Superior Landscape & Maintenance

My project--converting my lawn and backyard into a drought-tolerant landscape--was relatively extensive and, yes, unfortunately also very, very expensive. I overpaid by a mile, yet Superior Landscape & Maintenance was cutting corners--possibly because the contractor who was directing the construction was pocketing much of the money. I ended up having to fire Superior Landscape & Maintenance and later the contractor too because the work dragged on endlessly and was subpar on all levels, not just involving the "fancier" elements of my hardscape. Even in the supposed areas of expertise, namely, planting and irrigation, this company produced disappointing work. y, Jeff Wynn at first seemed knowledgeable (he teaches this stuff!), but soon I realized that his crew would accept tasks that clearly were over their heads--framing and plastering, for example, of my faux walls. It was a horrific job. Also the crew were very messy. Each night, I was forced to collect plastic and construction debris as well as cigarette butts on my property. Plastic bottles also littered the landscape in the construction phase. The aesthetics of building something tell you a lot about the qualification and quality of the workmanship. The drip-irrigation now has to be redone by a reputable landscaper because the little drip-irrigation heads are popping off, creating spectacular nightly fountains of water. I am currently using more water than before the conversion to a drought-tolerant landscape. Also, I got only two watering zones, which is clearly inadequate for my 6,000 square-foot yard. Several plants are distressed, some dying. The fountain Jeff's people built started leaking from day one and will have to be rebuilt. It's poorly constructed, with ugly pond liner clearly visible. The soil was not amended or aerated in any way, quite the opposite. The crew just threw mulch on everything and plastic, construction debris, roots, and pieces of old irrigation pipes were just lightly covered with soil--with mulch thrown on top. I'm still picking up plastic from the mulch. But the biggest offense is that Jeff lied to me about my fencing. Part of the contract was approx. 125 linear feet of horizontal redwood fencing. Jeff told me he had ordered the fence--for $5,000 supposedly, but when I saw how badly the work was going, I lost trust in the ability of his crew. This doubt extended to painting as well. Existing walls and wooden fencing were to be painted, but I couldn't imagine that Jeff's men could competently install my fence or paint well. I asked Superior Landscape & Maintenance to abandon the project, but the fence was part of the contract. I was entitled at least to the material, but evidently the fence hadn't really been ordered. Now I must hire a capable fencing installer to get it done. But at least it will be done well! The planting was sketchy at best, too. I didn't get all the plants that were listed in my conceptual plan, so my yard looks pretty sparse and empty. Some plants are clearly distressed, not just dormant. More likely they will die. I could not understand why the crew would rush the planting when the fences and walls weren't yet painted. It made no sense. Planting should be the last thing to do, after the hardscape and everything else is in place. My yard still isn't finished, in late February 2016. The project started in August 2015! Although I was promised a November 2015 completion date, I didn't see the crew FOR WEEKS! I never knew when anyone would come to work on my property. The contractor may be responsible for part of the blame, but that's a separate review. I am now considering bids from reputable fencing and landscaping companies that receive high marks on Angie's List. I will NEVER hire anyone again who doesn't have an excellent (A-level) rating on Angie's List. I don't trust Yelp because reviews can be bought or solicited. Be warned: Thoroughly vet your contractors and landscapers. Do ask for recent references and consider rival bids. Better yet, cut out the middleman and don't hire a contractor if you can avoid it. Instead, hire the best people for each individual job instead of letting a contractor direct the whole project. This way you also keep an eye on the costs. I learned a pricey lesson!