Approved Pro
Green City Gardens
Designer - Landscape, Sod Installation, Brick and Stone Patios, Walks, and Steps - Install,
About us
Since 2006, Green City Gardens has been beautifying Chicagoland, one yard at a time. Our enthusiasm and dedication are evident in the creativity of our designs and the quality of our work. Since every landscape in different, "cookie cutter" solutions won't do. Green City Gardens personalizes every design according to our clients' needs and desires. We won't show up and dictate what you need...we'll listen to you and give you what you want. From complete landscape design & installation to simple garden makeovers to beautiful flower pots, Green City Gardens can improve your quality of life.
Business highlights
19 years of experience
Services we offer
Complete garden design & installation, landscape makeovers, patios, walks & retaining walls, flower beds, vegetable gardens and raised beds, seasonal flower pots, sod, snow plowing and shoveling.
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.895 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 93% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 2% |
Showing 51-75 of 95 reviews
Amelia K.
Nov 2013
It was great, he called to make sure that we had the right time scheduled. Outside of being a perfectionist in what he does, he had a great personality and was easy to work with. He did a few extra things that needed to be done, that I wasn't even aware of. I can't wait to call JD again.
Response from Green City Gardens
"I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Enjoy your new plants! And remember... The first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, and the third year it leaps! Cheers!"
Georgia W.
Oct 2013
I couldn't be happier with our experience with J.D. and his team at Green City Gardens. I found him to be extremely responsive, professional, creative, and well-priced. If you are considering working with the Chalet Nursery or any other landscaping professional, I would highly recommend meeting with J.D. as well. After doing so, I can guarantee you will choose to work with Green City Gardens. They created a very unique and beautiful garden for us and, truly, I couldn't be more pleased with it!
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you for choosing Green City Gardens and for the wonderful review! I look forward to returning in the spring to complete our next project. Enjoy!"
Alan M.
Sep 2013
J.D. and Green City Gardens are passionate about what they do and are real professionals. This was a great experience from start to finish, although we're not finished: we're so impressed by their work on our front yard we're going to have them come back next Spring and do the back yard too. J.D. came out to see the overgrowth in front of our house and was mindful of what we could keep in the way of ground cover and flowers that "fit", vs. looking at new designs. His ideas were on the mark each time, even after we asked him to revise some of the design in terms of new plantings and placement of new beds. J.D. is a true consultant; that was evident in him coming out a couple of times to re-measure and re-assess new bed placement, as well as his willingness to encourage us not to overdo anything and keep budget a key consideration. We never felt rushed to finalize a design, and his keen eye for sprucing up what was already in place proved to us he had our best interests in mind. Some landscapers can be biased as to what plantings they like and have had experience with, but J.D. was quite flexible. He accomodated our schedule, and has the mind of a general contractor, in that he also had had great ideas for other things we were in the process of lining up such as exterior painting and underground sprinkling and how the timing of each of those projects would best work sequentially with the new landscaping.
When the day came for the work to be done, I expected a truck and crew to show up and to see J.D. some time during the day to check on things. It was J.D. himself who pulled up in the truck with just a couple of crew members and they worked tirelessly for a day and half to do the entire front yard project. When i told J.D. I didn't expect that he'd be the one leading the work, he just smiled and said "I love what I do."
And it shows, in a big way. By the end of the day we were already receiving compliments from neighbors. Our overgrown mess of a front yard has gone through a real transformation to highlight the front of our house, new colors and variety in new plantings.
J.D. and Green City were always responsive. The level of communication he maintained with us during the design, and revised design process was outstanding. As stated above, we requested a couple of revisions. He was thoroughly patient and you could tell he just wanted us to be sure we knew what we wanted and how it would turn out.
OK, and I can't resist: J.D., besides being a genuine guy, is also one of the funniest professionals we've ever met. Had a hard time pinning down his quick wit and humor, but if Robin Williams were a landscaper........ :-)
I love working with people who are A) excellent at what they do, and B) easy to do business with. J.D. and Green City are all that and more.
When the day came for the work to be done, I expected a truck and crew to show up and to see J.D. some time during the day to check on things. It was J.D. himself who pulled up in the truck with just a couple of crew members and they worked tirelessly for a day and half to do the entire front yard project. When i told J.D. I didn't expect that he'd be the one leading the work, he just smiled and said "I love what I do."
And it shows, in a big way. By the end of the day we were already receiving compliments from neighbors. Our overgrown mess of a front yard has gone through a real transformation to highlight the front of our house, new colors and variety in new plantings.
J.D. and Green City were always responsive. The level of communication he maintained with us during the design, and revised design process was outstanding. As stated above, we requested a couple of revisions. He was thoroughly patient and you could tell he just wanted us to be sure we knew what we wanted and how it would turn out.
OK, and I can't resist: J.D., besides being a genuine guy, is also one of the funniest professionals we've ever met. Had a hard time pinning down his quick wit and humor, but if Robin Williams were a landscaper........ :-)
I love working with people who are A) excellent at what they do, and B) easy to do business with. J.D. and Green City are all that and more.
Response from Green City Gardens
"What a delight it was working for you! Thank you for the kind words. I look forward to your future projects!"
JOHN W.
Sep 2013
Our experience with JD was wonderful from start to finish. We had a drainage issue in our back yard and wanted to install new greenery to hide our neighbor's large shed. We also wanted to spruce up the front of our house to give it more curb appeal. JD and his crew at Green City Gardens came to our rescue.
Working with JD was so easy. He is obviously very knowledgeable about plants, shrubs and trees, but his enthusiasm was incredible. He had great ideas for plants that would provide beauty and privacy. He drew up the perfect plans for our small house, that reused some of our existing plants and added several new to create the garden that we wanted.
JD and his crew showed up at the house on time and worked through two full days to remove the old plants, prepare and form the new garden areas and install all the new plants and shrubs. They also put in a dry well to address the drainage issues. Many of my neighbors remarked that they had never seen a crew work so hard. The end result is a beautiful landscape that is the envy of our block.
Working with JD was so easy. He is obviously very knowledgeable about plants, shrubs and trees, but his enthusiasm was incredible. He had great ideas for plants that would provide beauty and privacy. He drew up the perfect plans for our small house, that reused some of our existing plants and added several new to create the garden that we wanted.
JD and his crew showed up at the house on time and worked through two full days to remove the old plants, prepare and form the new garden areas and install all the new plants and shrubs. They also put in a dry well to address the drainage issues. Many of my neighbors remarked that they had never seen a crew work so hard. The end result is a beautiful landscape that is the envy of our block.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was a pleasure working with you and I hope you enjoy everything for years to come. Cheers!"
Girisha C.
Sep 2013
J.D. and his crew were amazing. From beginning to end they went above and beyond. It started with J.D.'s great ideas for adding color and educational plants, like elderberry, to the garden. He created a vision that kept with the spirit of the garden and respected the existing plantings, taking out only what we needed to to open up the space.
He was then flexible and responsive throughout the process, answering questions, even accommodating a specific installation date so the work could be done while the school was closed for a holiday.
Beyond that, he demonstrated a genuine desire to help, and a commitment to the job that made me feel I had a true partner dedicated to getting the job done well. One example of this was that J.D., on seeing our rotting garden bridge, went out of his way to solicit a donation of a gently used garden bridge in lieu of fixing the old one (which would have added to our cost), and even made an extra trip to install it.
His crew did a beautiful job with the rockscaping, and left the garden in prestine condition after the work, even stopping to pick up and haul away some garden waste that wasn't even theirs! Not only was it an absolute pleasure working with them, I'm thrilled with the result! I highly recommend Green City Gardens!
He was then flexible and responsive throughout the process, answering questions, even accommodating a specific installation date so the work could be done while the school was closed for a holiday.
Beyond that, he demonstrated a genuine desire to help, and a commitment to the job that made me feel I had a true partner dedicated to getting the job done well. One example of this was that J.D., on seeing our rotting garden bridge, went out of his way to solicit a donation of a gently used garden bridge in lieu of fixing the old one (which would have added to our cost), and even made an extra trip to install it.
His crew did a beautiful job with the rockscaping, and left the garden in prestine condition after the work, even stopping to pick up and haul away some garden waste that wasn't even theirs! Not only was it an absolute pleasure working with them, I'm thrilled with the result! I highly recommend Green City Gardens!
Response from Green City Gardens
"This was a very satisfying job knowing that the school kids were out there the next day playing in the new space we created! Thanks for choosing Green City Gardens. I hope to work with you again soon."
Janet S.
Aug 2013
They did a great job. Very reasonably priced. Extremely helpful in making suggestions about what plants to use. Work was done promptly and professionally.
Response from Green City Gardens
"I'm glad you like the work. Thank you for your business!"
Mary L.
Jul 2013
JD and his crew were wonderful from start to finish. Before JD, our heavily shaded back yard consisted of patches of grass and dirt but it is now beautiful. He really listened to what we wanted. He and I sat at his computer looking at pictures of plants he thought would work and I got to pick what I liked from that. He then developed a plan and included color pix of the mature plants so we could picture what they would grow into.
JD's first estimate was a bit higher than we wished to spend so he reworked it by subtracting some of the plants and putting in some that were a size smaller.
JD and his crew then did the work in less than a week and were courteous and professional. The yard is now absolutely lovely.
I want to add that we had 3 other companies provide estimates and plans and JD's was the least expensive by thousands of dollars, and fit what we envisioned the best..
JD's first estimate was a bit higher than we wished to spend so he reworked it by subtracting some of the plants and putting in some that were a size smaller.
JD and his crew then did the work in less than a week and were courteous and professional. The yard is now absolutely lovely.
I want to add that we had 3 other companies provide estimates and plans and JD's was the least expensive by thousands of dollars, and fit what we envisioned the best..
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you for choosing Green City Gardens to revitalize your back yard! I hope you enjoy it for years to come as the plants grow and mature in their new space. Cheers!"
Anne B.
Jun 2013
I really don't want to be inside at my computer writing this review because I want to spend all my time now in my yard - both back and in front of the house - after J.D. Mathiem's masterful planning and planting yesterday. My family and dogs were outside all day enjoying our new outside living space. I joined Angie's List to find a lanscaper and p
icked the one I found with 5-star rating: Green City Gardens. The perfect experience that ensued is both a testimony to J.D. (owner) and Angie. We turned to J.D. to speed up the process of making our outside living spaces feel as inviting as our inside. In hindsight, we could never have done what J.D. created even if we wanted to take years to create. J.D. saw our space, listened to our wish list, sent the perfect representation of same. He was warm, creative, funny. He gave us install date and came out and created a sanctuary for us in back yard and warm, inviting look out front. His crew were was hardworking and accomodating. And J.D. was focussed and intent while creating his vision which made the job get done to the last detail. Even for our small yard, there was alot of work involved but it all seemed to get done seamlessly and on time.I am telling all and anyone about Green City Gardens. And adding that true to his word, J.D. returned today to make sure the timing system for the sprinklers were set correctly so that our investment would grow tall and even more beautiful. Anyone who thinks they can do this on their own should think again. And why when you can turn to someone who truly, truly has a green thumb. Thank you J.D. and thank you Angie, Anne Boguslavsky
Response from Green City Gardens
"I had a wonderful experience designing and installing your new garden. Thank you for the great review! It makes my job very rewarding to know that I've helped you build a tranquil outdoor living space. Enjoy!"
Charlene M.
May 2013
Excellent! See my comments above.
Response from Green City Gardens
"It was a pleasure working on your new garden. I hope you enjoy it for years to come as it matures and thriuves!"
STEVE Q.
Feb 2013
J.D. scored right away by answering my first call on a Sunday when I was planning to leave a voice message, and we managed to have a few laughs in the course of that conversation. As noted above, his proposal was the best among several that were also good. I liked that he offered to go with me to the growers to nail down exactly what cultivars to plant - and I took him up on that offer once we got to that phase of the project. I also liked that he worked with our design plan without nitpicking the fact that it wasn't fully detailed as he probably would have preferred. As with every big project, there are always speed bumps - some in our control, and some that aren't. One bump in control was checking assumptions - we thought J.D. was checking into options for material to frame our raised bed along with our own research - and he thought we were handling the research and procurement of those materials. As that was a critical path item before we left on vacation, I would have liked a little more confirmation on who was doing what. As it turned out, my husband came up with an ingenious solution and together with J.D., they worked on the install of that piece. Other bumps out of control - Mother Nature! We discovered a beach of sand under our old driveway (courtesy of Lake Michigan), necessitating a deeper dig and about 24" of gravel. J.D. and his team swung into action and took care of the challenge right away, and with such quality. And - there was the intense heat and drought conditions during the summer of 2012 - and J.D. kindly agreed to delay the install of the landscape as much as he could without throwing off other clients on his schedule. About the install of the ground covers and grasses - he did such an artful job of interpreting our fairly loose design. As I spent time watering and pulling the tiniest of weeds over the fall of 2012, I appreciated more and more the thought he put into what went where. Finally and most importantly - the people. J.D. by now you should surmise is great to work with. But he is matched by his business partners who did such a professional job on every aspect of the install. Truly great guys - extremely diligent and willing to answer questions and endure my photographs each day as they made progress. They kept the site tidy, were respectful to the neighbors, and the quality of their work is obvious - very tight, very exact, very solid. J.D. and his subs were outstanding - even happy to do extras, like pulling out a "shrub" I detested and coming back to replace bits of sod that didn't thrive as well as the rest.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you for the delightful review! It was indeed a pleasure to work closely with the two of you on such a unique, challenging project. I am so pleased with the final product, and I look forward to seeing the plants spread and grow to maturity. Thanks for choosing Green City Gardens!"
Jessica A.
Nov 2012
The design JD created was beautiful. Perhaps a little more than we had hoped to spend, but well worth the cost! We have received many compliments from our neighbors and friends. Very satisfied customer.
Bart V.
Jul 2012
We worked with Green City Gardens, and JD the owner, designing and building our front and backyard landscaping. The design included both plants and hardscape, as well as grading and drainage. All in all, we are very pleased with the work.
The first phase of the work, our front yard, was completed in October 2011. We had him install a retaining wall, new sodding and plantings. JD was very easy to work with for both design and build. He was very responsive and personally made sure that everything was in order. We really like the end result, and since then we have had many people tell us how much they like our front yard.
Since we liked his work so much, we asked JD to come back and design a patio and plantings for our back yard as well. For this second phase of work, JD was very thorough and open to multiple discussions on the size and shape of the patio, including a midway rework of the shape. It has just been completed, and again we really like the end result.
The first phase of the work, our front yard, was completed in October 2011. We had him install a retaining wall, new sodding and plantings. JD was very easy to work with for both design and build. He was very responsive and personally made sure that everything was in order. We really like the end result, and since then we have had many people tell us how much they like our front yard.
Since we liked his work so much, we asked JD to come back and design a patio and plantings for our back yard as well. For this second phase of work, JD was very thorough and open to multiple discussions on the size and shape of the patio, including a midway rework of the shape. It has just been completed, and again we really like the end result.
ALEXANDRA G.
May 2012
We needed some general landscaping and figuring out what to do with some unusable parts of our yard. JD came over and spent close to an hour discussing options. He was very patient going through a variety of flowers and plans for the yard. Later that week he also followed up with new ideas. He sent BEAUTIFUL drawings of the landscaping design and came over a few weeks later to do the planting.
JD and his team are absolute professionals and they were very efficient the day of planting. The design was implemented as we discussed and looks amazing! My neighbors literally stopped by for the next week to say how nice it looks. I would recommend Green City Gardens to anyone - they did an amazing job.
JD and his team are absolute professionals and they were very efficient the day of planting. The design was implemented as we discussed and looks amazing! My neighbors literally stopped by for the next week to say how nice it looks. I would recommend Green City Gardens to anyone - they did an amazing job.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thanks for the very kind report! I hope you enjoy your new garden spaces this summer and for years to come!"
Paul R.
May 2012
J.D. and his team are real pros. I first called JD last fall to give me some ideas for re-landscaping our front yard. He had great ideas and is able to quickly sketch them out to give you an idea of how it might look.
We finalized a detailed plan and agreed to install it this Spring. The actual implementation looks even better than the drawing. He's a master at colors, shapes and different plant/tree options -- exactly what I wanted. His team was pleasant, professional and attentive.
We have been working through some backyard/patio options next -- assume we'll have an equally good experience.
We finalized a detailed plan and agreed to install it this Spring. The actual implementation looks even better than the drawing. He's a master at colors, shapes and different plant/tree options -- exactly what I wanted. His team was pleasant, professional and attentive.
We have been working through some backyard/patio options next -- assume we'll have an equally good experience.
CARY C.
May 2012
Company is owned by JD Matheim (sp?) and he comes to do the work along with three other workers. All work hard and are careful of other plantings. Great communication throughout the process. He underestimated the sod by six rolls and the mulch so he came back the next day by himself and finished the job. He didn't charge for the additional sod and mulch.
Response from Green City Gardens
"It was my pleasure to revitalize your back yard. Thank you for the business!"
Erich V.
May 2012
They have done a great job. I will probably use them again. They are sensitive to budget restraints.
Megan R.
Jan 2012
J.D. and his team were excellent to work with. We had a limited budget and long list of items that we wanted to have accomplished in our front yard. J.D. was the only landscaper (out of the 4 we received quotes from) that put together a beautiful plan and kept our wish list within the budget. There were changes that needed to be made once his team started the work, but I think that is very common with any big project. In the end, our front yard was transformed and is now beautiful to look at. I can't wait for all my new plants to start blooming this spring! We will definitely be using Green City Gardens for any future landscaping needs.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thanks for the great report! It was a pleasure seeing the transformation of the space, and I look forward to seeing your plants bloom and grow through the years. Enjoy!"
Robyn B.
Dec 2011
J.D. and hist team transformed both our front and back yard and we couldn't be happier. We selected GCG because J.D. listened to what we wanted and how we planned to use our outdoor space--and then came back with a terrific design. During the actual installation we improvised with some of the tree and shrub choices, and J.D. made it work perfectly. The paver walkway and patio is stunning, and the quality of the work is exceptional. Even when we a couple of our shrubs and portions of the sod were not thriving, J.D. came out right away to replace them.
We also had GCG come back for fall clean-up and they did a really nice job.
We also had GCG come back for fall clean-up and they did a really nice job.
Olivia A.
Oct 2011
My experience with Green City Gardens was excellent. JD was prompt with providing a quote, and flexible with me when I had to change dates. They worked hard and as long as daylight would allow. They had to come the following day to finish. When it was all said and done, the landscaping looked great and my yard was cleaned up better than expected. His quote/final price was very fair and JD was very enjoyable to work with. I would definitely use him again.
Response from Green City Gardens
"It was my pleasure doing work for you. Thanks for the business, and thank you for the kind report. Cheers!"
NORA C.
Sep 2011
Overall, they were excellent. They were good, friendly, timely and competent. I would rate them highly and would continue to use them in the future.
Mary L.
Sep 2011
Very well. We picked GCG because we loved JD's design. he wasn't the cheapest but he was in the middle to lower middle of the pack -- we got a number of estimates. The work was as described and JD was very responsive to any questions/concerns/problems. Our neighbors have given us tons of compliments and one has asked for his contact info. JD's design was tops because it was smart, creative and it was US -- he really listened and even though I swore I did not know what I wanted, he pulled it out of me and made note of my likes and dislikes. He figured out what I wanted when I didn't know myself.... and the results make me happy everytime I drive or walk up to my house!
Jen L.
Aug 2011
J.D. was very helpful. When he originally came out to talk about the work we wanted done around the house, he suggested we hire someone to remove all the trees and bushes. It was less expensive to have a tree removal company come and remove several bushes and trees. Once the trees and shrubs were gone, J.D. came back to talk about the design of the front yard. He drew some great sketches to help see what the concept would look like.
He showed a lot of different pictures of the plants that we picked, to make sure that was the look we were going for.
He was very helpful in explaining the different types of options.
We will need to work on the backyard next spring and I plan on contacting J.D. to do that work.
He showed a lot of different pictures of the plants that we picked, to make sure that was the look we were going for.
He was very helpful in explaining the different types of options.
We will need to work on the backyard next spring and I plan on contacting J.D. to do that work.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thanks for the great review! I'm looking forward to working your back yard next. In the mean time, enjoy your new foundation plantings!"
Kevin C.
Aug 2011
Overall, the final look of the backyard was good. However, there were so many headaches and delays in getting there and that is the reason for the poor rating. A job that we were told would take about 4-5 days and be done in 3-4 weeks ended up taking just over double that amount of time to complete. The project got a very late start and it didn't seem like it was going to start until I contacted JD to find out when the tree was going to be removed. After that, the work got going. However, after the first major day of them tearing up the backyard our cable went out. Apparently they cut the cable line. I had insurance on the line so it didn't cost anything to replace it. However, I told JD and asked him to ask his guys to be careful of the lines in the yard (JULIE came out). A couple days later, the power was out to our garage. Apparently when they were digging again the power line to our garage was cut through the conduit. On top of this, there were other issues in timing. It seemed the project was getting done in bits and pieces. After each piece was done we'd get an estimate for the next part to be done. Almost every single time the timing got delayed after I called. There were also several problems that ended up having to be corrected and redone including the entryway of the patio (angled incorrectly to the stairs), the new stairs off the patio (faulty steps that didn't have proper support and cracked within days), sand missing from some of the patio (which prevents weeds from growing through and ensures that the bricks don't shift), and the sod that was installed ended up having a lot of crabgrass (we never told JD about this since it didn't start appearing until a couple weeks after they were done and grew on about 40% of the grass). I will say that JD did end up fixing everything (except the problem with the sod/crabgrass which we never mentioned because we just wanted to be done) that was wrong and at the end the backyard looked amazing.
Update after Owner Response:
I have changed my grade on here to reflect the owners response.
Quality was poor: Why? Well, I have pictures that can show exactly what I mean if anyone would like to see them. They included a patio that was built with one entrance in the wrong direction. When that was fixed after I complained, he never put sand to fill in the cracks in the patio. When I told him this he said the sand in the patio cracks is only cosmetic. I replied that the bricks will shift and weeds will grow and finally he replaced them (after realizing that is correct). He then had his carpenter build stairs that were completely unsafe. They had to be repaired within 2 days because they were already cracking the wood at the sides (like I said, I have pictures if JD wants to call me a liar again). He also never put in a railing because "he thought it would look nicer without one" even though the rest of the deck had a railing The grass he installed was littered with crab grass (which I didn't complain about because I wanted the project to just be done and for him to be gone). He knocked out my cable line and my power line to the garage.
Power to the garage: He is a flat out liar in saying that his crew who he subcontracted never got power from my garage. First of all, JD wasn't even there that day because I had to go back and move my car for them to back their truck in and JD was just calling me to coordinate before I talked directly to the crew when I got there. In fact I opened the garage up for them to have power on the first day so I saw them use it with my own eyes! I even had to flip the circuit breaker back on 2 times because they blew the circuit. Also, we left the garage lights on and the back door lights on every night and JD has seen that before when he gave us an estimate. The garage door opener was broken because it was old, that's why it wasn't working. Even the electrician JD used knows this because when he ran the electric back, the garage door still wasn't working, but the lights went on! Apparently if you rate JD below an A or a B he tries to discredit you by making things up. His rating is now an F from me after this. How dare he try to make it sound like I was lying to get free power to my garage! I bought my house only 1 year before his landscaping crew came....you think I would have bought it without power to the garage? He also never asked me about using power from inside the house until after I told him his crew cut the power line to the garage because our outside lights on the garage and our back door lights weren't working anymore, then he started asking me to use the power from the kitchen. I have emails for that timeline. He NEVER mentioned not having power to the garage until after his backyard crew cut through it. Once again, I have the emails. His crew also cut the cable line as well, which didn't cost him anything because I had insurance. Funny he didn't complain about that one. I'll leave my thoughts at that.
Update after Owner Response:
I have changed my grade on here to reflect the owners response.
Quality was poor: Why? Well, I have pictures that can show exactly what I mean if anyone would like to see them. They included a patio that was built with one entrance in the wrong direction. When that was fixed after I complained, he never put sand to fill in the cracks in the patio. When I told him this he said the sand in the patio cracks is only cosmetic. I replied that the bricks will shift and weeds will grow and finally he replaced them (after realizing that is correct). He then had his carpenter build stairs that were completely unsafe. They had to be repaired within 2 days because they were already cracking the wood at the sides (like I said, I have pictures if JD wants to call me a liar again). He also never put in a railing because "he thought it would look nicer without one" even though the rest of the deck had a railing The grass he installed was littered with crab grass (which I didn't complain about because I wanted the project to just be done and for him to be gone). He knocked out my cable line and my power line to the garage.
Power to the garage: He is a flat out liar in saying that his crew who he subcontracted never got power from my garage. First of all, JD wasn't even there that day because I had to go back and move my car for them to back their truck in and JD was just calling me to coordinate before I talked directly to the crew when I got there. In fact I opened the garage up for them to have power on the first day so I saw them use it with my own eyes! I even had to flip the circuit breaker back on 2 times because they blew the circuit. Also, we left the garage lights on and the back door lights on every night and JD has seen that before when he gave us an estimate. The garage door opener was broken because it was old, that's why it wasn't working. Even the electrician JD used knows this because when he ran the electric back, the garage door still wasn't working, but the lights went on! Apparently if you rate JD below an A or a B he tries to discredit you by making things up. His rating is now an F from me after this. How dare he try to make it sound like I was lying to get free power to my garage! I bought my house only 1 year before his landscaping crew came....you think I would have bought it without power to the garage? He also never asked me about using power from inside the house until after I told him his crew cut the power line to the garage because our outside lights on the garage and our back door lights weren't working anymore, then he started asking me to use the power from the kitchen. I have emails for that timeline. He NEVER mentioned not having power to the garage until after his backyard crew cut through it. Once again, I have the emails. His crew also cut the cable line as well, which didn't cost him anything because I had insurance. Funny he didn't complain about that one. I'll leave my thoughts at that.
Response from Green City Gardens
"This was a project that required the coordination of several different trades, including large tree removal, demolition of concrete, grading, brick work, carpentry, and landscape design & installation. Unfortunately, I had some difficulty with my usual tree removal subs, and eventually had to go to a third. By the time the tree was removed and the rest of the project was ready to go, the sky opened up and we had the rainiest spring in memory. That put us (and every other landscaper) way behind schedule. This was the unfortunate truth. A project of this complexity is something that takes a while and invariably requires adjustments along the way. Each issue was resolved and the client received an outstanding final product at a price which could never be matched. I feel that their quality rating of 'D' is unreasonable, if only based on the client's own words:"the backyard looks awesome". My regret is that I gave the clients a time frame which was too optimistic given the challenges which we faced. Regarding the electric line to the garage, it seems a little fishy that the client blamed us for cutting it, considering the fact that when my crew showed up for work the first day, the client opened his garage by hand (the opener was already disconnected), and that our power tools had no electricity when plugged into the garage outlets. Hmmm... Still, I ran brand new electric service to the garage at my own expense. So it goes."
Erica C.
Jul 2011
Green City Gardens did a magnificent job of landscaping our sizeable front yard. From the beginning, J.D. did a great job of listening to what we wanted -- both aesthetically and financially -- and presented us with multiple options. Once we agreed on a layout, J.D. helped us to connect with terrific contractors for lighting and sprinklers while he and his guys managed the planting and hardscape elements. The overall process was not quick, but it was thorough. Most importantly, the final result is exactly what we wanted and met our budget. We absolutely recommend J.D. and Green City Gardens for any landscaping needs.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you for the wonderful review! It was a pleasure working for you and seeing the final result. Thank you also for your patience throughout the process. It all came together beautifully, and I am thrilled that you are pleased with the finished product. Enjoy!"
KENDAL R.
Jul 2011
From start to finish, J.D. was extremely enjoyable to work with -- and always professional and responsive. When installation day arrived, his crew was top-notch and worked very quickly and professionally. J.D. had great ideas and delivered exactly the type of plan we needed -- the results are fantastic and we get compliments from neighbors daily.
Response from Green City Gardens
"Thank you for the glowing report! It was a pleasure working closely with the two of you to choose the right plants, colors, and layout. I'm excited to see your garden and trees mature through the years. Remember... First it sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps! Cheers!"
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FAQ
Green City Gardens is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Green City Gardens accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Green City Gardens does not offer free project estimates.
No, Green City Gardens does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Green City Gardens does not offer a senior discount.
No, Green City Gardens does not offer emergency services.
No, Green City Gardens does not offer warranties.