THRASHER HORTICULTURAL SERVICES HARDSCAPING

He was very quick to respond and worked with me on the price. He personally came out to do a visual inspection. It was very helpful and I will definitely use his services in the near future.

Bobby was great - prompt with responses and bids. We went with Thrasher because the contract, although more expensive than the rest, was more detailed. For example, it mentioned that grass damage would be seeded and fixed in the fall if the first seed didn't take (thank goodness, because our grass certainly took a beating). Bobby also helped us easily visualize the paver patio. Our patio is beautiful! Our raised planter box is nice, but there wasn't a whole lot of thought about where it was installed - the box is not parallel or perpendicular to the new paver walkway or any fence nearby. It is at an odd angle - which bugs me. They confirmed everything with us on how the patio would look - everything except the raised planter box which is just askew. But it does grow vegetables nicely. Our weekly lawn maintenance is great.

We have used them several times. They did an excellent job. You can't even tell, it blended right in.

Due to last summer's drought, I made a list of things that could be done immediately and within the water restrictions that were in place at the end of August, 2012. A second list included those things that would have to be done after the water restrictions were lifted. Thrasher's crew came in the heat and in the rains that eventually came. They worked diligently, were unfailingly polite and helpful, and responded in a positive manner to all of our requests.

Absolutely the worst service ever. Unless you want to stand there and tell them exactly what to do every minute, do NOT hire them. My 8' rhodadendrum was replaced with one that was aobut 2.5'. He gave me a discount on a tree, but that in no way made up for the blight now in my front yard. No common sense, no professionalism.

Not all the plants survived and that is not something they could control.

The old retaining wall was removed and the old block was stacked neatly on pallets. New block was brought to the site, as well as materials for building a base for the new terraces and providing adequate drainage for the walls. The workers were always punctual, worked hard, and cleaned up the job site each day, but their lack of experience eventually created an unsatisfactory product, which is what we were left with. In defense of Thrasher Horticultural Services, this work took place in May-June 2008, during the heavy rains that were in the area for weeks. The job was supposed to take 3 or 4 full days and took weeks. I'm sure the contractor just wanted to be done with the job and get to his other customers. That being said, here is what went amiss. We ordered new block recommended by the contractor, which was selected from a catalog that showed example installations using the block. The block was concrete that was meant to mimic stone, with tumbled edges, mottled color, and a variety of sizes. After the base for the main wall was installed, the first couple courses of block were laid, and we noted that they were all the same size. We pointed this out, and they had another pallet of block of a different size delivered so they could create a random pattern. However, although this block was the same color, the thickness was not compatible with the first size, and so a random pattern could not be constructed. So, Thrasher would install a course of one size, followed by a course of the other size. Most likely, the blocks were from the same company, but not from the same line (e.g., Belgard Century versus Celtik). Because we were at work during construction, most of the wall was built before we noted that it was not natural looking, was canted outward (not plumb), and an interwoven corner on the terrace could not be constructed with the available block sizes, so they just cut and chiseled blocks to sorta fit together, sorta vertically, but not really...and the result is embarrassingly amateurish. They finished up and sent us a bill. We contacted Thrasher and explained that we were not happy with the end product, and he arranged to come back and at least make the wall plumb - which he accomplished by removing some soil from behind the wall and pushing the whole wall with the bucket on his Bobcat, then replacing the soil. The wall appears to be on a sound foundation with good drainage, but the aesthetic result is far from what we expected (and paid for).