They are very accommodating. They want the end product to be just what you want. Their professionalism and their attention to detail is exceptional. We have had many compliments about both projects. We recommend them with no reservations.

It was an absolutely perfect transaction. I wish all my encounters with contractors and the like went this way. He followed up promptly and always kept me informed.He gave me a schedule and stuck to it. Within three days I had three new beautiful areas in my backyard. I wish they did more than landscaping because it was the best experience I have ever had with a contractor and I would most definitely use them again.

Instead of just telling the story of the job, I think Andy and his crew deserve a little more than that. Not only was Portera Landscape very nice but also easy to work with. Andy was true to his word with the price and the products and time frame as well. Andy spent a good bit of time working with us and even drew us a sketch of the beds on his initial visit. Andy sent us pictures to look at and directed us to his web site to get an idea of different plants. Andy also has a great crew. The crew was very respectful and professional throughout the entire job. Not knowing alot about plants, we left the job to the pros, and we are glad we did. The flower beds look great and we could not be happier. The price was more than fair for the job and the service in which we received.

The job went great. It was completed in one day. They redesigned the original beds and installed approximately 70 new plants of several different varieties that completely transformend the look of the front of our home. The crew was a pleasure to work with. All of the guys were professional in their attitude toward the job and worked effeciently together to get the job done. We would highly recommend them and will use them again when we need additional landscaping.

4/15/10 We spent a lot on our yard but not because Portera is expensive. They are a tremendous value for all of the work we had completed. The Portera team led by Andy and John Paul Portera demonstrated from day one they cared about our goals and going above and beyond what we desired -- without asking. They consistently and pro-actively did the right thing to meet our needs -- their entire team. The Portera crew was onsite for two weeks (a long time in the landscaping world) and cleaned up extensively every single day. They kept us apprised of the project development and asked us for input/made suggestions (John Paul is a landscape architect) on where we thought we could improve while staying on budget. We couldn't be more pleased with the result and couldn't have been more pleased with the service provided by the Portera team. No matter how big or small the project, this Company is the one you want to hire. ============= UPDATE (6/15/11): It has been a little over a year since Portera initially performed the major overhaul of our landscape. Out of the 150+ plants they planted for us, one struggled, and they replaced it without my asking. A few more seem stressed and we are both watching them in conjunction with the fertilization company they recommended. Given the extreme heat/drought last summer and now again this summer, I am candidly surprised things have done as well as they have. Since the initial install, we have had a few more items planted and used them for annuals and mulching maintenance. They clearly care for our yard and home as if it were their own. I am a demanding client for all contractors and these guys continue to be top notch and demonstrate consistent concern about how I feel about their work -- not just what they had written down on a quote. It is nice to meet a Company who cares so much not only about their work, but also the people they work for. Five stars, a perfect 10, whatever rating you want, these guys are what all contractors should aspire to be. Hire Portera for any of of your landscaping needs; if anyone can make you happy, this Company can.

I decided to ask Portera Landscape Design for a proposal after researching companies on Angie's List. I worked with Andy Portera and arranged through email to meet him at the job site. After discussing the work to be done and the look we wanted, he had a proposal to us within a day. The first proposal, though very well done, was above the budget for the project; my fault for not discussing the price range, not Andy's. After talking with him about the budget, he re-scoped the original proposal so that it both met the budget and gave the house the right look. Once we accepted his proposal, the crew started working that afternoon and finished in less than two days. Promptness returning emails and calls, willingness to discuss different options, high quality work and the thorough clean-up after the job all made this a great experience.

It went exceedingly well and surpassed my expectations.

We were very pleased with their work. Andy was extremely patient as I went back and forth making adjustments to the plant choices, and he almost always responded quickly to my e-mails. They started work on the day they said they would, and completed the job in four days. We were very happy with the quality and health of the plants purchased, and JP did a lovely job of defining the curve and installing the plants. As it turned out, robust lantanas were not available this time of year so we asked them to use the money to add hydrangeas to the side yard; we plan to add lantanas in the spring, at additional cost. I didn't expect the planting to look great from the start, as we are interested in long-term growth, but it's such an improvement already. We are delighted with their work. Now all we have to do is keep enough water on everything until the plantings are well established.

Everything generally went very well. Over the weekend a pipe burst during the irrigation installation, which resulted in a hefty water bill (it will be backed out). Andy responded very quickly to our call and we were able to shut off the water. The incident was not the fault of any persons' workmanship and we have not had any problem since then. The bulk of the project took about 1 week with two trees being planted later after they arrived. There were some stepping stones that cracked as soon as they were stepped on but Andy replaced them, a little slow on this part but the stones were in a remote area of the yard and it wasn't a problem for us. An outstanding experience.

The process was wonderful. The Porteras treated my property as if it were their own. The employees are very kind and considerate. They were flexible with my schedule as I wanted to be included in decisions for the plant materials. There were some unexpected issues with the drainage problems we were having, but they were either quick to respond to my concerns or they addressed the issues even before I had a chance to bring them to their attention. They did everything they said they would and then they went above and beyond that at times. For example, their design called for some of my original sod to remain in place. The home was a new home and the builder had not put in a good quality sod. Because the machinery the Portera's used did tear up the grass that was supposed to remain, they replaced it with a much higher quality of sod at no cost to me.

This was a great experience. First, they showed up on time to give the estimate, and were very professional yet very nice. I received the estimate the same day via email. They were able to start the project immediately. The removal of the wooden patio, and even the first layer of rock were done in one day, I was amazed. And it was a crew between 2-3 people. As the project continued they kept in daily contact with me about what was going on via emails at the end of the day, which I really appreciated. The project took two weeks, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome. I will certainly hire Andy and his crew again.

They provided 2 extra timers, 5 sprinklers and 6 sections of 15 ft garden hose for free ($165). Very professional.

The whole yard looks great! I could not be happier. They finished the job quickly and were always prompt. They have come out to check on things as well just to make sure everything was working out.

The whole yard looks great! I could not be happier. They finished the job quickly and were always prompt. They have come out to check on things as well just to make sure everything was working out.

PLD did a super job of diagnosing the problem. My yard had with excess water. They installed a solution. They were prompt, neat and the finished product looks great.

PLD did a super job of diagnosing the problem. My yard had with excess water. They installed a solution. They were prompt, neat and the finished product looks great.