LAVISH GARDENS LANDSCAPE

The Bidding: The owner, Michael, called me promptly & was eager to make my dream into a reality, helping me to visualize what we both saw. He checked in with me frequently, both by phone and e-mail to address any questions I had or ask me a preference. He oversaw every phase of the project to ensure that his standards and my expectations were being met. His mindfulness of our deadline was an encouragement. The Design Process: Usually this step is much more protracted than mine was. However, I don't feel I missed one detail or a minute of Steve's time.The designer, Steve, was incredible in his aesthetic sense, yet practical and efficient in coordinating project members to make it happen. He welcomed both my feedback (and design ideas) as well as my knowledge of plants. His excitement & enthusiasm for the project was contagious while watching our vision take shape. Once he knew the kind of plants I liked and the other parameters, he enjoyed having some artistic license to create an esthetically-pleasing space. I felt I was an integral part of the process, not just footing the bill. It's a personal thing for these professionals to have you pleased & enjoying your tranquil yard space they created with you & your needs in mind. The crew: The crew was hard-working, efficient, respectful, talented and neat! Unlike other landscapers & contractors we've hired in the past, Lavish Garden Landscapes actually picked up every mess they made ( which were few). They cleaned as they worked. I found not even a stray leaf once they left for the day. The topsoil and bark hardly seemed to take space in the driveway. It also seemed to disappear w/ a wave of pixie dust. I am so pleased with my amazing yard! I couldn't be happier with Lavish Garden Landscape in their actualization of the dream!Thank you, Michael Cole, Steve and staff

Each aspect of the project required differing expertise and essentially required coordination amongst three different crews. Lavish Gardens handled the logistics, scheduling and performance so very competently and professionally. Special thanks to Michael (the owner who is so knowledgeable and responsive), Steve (the project manager who keeps us happy) and Ivan (the team boss who makes it all happen) who made the experience truly enjoyable and fulfilling. Great people...we are thrilled with the results!

It went beautifully from start to finish.

Email, via Angie's List, sent to provider on March 8 and not responded to until March 13 over a week ago. My email had indicated my availability for appointment times which the reply did not reference and also ignored my preference for email communication to schedule. Pre-sales responsiveness is a good indicator of what's to come. I won't use a provider who takes over 24hrs to respond but really look for a same day response especially if I contact in the morning.

I give this company a B overall. The agent did not ask any probing questions so there is nothing to transcribe.

I love Lavish Gardens! They were everything I could ask for in a landscaping company. They were on time to all appointments and really respected my work schedule and availability. From initial contact to completion of the yards, they met every deadline on time and completed the work to my high level of expectation. More than anything... this is a nice and genuine company to interact with! The owner, Mike, is really friendly and has an incredible sense of humor! I don't think I have every laughed so much while signing a contract (a typically terrifying thing to do). The landscape designer was really attentive and listened to my list of plants I like and do not like. He really took how I function in my yard into consideration when designing the initial plan. The work crew was wonderful! I felt completely comfortable and respected by all the men on the team. The project manager, Steve, was especially amazing and stayed in close contact with me throughout the whole process. He was available via text message... which worked perfectly for quick questions and check-ins. As for the actual work, I could not be happier. My yard is everything I dreamed of! Yes, there were changes made to the original plans but Lavish Gardens stayed within my budget and discussed all the options with me before making any changes. I am especially pleased with the beautiful pavers and trellises they put in along the side of my house. The took a problematic area I avoided and made it into a very beautiful and functional part of the yard. The finished produce is amazing and I have had many neighbors comment on how beautiful the yard is and how pleasant the whole process was for them too. I would use them again in a heartbeat! I'm kinda bummed I don't have another project for them now!

Mike and his crew were marvelous to work with. We needed a complete built out of our backyard. We were starting with rocks and dirt on a mostly flat backyard. Their professional team took us through each step of the process from design, to permitting, to build-out. The price was very reasonable (with the Angie?s list discount it ended up costing about 25% less than the other competitor we felt had the ability to do the full job). Mike examined the property, and talked to me about the project. He then provided us with an initial estimate. We then went into a brief design phase. Their designer, Ben, did a marvelous job taking our ideas and improving upon them. At that point they came up with a full project budget which we did not deviate from on the project. It was very nice to see a project cost come in exactly on target. Our backyard is now one of the nicest (if not the nicest) backyard in the neighborhood. Our next door neighbor was impressed enough that they have now contacted Lavish Gardens about doing their backyard.

We were very happy with the ideas they gave us and plan to do more to our backyard this year.

At the beginning of October, I called Lavish Gardens and asked for them to come out and give me an estimate for a drainage problem in my yard. An appointment was scheduled promptly. Michael, the owner, came out and walked the yard with me. He was very professional. He formulated a solution to fix the drainage problem. In addition to the problem I knew about, he noticed another problem area and included in his estimate. He gave me a bid within 3 days. I was a little surprised by the price of one section of the bid, and I expressed concerned. Michael offered to reduce that section of the bid's cost. I appreciate his willingness to negotiate the price with me. I selected Lavish Gardens to perform the work. Michael recognized the urgency of the project and fit me into his schedule almost immediately. His crew was very professional. They were the most courteous crew I've had work in my home. They cleaned up after themselves and maintained an organized workspace. I am very happy with their service and would highly recommend them. As a testamest to his work, I'm sticking with Lavish Gardens for our major landscaping for the yard!

My husband and I heard about Lavish Gardens at the Auburn Home and Garden Show last summer. We picked up their brochures and submitted a request for consultation. Michael was willing to meet on our schedule since we work full time. When we first met with him he was very willing to work with whatever we wanted and what we could afford. We initially asked for a design and bid on just our back yard, but then when we met with Michael the second time, he was willing to add the front yard to our design and bid agreement! We were thrilled since we were rather undecided as to just what we wanted to do. We met with Ben, the designer on several occasions to finalize the design for both front and back yards and were thrilled with the final product! Ben was great in helping us pick out the plants we wanted and the design for our front yard courtyard. When it came to the final bid we decided we could only afford to do the front yard first so Michael met with us again to go over the finals for the front yard. We submitted the plans to our HOA and contacted Michael as soon as it was approved. We worked with Steve, Michael's foreman, very closely throughout the project. Steve was very good about contacting us at every step of the way to be sure we all had the same thing in mind. Michael would check in with us and Steve throughout the project and responded quickly when we had any concerns at all. The only stall in the project was the sealing of the stamped concrete due to rain. But that was fine with us because the whole project was done professionally and quickly! We absolutely love our front yard and look forward to many years relaxing in our courtyard with a cup of coffee or glass of wine!! Thank you to Michael, Sue, Ben, Steve and all his workers!

I originally met Mike in 2004 when my house was built in Lincoln Hills. At the time he was working for the landscaper who put in the landscaping for the builder. I had not yet really decided what to do with my yard, so I had them put in lawn and plants bordering the lawn. In 2009, I decided I did not want the lawn anymore, so I called Mike and Lavish Gardens. We went over the project and I met with Ben, the designer, who did a great job with the design. I had asked for plans without considering a budget. When Mike broke the costs down for me, it was well above what I could afford, so we scaled down the size of the plants and postponed the extra lighting. Mike was very professional, putting everything in writing before the work was done, so I was never blindsided by any costs I did not expect. I also thought Mike and Steve really listened to me. It took me some time to choose the flagstones for the backyard walkway and I met Steve at a several stone landscaping supply stores to choose them. Mike gave me a discount letter so I could get good prices for my concrete bench and the 5 large ceramic pots for my patio. They also picked these up for me and brought them to my house. I really wanted my yard to look great from inside my house. Now, it has been 2 years and the plants have grown in very well. I love my yard. Thanks, Mike.

Mike and his crew were always prompt and professional. Steve, his foreman, frequently visited to inspect the course of the work and its quality. Mike and Steve frequently called with updates and to keep me informed about what to expect and when. The work crew were also professional in behavior and extremely hard working. I was also pleased that professional landscape planning, including drawings, were provided at no additional cost. All-in-all they were very professional and made the experience simple and painless.

Overall everything went very well from start to finish. The crew was here on time every day and they finished the job early. Mike, Steve and the crew were very nice to deal with. As I said before I will have them back next year to replace the other side of my fence.

The owner, Mike, came out and gave me an initially quote that was much lower than what we ended up paying. However, before you get the wrong idea, we added a lot while talking with him later. We do not know anything about plants but we do know what we want. We went through many garden mags and books and knew the look we wanted. We did not want to see fence, we wanted full vegetation with variations in color and layers. We showed the landscaper designer the look we wanted. When the designs were drawn up, he showed us the plans and pictures of the vegetation. We do not know plants so it looked good to us. Thank goodness Mike reviewed the plans and noticed that some of the plants would not achieve the look we wanted. He sent it back and we were sent a second set of plans. They also looked good. During the final walk through, Mike brought the project manager, Steve, with him. Steve knows his plants and felt that what we wanted would not be achieved with the plans submitted. So he essentially threw out the plans and gave us what we wanted all along. He is so knowledgeable and very willing to work with us, the client. This experience only furthered our faith in the company. There are so many check and balances built in to their system that you will get the look you want even if you don't know your plants. I can not say enough good about the company. The work went smoothly and is well worth the 6 plus week wait for them. We can envision the ultimate look that will be achieved in about 2 - 3 years. Yes - we know we have to wait for the growth and in the mean time the yard still looks great.

We met the Lavish Gardens Landscape Design team at the Sacramento Home and Landscape Expo. We were interested in a re-design of our front yard and invited several companies to come bid and give us their ideas. Lavish Gardens was unique in their approach. We first met with owner, Mike Cole. Mike gathered our ideas and offered to have his professional landscape designer Ben come and work with us to design a plan for a fee. The fee was reasonable, we liked the examples Mike shared of his previous work so we agreed. The designer, Ben, was great at gathering our thoughts for the front yard design and incorporating those with his own professional creativity to come up with a design that my wife and I loved. Once we agreed on the plan Mike set a date to start construction. We met with the construction supervisor, Steve. He was very intent on making sure we were happy with every small detail throughout the process including all decisions. The workers were skilled laborers and worked fast. They were extremely professional throughout the process. In addition to their supervisor they were empowered to stop and ask me questions along the way to be sure all aspects were to my liking and also made suggestions to improve some of the details that I appreciated. The job was finished on time and exceeded our expectations.I certainly would recommend Lavish Gardens. This is my third home and I have much experience in dealing with landscape contractors and designers. The business model that Lavish Gardens uses is one for others to take note of. I was thoroughly impressed from beginning to end. They take great pride in their work and truly want you to be happy with the result.

We first contacted Mike Cole at the Home and Garden Show at Cal Expo, we set up an appointment for Mike to take a look around and give us some ideas. Mike showed up about 15 minuets early and sat in his car waiting before he came to the door. Mike is very professional and we had a good rapport right away. We really had no idea what to do with our yard and Mike came up with some really great ideas. We decided to have drawings made which were approved right away and went forward with our project. The project was to start on April 5, 2011 and be completed on April 26, 2011. Mike was able to move the project up for us so that it was completed on April 4, 2011. I was able to celebrate my April 5, Birthday in my new yard!!! We love the yard and could not be happier with the crew, they were all very professional and very friendly when my husband and I came out everyday asking a million questions. We intend to have Lavish Gardens do some additional work for us on our front yard in the near future.The project foreman, Steve, did an outstanding job of coordinating deliveries of plants, sod, plumbing supplies, and workers, the whole project went smoothly from start to finish.

Mike and his crew were very good with their response time and professionalism throughout the process. From design to finish,the whole process took about two weeks. Once the actual construction started, the crew we on time, worked hard and actually completed the entire project, from tear out to finish in about 4 days. We are happy with the results and would recommend Mike and his crew to anyone.

Mike and Lavish Gardens were a pleasure to work with. They were extremely reliable and made sure that we were completely satisfied with the finished product. The crew was great to work with. Any issues, and they were right on top of it. The worked with us to make sure we were completely satisfied with the concrete as it ended up being poured on a day that we had a completely unexpected downpour which effected the original look of the concrete. They spent time going over options with us making sure that we were pleased with the end result. They are very professional and the yard is beautiful, all the neighbors compliment how beautiful the yard looks.

We contacted Lavish Gardens due to their prior ratings on Angie's List. They met and exceeded all expectations. The owner, Michael Cole was prompt in responding to our request for bids. We solicited three companies for bids, 2 responded. Lavish Gardens was the most cost effective as well as most sensitive to our specific requests regarding our wish to balance budgetary limits with a quality outcome. He also provided us with the information and suggestions that helped us make final decisions. They were able to start immediately and worked almost every day from start to finish, with no delays, finishing ahead of time (within about 4 weeks). The foreman on the job was extremely attentive and communicated with us daily, either while on the job or by phone, asking questions regarding project options, checking for any concerns, asking for feedback on progress and outcomes all along the way. He was extremely personable and professional. The workers on the job worked hard, rested little, and stayed late in order to finish phases of the job. And they too were always professional , courteous, and ontime. The customer service from this company is hard to beat. The outcome was exactly what we asked for - because the communication was so consistent and attentive. And all of the work was of very high quality, performed with obvious know how and skill, and with unusal attention to detail and the wishes of the customer.

I found Lavish Gardens Landscape at the Home and Garden Show in Feb 2011. I contacted them in April 26, 2011 and set up an appointment for the free estimate advertised at the show. Michael arrived for the appointment on time and we discussed the potential project. I asked for a rough cost estimate for the work we discussed. I'm still waiting. The first time he got back to me was on May 10th, saying I was aware he had been ill (no, I was not aware) and the estimate was coming. The next contact was on 5/18/11 by email telling me he had left a message and had never received a call back. I had no record of a call or message on either of my telephones. I responded and received the next email on 5/22/11 asking some questions that had been answered during his visit. I responded the same day and have never heard another word. Needless to say, I would never hire this individual or his company. If he cannot even provide the estimate he agreed to I would doubt the work would be done in a timely manner. Was my job too small to be bothered with? Did he assume I couldn't afford him?

My wife and I were very pleased with the results. We felt that the job was done very quickly and done very professionally. All the personnel who did the work were knowledgeable and personable.The front yard now looks immeasurably better than before, and we're looking forward to seeing the landscape plants mature.

The work went great. All personnel knew their jobs and did them well. Any potential problems were considered and solved. Would highly recommend them.

Designing the yard layout took most of July, with three to four sessions to determine the final layout. deConstruction of the existing yard started the 1st Monday in August and the project was completed on the 3rd Thursday of the month. It was amazing to watch Arnold use his bobcat to pry up roots from three large, 45 year old trees and contour the back yard. The crew worked efficiently and with good humor and obviously took pride in each aspect of the job. We are very pleased and would recommend Lavish Gardens to anyone planning to install or redesign a landscape.

Overall, Lavish Gardens was an excellent experience!

Lavish Gardens Landscape did a beautiful job landscaping my property. Their planning is very thorough and the result is a very attractive and functional garden. Concrete work is very artistic and suits the scale of my yard perfectly. They created varied elevations in both the plantings and hardscape. The Company kept me informed as the work progressed and finished ahead of schedule. I highly recommend Lavish Gardens and am thrilled with the work they did.