Better Yards & Gardens

Paul started the job a few days later than he thought only because of the weather. It was terribly hot. He and his crew worked diligently to complete it in the promised one day but could not because of the heat and humidity. That was not a problem for us. I was consulted on his selection of perennials and their placement. They did need a little extra care and attention because of the timing of planting. We told him that everything we wanted was to be maintenance free. Also, the river rock around the mailbox area had to conform to township regulations. He agreed to follow those rules. The finished area around the mailbox got a little high and would have presented problems in winter. ( We were getting our moneys worth of river rock!) So we called Paul and he came back to take it down a bit. Very easy to work with. Very agreeable. Listens to what the customer wants. Nice easygoing guy.

Paul came out and was great in providing an estimate based on our needs and suggesting other improvements that he did at little or no extra cost. The problem we brought him in for was water seepage in the basement so the area in the back of the house needed to be graded. He understood our issue and re-graded around the entire house to be sure to correct any other problems. He also redesigned the back area and improved the overall look of the area. Paul and his crew were very professional and cleaned up everything when they were done. Paul also told us that if we came up with a design for the back landscape he'd do as we wished. We did have a drawing that he followed and improved upon. Great company!

This company is fabulous! They did exactly what they said they were going to do, when they said they would do it, and for the price they quoted us. We absolutely adore the result! As for price, BYAG was incredibly competitive. We received 3 bids from 3 different companies-- BYAG was $8,000 less than the next least expensive bid! The work was performed by the owner and three crew members. The crew was incredibly capable and professional. In sum, if you are planning on having landscaping work done, it would be absolute idiocy not to have this company give you a bid.

We have been thinkig about doing some relandscaping around out home for some time. We had three bids---we told each contracotor the same thing---that we wanted a little more curb appeal with low mainteanace and a little bit more color other than green. Two of the threee contracors came up with very elaborate and expensive designs. Paul is the only one of the three that "got it." His plan was simple, clean, and relatively speaking---inexpensive. Paul and his crew showed up on time and ready to go. All of these folks were friendly. They worked fast and with a great deal of efficiency. The job Paul did on the retaining wall was fabulous. The whole job was done in less than a day. My wife and I are quite pleased. I highly recommend Better Yards and Gardens and wiil certainly keep them in mind for future projects.

I had three landscapers come to bid what one would consider a moderate sized job on my property (75% overhaul of my entire front yard and two side yards). Paul was pleasant enough, but (after arriving 30 minutes late for the initial walk through) was very visibly "less than pleased" with my personal taste and preferences, each request met with a lukewarm response. In spite of my requests for a low maintenance, shrub-driven design, he kept steering back to perennials--something I clearly stated no interest in. Our styles were simply quite different--I was looking for something natural, woodsy, and "loose" to fit the setting and the house; he preferred more manicured, tailored, contained plantings (to the degree that I actually said "We really don't have the same vision here, do we?"). Like I said, nice enough guy, but given the fact that after he left, I was convinced he'd either disapprove of everything I chose or steer the job in a direction that didn't fit my needs/wants, I emailed a few hours later to bow out. Just not my cup of tea to work with someone I feel will "thumbs down" my choices or want to move in a different direction than I expect. * * * Added later * * * Having seen the provider's response, I feel even better about my decision to work with a competitor. Quite simply: 1. His claim I was resistent to tearing out "a few overgrown shrubs" is wildly inaccurate. My stated intent---and the reason I undertook this project to begin with---was to tear out every existing shrub but one (an extremely showy, healthy Smokebush, frequently complemented by neighbors). Only the 40 year old leafy trees were to be left in place. 2. As a business owner who provides quotes and custom work, I made a point of informing each bidding landscaper up front what my budget was ($15,000). In the end, it proved sufficient for the extensive work done by a competitor. 3. Given the level of unease I felt through the entire appointment, I chose not to waste the gentleman's time laboring over a design and bid I knew would not be accepted. Sadly, he sees that gesture of respect as a negative.

The experience was wonderful and I would highly recommend them. I felt that they were extremely honest. They did a meticulous job. They were able to make suggestions that looked good. He spent a lot of time with me in picking out the right color of pavers. Everything was absolutely positive. The workers were very neat. I liked the way they protected the driveway and did not drive any equipment on it. They were just extremely neat in everything they did. They cleaned up well. It was almost a two-day job. They put everything in order after they finished work on the first day. I was very impressed. I did not realize how much work is involved in putting in pavers. It is a tremendous amount of work. The owner's name is Nosbush and he is a hands-on owner. He was right out there digging and working with the other guys. I was so impressed with him that I did not compare prices with the concrete contractor. I just felt that his prices were extremely fair. Our daughter is going to use his services very soon.

Paul from Better Yards and Gardens was the first to respond to our inquiry for a bid, came up with the best design, and he was the most responsive to our needs. We got bids from two other landscaping companies and two stamped concrete vendors. Better Yards and Gardens had a competitive quote. We especially liked the fact that Paul was both the bidder and the foreman on the job site... not so with a couple of the other companies. At first we couldn't decide if we should go with a stamped concrete or paver sidewalk, but Paul convinced us to go with the pavers, and we're glad we did. Everything turned out looking fantastic.

Estimator responded to email request very quickly and arrived for appointment on time. Estimator was pleasant and knowledgeable. Written estimate was received within a few days but did not cover all the requested items and there was very little itemization. The estimate was very hard to read and it wasn't clear whether all the requested work was considered. Estimated cost was about about the same as the lowest of the other bids. Overall grade based on the estimate - clarity, completeness, and price versus other bids.

I called and Paul (I believe is the foreman) returned my call promptly. He was congenial and pleasant on the phone. He came out to the house and we reviewed the work I wanted done which included a stone patio and small stone pad for a grill in the backyard. My impression is that he has integrity and the company would do a professional job. But I decided to accept another bid primarily because I was hoping he would point out about how to make the patio fit into the overall landscape by way of design, size and materials. The company I did choose first talked about the natural look of the yard, the rocks, the curved beds, and chilton stone path and the small paved sitting area in the back and then discusses what material would continue the theme which ended up being the weathered chilton. Paul well may do this kind of review but that was not my expereince; however, I would recommend this approach, since it would compliment the professional written materials he brought with him including (in a folder) the print outs from Angie's List Awards, licensing information, and some photos of his work along with the estimate sheet of approximately $3700 for a 6 X 6 grill pad and approximately a 14 X 10-12 patio chilton patio. I would consider this company again for other work.

He quoted me $400 for the removal of the weeds.

Most everything went OK as planned. Paul and crew did a nice job on the stone retaining wall, paver patio and bullet edging. I thought a better job could have been done when planting the flowers and shrubs to keep the dirt out of the rock mulch and to hold the moisture around the plant.

We had landscaping around our 1950s house that hadn't been touched in decades. Paul came out and asked a lot of questions the first time I met with him. I also sought bids from 3 other landscapers. He returned with a scale plan that included specifics about plants, materials, cost and time frame. He was the most realistic and professional landscaper of the 4 I contacted. His plan came in at very reasonable price considering the scale of the job. He didn't try to oversell me because he listened well. Additionally, he understood that, as owners of a modest rambler, we weren't looking for hyper-expensive design magazine landscaping. It wouldn't fit our house or our budget. This was a huge project and our lawn was completely transformed. Everything went extremely well and Paul was 100% accurate regarding money and time estimates. He and his crew were very hard working, beginning early in the day and working all the way until the light was gone (in May with long hours of daylight). I couldn't believe their energy. His whole crew worked hard and were very nice. The price was fantastic and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. After a month or two went by, I noticed a significant crack in the top step of our back staircase that went through the entire step. Concerned that the step was weakened by this, I called Paul. He came out in a reasonable time frame (it wasn't any kind of emergency) and it was replaced for us at no charge. Personally, Paul is kind and easy to work with. He was patient with my ignorance of landscaping and plants and had great suggestions. He was straightforward, listened, and came up with an excellent plan for us. Now it's been 5 months and we've really enjoyed our new yard! I highly recommend Paul and Better Yards and Gardens!

They came out quickly for the estimate and the work was completed within 3 weeks. Paul and his team did the job in one day. Every project has surprises and the team was flexible and worked through it all with ease. They even ripped out our old non-functioning cemented in gas grill and hauled it away for us. We were very pleased with all of the work and have ZERO complaints!

We really felt like we were getting help from a professional.

The retaining wall that I needed replaced was timber and in the back yard, accessable by foot only--no room to bring in equipment. Paul gave me a good estimate and was willing to work around the difficult access. He analyzed the situation and recommended a block that would be appropriate for this wall site. Due to rain and other commitments, the job was done over about two or three days. He came back on a Saturday and cleaned up a few details that needed to be finished that had been missed on the last work day. Paul replanted bushes that had to be moved, which saved me a lot of work. The wall looks very nice and I've had several compliments on it.

An appointment was set to have Paul come out and give an estimate. We are trying to get the house ready to put on the market and did not want to spend too much but wanted it to look nice. We were not firm on a design and he gave his suggestions. We need the job done within 3 weeks and Paul made sure the deadline was met. I did not have to contact him prior to coming out to do the job, he called me to set the date. Paul and his crew completed the job in one day and did fabulous work.

Removed a failing keystone block wall and rebuilt it in its original position. Removed plantings and stones and leveled dirt. When the wall was finished, replaced stones and plantings and seeded bare area left when wall was repositioned. Also did some concrete work to repair an adjoining stair which no one had had any idea was attached to the wall. Left eveything shipshape. We were very satisfied.

We were unable to award the job to Paul because our funding limitations.

Very well. Paul and his team arrived on time as promised, did everything in a very professional way and completed whole project in one day. They worked very hard. They cleaned up the whole area afterwards. We are very satisfied with their work.

They did a very good job. They were responsive, flexible, and they worked like dogs while they were here. They got it done when they promised and how they promised, and they made adjustments when they saw things that weren't quite right.

We contacted Better Yards and Gardens in May of 2009 shortly after joining Angie's List as a new subscriber. Paul came out to our home to look at the property and give us an estimate of what it would cost to do some basic landscape work and add a rock border around our entire house. We are a very low maintenance couple, so we appreciated his insight into the types of plants and shrubbery that would work well on our property without a lot of hands on attention from us. I followed up on Paul's suggestions by visiting the Better Yards and Garden nursery in Elk River. His staff was very helpful in narrowing down my selection of plants and my desire for colorful perennials that would work well in both sun and shade. We requested a specific date for the work to be done and Paul was very accommodating about working us into his schedule. He and his team showed up on time, did great work, and left us with a much improved yard. As it turns out, I initially underestimated the number of plants I would need to fill in a small area next to our front sidewalk. Paul was very accommodating in recommending additional shrubbery and was able to procure it from the nursery and plant it the same day. Overall, we were very pleased with the work.

Paul and his crew arrived on time with all necessary material. They worked hard and wasted no time. They were careful not to disrupt plants/flowers growing in the garden area. They cleaned up when they were finished and left no sign of the job except a beautiful stone wall which enhances our flower garden!

I e-mailed them a request for an estimate and help with my dying yard. They called me the next day and was out very shortly after that to walk through my yard. They had great suggestions and worked with me endlessly. I had so many questions and they were always extremely pleasant, kind and helpful. Since I really didn't know what I was doing (new hope owner) I asked many questions after they were finished as well and they continued to have excellent customer service. I don't know if I've ever worked with a company that placed such a high regard to the customer. I have given their name to all my friends, family and coworkers.

We showed Paul our old, leaking retaining wall and he had an idea for rebuilding it that turned out to be less expensive and less invasive to our property than we had thought. It looks great and we are very pleased. Also, we asked for low maintenance landscaping along our driveway to replace the high maintenance and weedy landscaping rock. He was very receptive to my ideas and didn't hesitate to point out when my ideas weren't the best. He worked with us on plant selection, gave us an estimated date, and checked back with us a day or so before starting to confirm plans. Paul and his crew showed up when they said they would and were a hard working and friendly team. Everything looks wonderful and we are very happy we used Better Yards and Gardens.

My experience with them was good. I might have to call them back because there was only one area where they had to lay some sod and it seems to be at a higher level than the rest of the yard. Paul is the owner and I have been very pleased with him, and his prices were also excellent. He came out personally and set up what we were going to do and personally contacted me and gave me the estimate, the day before I hired him. He was very nice on the phone and expressed appreciation because I was using him. His crews were hard workers as well.