CHRISTIE DUSTMAN & CO

I hired Christie Dustman to first assess my property and then to design a specific bed that was especially challenging. I shared my color preferences and my hope for a good winter view from my picture window. She knew I loved to garden and that I am new to the endeavor. I couldn’t afford to have a designer do all the work. I gave her an idea of what I could afford, and this was fine with Christie. I wanted general ideas and then the freedom to choose the shrubs and plant them. She came up with a wonderful design that helped me expand my thinking about what to plant. She encouraged me to use my aesthetics to create the look I wanted. The boost in confidence I received from working with Christie has made me a happier and better gardener. She advised me on how to maintain the conifers in their dwarf size and to include deciduous shrubs and perennials for seasonal variety. I couldn’t be happier. She is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and a pleasure. I’d hire her again in a heart beat!

Overall, very disappointing and stressful experience. Too many ongoing issues to list. Ms. Dustman did allow us to pay half of the quoted price, however we still feel that it wasn't worth the $1900 for the work done. In the end we had to hire another landscaper.

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From the beginning of the design work we as homeowners were aware of the technical issues that would develop from the complicated vision we had wanted to achieve in the project. We were looking for a company that would have the patience and aesthetic skill to make reality the look we envisioned. We knew it was complicated and we knew an average company would not take the time to use the quality materials and extra detail work that we wanted. We did not want a cheap project but a quality project. We had used Christie Dustman in the past for a smaller project (custom made trellises in the backyard garden along the property border) and decided that she had both the skill and temperament to tackle this more complex project with us. Initially we hired her just to design and spec out the complete project so we would have a master plan that could be installed in pieces as our budget would allow. We sat in our initial meeting and decided together what would most likely be the cost required for the master plan. At no time in the process were we given charges not initially discussed and Christie made sure as the planning process went along that we stayed within budget. Once the plan was finished and the specs and pricing came in, Christie worked with us to figure out ways to keep the overall costs of the project within our limits without comprising quality or style. At that time we decided to move forward with the construction of the project with Christie as project manager even though we initially had only planned to purchase a plan. Of course issues came up along the way and adjustments and changes needed to be made on the spot. What we cared most about was that Christie and her subcontractors worked with us to resolve these issues quickly and drama-free. For the most part, that was true. The team Christie pulled together for our project were true craftsmen and the end result is proof of their skill as well as our shared concern for detail. Such a "high end" result does not happen without "headache moments," but Christie handled these moments with professionalism, collaboration, and drama-free problem solving skills. We love the end result - and so do our neighbors who comment on it almost daily!

Horribly in the end. I also was told by several arborists and landscapers that the tree was buried too deep, at least 8 inches. EffortS were made to dig out some of the soil around the trunk, but it was too late once it was diagnosed. The tree was not healthy despite cutting branches from very old trees to allow more sun and air to reach the tree. It was fertilized and watered adequately but just continued to grow worse over time. Ultimately the tree just died. When I hired a landscaping company to dig it out, they had no trouble. The owner called me over to show me what he discovered. The root ball was still encased in the metal wire that secured the burlap around the tree! The burlap probably disintegrated long ago. There were no roots beyond the original root ball, the metal strap had prevented roots from branching out. Pictures were taken. He was as stunned as I was.

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I'll begin by saying on the positive side that Ms. Dustman is pleasant and a good designer. However, this was a disappointing project. I was very enthusiastic after my initial meeting with Ms. Dustman. I received financing through a bank for this project and the bank advised me that the proposed quote was too high (it was $2,500 higher than the next highest bid out of the four proposals that I received). However, I worked hard to convince them to let me engage Ms. Dustman; believing that Ms. Dustman was the best person for the job. There were several mishaps along the way. For example: I was very clear about the location of the in ground sprinkler and reminded them several times to be careful. They broke it, and all water to my house needed to be shut-off. It took them awhile to get this fixed. Fortunately I was at home. Otherwise, it would have been a big mess if I hadn’t been. One can understand this kind of carelessness in the course of landscaping but they were forewarned as they were about making sure not to park a vehicle that was leaking oil in my newly paved driveway. This type of error was addressed and ultimately would not have been a and quot;deal-breaker.and quot; The major problems are the following: Both the bank and I are disappointed in the choice of several of the shrubs and plants. My yard is very shady and several of Ms. Dustman's choices have not done well. The bank encouraged me to get a second opinion from a highly credentialed landscape designer and he corroborated that these plants would not do well in my environment. Several times during the project, I queried Ms. Dustman about a particular plant that I was concerned about (after researching sun requirements) and she responded by saying that and quot;we've had good luck with this...” I was paying her top dollar and assumed she knew her stuff. Sadly, often, this turned out not to be the case. Ms. Dustman, as part of her design, recommended moving a lovely Japanese Maple from the front yard to the backyard. The Japanese Maple is now almost dead, any number of serious gardeners told me that it was planted too deep and the spot was too shady. This was again validated by the bank’s third party expert. When I attempted to discuss this with Ms. Dustman, she responded by saying the tree was replanted at the same root level that it was before and maybe it had some kind of winter month (it did not). I could go on and tell you about the Azalea that received no sun and died and the Wine and Roses that didn't bloom because it didn't receive enough sun, but my point is be very careful if you chose to work with Ms. Dustman that the plants you are getting have the right conditions to flourish. If you chose to work with Ms. Dustman the following are some additional suggestions that may help you have a more positive experience than I had with her. and middot; Make sure you are clear what she means by project management billable hours. I wasn't. Often, I was doing some of things that one would assume she would be doing. I was also charged project management time while we were having a cup of coffee and she was waiting for a member of her team to arrive. and middot; Understand how many your shrubs and plants are going to cost. Do not bundle labor and materials as I did. After the job was completed I went to the nursery where she buys her plants, Sylvan, Westport MA and saw the prices. Granted she does sometimes do a pick-up when the nursery doesn't deliver but I strongly believe that you will do much better on your own. She won't guarantee them if you buy them yourself, but her guarantee is very limited. and middot; Don't over-invest in design time. Ms. Dustman will charge you a $125.00 for her initial consultation. Per Ms. Dustman a lot changes in terms of the design when she brings the plants on-site and sees what they actually look like. She charges a high printing fee for providing you with a copy of the design. and middot; Do some research on your own and make sure you get at least four proposals and check the credentials of each landscaper.

I was very pleased with the level of service. The designer was great to work with, listened to my needs and answered the questions I presented. It was a good working relationship. It helped that I knew what I wanted. Of course, all this is on the clock and the fee for the design adds up fast. They really don't tell you that all the emails and chats are on the clock. The team that performed the hardscaping work was terrific. They came in on schedule, left the place immaculate at the end of every day, and did really good work. It took a few days to remove the plants, then remove the asphalt, dig the drywell, place the drains to the downspouts, and then set all the new pavers. But the prediction on timing was spot on. The team for the planting also did a terrific job, getting everything done in one day. If I had a concern is that money was never really discussed. No one asked me how much I wanted to spend or what I was thinking about costs. When I asked about the possible costs of the different parts of the project, especially the hardscaping, I got a ballpark guess, which was very high, but then the actual came in lower. There was alot of work in the hardscaping. The cost of the drywell was about 10% of the total, and because you can't see it, it feels like a lot of money was spent on a very small area. But the final result is great and I am pleased with the outcome.

I asked Christie to come up with a design for my backyard and front yard. I had a lot of accomodations to the back yard that I requested be included in the design. I wanted a Japanese feel to the garden, a place to have a vegetable garden, a place to sit inside the garden, rocks and unusual conifers. Christie came up with a lovely design. To install the whole garden would have cost too much for us. We talked to her about keeping costs low and she suggested ways we could do it. She was very flexible about how we could make it happen. We hired our own stone masons, who were very reasonable. I prepared the soil. Christie came over during the stone work to make sure that the scale of the plan was being followed. Christie bought many of the plants and was open to suggestions of ones I didn't care for and ones I wanted to include that were not in her design. She and her crew came over and planted the trees. We are very pleased with the design she came up with. She is a very talented landscape designer.

Extremely well. We're thrilled with the outcome. She worked closely with Yard and a Half Landscapers and did a great job. The team was "bend-over-backwards" responsive. Christie was also a lot of fun to work with. She has a great eye and fabulous sense of humor. She clearly loves what she is doing and brings that love to the project.

I've been working with Christie Dustman and her crew for 3-4 years. Christie is a unique and talented landscaper. Each garden she designs is different, rather than being the cookie-cutter approach of many landscapers. She listens closely and well to an owner's wishes and desires and incorporates those into the design. Both she and her crew are extremely knowledgeable and constantly communicating. After each monthly maintenance visit, I receive a long e-mail about what was done to my garden at the visit. She and her team are open to suggestions that I make, answer questions that I have willingly, and are happy to have me do whatever I have time to do in the garden (or not). She works in small and large yards, with small and large budgets. One can be as much or as little involved as one desires when working with Christie. I had tried at least 4 other landscapers before finding her. I only wish I'd found her sooner. I highly recommend her. Check out her website to learn more www.christiedustman.com

Unresponsive, assessed landscaping, charged $100, and never called back or returned phone calls.