Bluhm Brothers Landscaping Inc

The quality of their work was mediocre to poor. At one point in the middle of the winter we got a citation from the city saying that the sidewalk in front of our house was not adequately cleared. When I called the company to ask them to come and take care of the problem, they claimed they were not responsible for what the city does. However, they did come out later that day and do some shoveling and ice removal. The end came in February, 2011, however, when they came after a 13 inch snowfall and shoveled everything, except that they left a 6x6 foot, 3 foot deep block of snow up against one of our garages. It was impossible to get the car out. I texted them and requested that they come back immediately and take care of this. They basically blew me off, claiming that they were not responsible for removing snow that we had put there ourselves. Of course we had not put that snow there ourselves (why would we do that? sheesh!). When I pressed, they invited me to sue them if I wanted, and that was that. Jared, one of the brothers, said they'd be happy to refund the last month of the contract. Meanwhile we missed a day of work and had to hire someone else to remove the block of snow from in front of the garage. A refund check for the last month of the contract arrived about 10 days after the events described above.

Lucy Gehan came to my home, listened to what I was wanting and submitted an estimate. The estimate was in line with several others that I had received but she was able to assure me that the work would be done before the snow flew. For the most part, everything went well with two crews finishing the various jobs in about six hours. The only fault I could find was with the shearing of the large evergreens -- the trimming went back into where the needles had fallen off on the lower portion of the shrubs leaving stubs that will not regenerate new needles. A little more training in the difference between pruning evergreens and deciduous shrubs should be undertaken. The crews worked very efficiently and cleaned up after themselves very well. The sidewalk looks very nice, and the refreshed rock area is a big improvement. 03/13/11 I am changing some of my ratings after seeing the response from the Provider. I had given a generally good evaluation of the work that was done. However, I stand by my suggestion that additional training needs to be given in trimming arborvitae. I stopped the worker trimming the arborvitaes after seeing that he had been overtrimming the first one and tried my best to explain to him that he was trimming back too far. Yes, the rabbits did chomp up about 2 feet on that shrub in places, but the pruning removed the living part of the shrub for another 2 - 2 1/2 feet beyond that at the front of the shrub. Lucy's flippant remark to a worker that I should just paint it green in addition to not accepting the honest suggestion to provide more training has caused me to change my responses to such items as professionalism.

Contractor arrived just after adequate daylight to start job (promptness). They quickly popped out stumps in backyard before moving on to work on the parking pad. They removed several medium stumps, several large root masses, and several medium (but extended) individual roots. This allowed for uniform compaction of the soil under the parking pad and will prevent future collapse with the decay of the roots. The soil was then shaped and compacted with the small bobcat. Once the soil was shaped, three lifts of gravel were emplaced and them compacted with a portable vibratory compactor. Extra soil from the shallow excavation was placed next to the rear house foundation as requested.

The Bluhm Brothers crew arrived on the date promised and did an excellent job. They rapidly cleared the brush, garden debris, and sod. They then laid out the parking pad and the adjacent planter. Next, they began excavation for the crushed stone and continuously checked the grade for drainage. Meanwhile, they had a crew removing the old gravel from the side of our house. Next, they laid about 10 inches of crushed stone in the excavation, contoured it, and compacted it. Finally, they cleaned up the job site. All of their crew members were polite, professional and efficient. As promised, the job was finished in one day. The parking pad and planter look and work great. Right after we had the work done, we had a very heavy rainstorm. Their contouring solved the drainage problem and we are very satisfied! Several days after they finished, Eden called us to make sure that we were happy with the work. They are professional, courteous, competent and provide excellent suggestions. We highly recommend them.

Before I begin my story I should mention that I have a corner lot so while I don't have all of the measurements, the lawn took 845 square yards of new sod. I went to Angie's List looking for an honors winner because I'd had great results from the past 2 contractors I selected that way. I called 3 companies. BB was the second estimate I received and one didn't bother to send me an estimate. Of the 2, BB was the best price. Eden Bluhm is the sales person of the 3 brothers that make up the company. He talks non-stop and is full of ideas. Since I had already spoken with another great landscaper I had my own ideas about what I wanted. He didn't always agree with me but it wasn't hard to convince him that I knew what I wanted. He provided me with an estimate the day we met but I told him I was waiting for one more. That one never came so I called him to accept the contract. Eden came back to my house and sat for several hours drawing the site and putting in his interpretation of what I was doing. That drawing was priceless in helping me make minor adjustments for other work that was yet to be done by another contractor. On the day the work was done, 10-12 guys arrived before 8AM and set to work. By the end of the first day, all the old turf was removed, grading was almost done, edging was in and plants were in place. The second day they finished grading, put down the new sod and the mulch. Done! Eden told me they would 'swoop' in and finish in a day or two and he didn't exaggerate. His two brothers worked with the crew both days, making sure the job was done right. The end result was breathtaking.

The crew came at 7am and was here until the job was finished at 7:30 pm. They worked hard in the extreme heat (95+degrees) to finish the job in one day instead of the estimated two. The work is beautiful and much admired not only by us, but also by our neighbors. We will definitely use Bluhm Brothers again for our next project.

Lucy came for the estimate, had a lot of good (but not overboard/overly expensive) ideas for some unique grading issues we were having. Between the price and the overall inclusiveness of the estimate, I chose Bluhm over five other estimates I had gotten. The day of, they arrived right on-time, we did a quick go-over of the work to be done, answered eachother's questions, and they got to work. It took much less time than I expected and they did a great job cleaning up afterward. They took care of a couple things that weren't even in the original estimate at no charge. Their flexibility was great and everything looks fantastic. I couldn't be happier with the job.

Working with Bluhm Brothers Landscaping was a very positive experience. Lucy handled all the details of getting utility lines marked and keeping me posted on the dates. The crew arrived on time, quickly decided on their game plan, dug out overgrown plants and shrubs. Lucy and I walked thru the plan of plants to keep and purchase. She left to purchase the new plants while the crew finished digging and smoothing out the surface. With new and existing plants in place, I approved the new layout and the crew dug them in. After mulching the area, the crew cleaned up and left. They are very efficient and good to work with.

I needed to remove all existing shubbery and landscape rock in the front yard, as it had been planted years ago by previous owners way too close to the house and had become overgrown and unsightly. I had started doing this myself, and realized a) I didn't have the time or b) any real idea of what to plan after that. Lucy was able to come up with a great idea using only my rather vague notions of what I wanted or didn't want. What I liked was I could be as much, or not, a part of the process as I wanted. Scheduling the installation day was straightforward and flexible as possible. The crew got everything done in one day (what would have taken me a month of Sundays), and were good at tidying up afterward. Looks good! Next, the back yard. . .

1) The crew showed up on the scheduled day 2) Did the landscaping per the estimate and the drawing 3) Did cleanup so that there would be no debris left for us to contend with

Arrived early AM and done by noon; very well organized in getting the work done; and, as usual, Lucy very helpful with suggestions. We were so pleased with the work done last year that we once again called on Bluhm Bros for work we wanted done this year. And, we will seek them out again when we do more. Rah, rah, rah for Bluhm Bros!!

I was incredibly impressed with this company from start to finish. We have had trouble with water getting into the basement because the land has settled around the house. I met with Eden first to discuss what I wanted to do. Initially, I just planned to regrade around the house and re-sod the old walkway. Eden offered to put in plants too and told me he wouldn't charge me the labor to do it if I chose to do so. He told me I could set up with an appointment with Lucy who would help me select plants. He also suggested burying the downspouts to direct more water away from the home. Not only did Eden have great suggestions, he also had a fantastic personality. I really enjoyed talking to him while I was getting a quote. The quote I got was very detailed and specified everything they would do. The price also seemed very reasonable. I liked the company so much on first impression, I didn't even bother to get other quotes. Next I worked with Lucy, the plant guru. I told her I am not great with plants so she made suggestions that would be very low maintenance. I really let her pick everything because I don't know much about plants. She later emailed a list of the plants so I could look them up and make sure I liked them. I loved everything she picked out and gave her the green light. Eden called a day before to make sure we were ready for them and said they would arrive at 7:30 AM. On the day of the job, the whole crew was there right on time. Eden came to talk to my husband and I right away. The problem was that our new sidewalk by the street was about a foot lower than the lawn. Our quote didn't include the amount of regrading that was neccessary to make the walk look right. The concrete workers had also left all the dirt they had removed in a 6 foot pile on our lawn which Bluhm Brothers was not expecting to have to remove. I had told the concrete company (Armstrong Concrete) that landscapers were coming behind them and Eden and John were extremely frustrated with the mess the concrete company had left knowing someone would be coming to clean up after them. So they had to call and get more sod delivered for the additional grading around the walk. They had a lot of unexpected work but they were great about it. They did what they had to do to get it done. The job cost a bit more as a result but it was clearly justified. The crew was there all day and they did a fantastic job. Lucy came and placed the plants and patiently explained how to care for them. The land slopes away from the house like it should and the area around the sidewalk looks great. They made everything look seamless. The landscaping looks fantastic as well. We have had tons of compliments from the neighbors. I couldn't be happier with the results. We really enjoyed working with Bluhm Brothers and HIGHLY reccomend them.

Great job! Big job. I budgeted and saved for it for more than two years. I got a handful of landscape referrals from friends, and I also attended the Garden and Patio Show at the RiverCenter in ?08 and ?09, but nobody grabbed or maintained my confidence for this big job and expenditure and risk. No other vendor was as passionate as Eden Bluhm. The Bluhm plan had many more ideas and options than any other plans or ideas I received from other landscape companies. And it included ideas I never considered. Bluhm was very easy to schedule with, I had a couple important milestones and they over-achieved on three separate occasions. Bluhm is family owned and works very well. They got my big job done under time, under budget, and definitely great results. My yard is awesome! And Bluhm came back more than once to tweak and improve the final results. I have more landscape projects and will choose Bluhm again.

The representative arrived timely. He first explained why he was visiting us, rather than another person we were told would show, with some comment on internal politics of their business. We gave him a broad description of what we were interested in and he then proceeded to tell us what was going to happen and what plants were going to be removed immediately as being outdated, even though this is a new house. He continued to express his choices for plants and placement. He spent most of his time talking about the patio brickwork than the plants or design. We did not feel he listened to what we wanted nor did he try to learn and fill our interests or answer our questions. He also repeatedly told us they specialized in St. Paul locations and all references were in St. Paul. Quote provided was handwritten, very difficult to read and understand, and came without a list of recommended plants and did not include even rough drawings or diagrams, because, we were told, of the "scale of the job." We decided to go with a more local provider who acted like our jobs were important, listened to what we wanted to accomplish, and provided a more detailed estimate and diagrams.

Mike Mesch was excellent to work with and was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the jobs performed. His assistance with the tree selection was especially helpful. Mike came out promptly and created a proposal. We called with many questions prior to choosing their plan. Mike was always very professional, patient and courteous. We had a certain time frame that we needed the projects to be completed and this request was granted well ahead of time and completed as they had promised.

They were excellent in the service they provided and the quality of the work they performed was terrific. They were prompt, efficient, and conscientious.

I worked with Mike in the design and selection of block, and estimates were right on. They started a few days late, but considering the rain we had, it was understandable. They were professional, and always there to answer questions. A badly set cable line was cut, but they contacted Comcast for info. The splice separated, and Comcast had to come back to fix it. But Jared was able to tell them where the cut was, and avoided removing all the sod work, or cutting through to bury another line. I was contacted when a surprise buried brick edging was discovered, and was quoted a price before the work was done. All in all, it was a great job. I will contact them in the spring when I am looking for plants in my new flower beds!

Excellent work, Don and Susy love the final product.

They were a good company and the quality and price were good as well. It was a lot of work.

They were wonderful. The guy who came out was a really good man. They came in and fixed the yard. They put in garden beds all around the patio and the walkway. My yard was in such a mess before and now it looks beautiful.

Eden Bluhm came out and gave initial estimate while we were still in the research phase. One phone call stating their interest in working with us--no high pressure! After we had a bad experience with another company who didn't respect our budget, Eden came out again answering all of our questions and concerns. He was very respectful of our budget and design needs. The work started 2 weeks later on schedule. 1-2 crews were here everyday. Jared Bluhm was on the site daily and was also fantastic to work with. He even talked to the neighbors and alleviated all of their concerns. Everyone on the crew was extremely respectful and courteous. Lucy came out to talk about plants and bushes. She had a plan in 1 day and was right on budget. We made a few changes to the plan during the process and each change was "no problem." The entire project took 2 1/2 weeks and was entirely painless. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone!!!

We seemed to have a great rapport when they began doing the landscaping, but I am now having trouble with them. Although we have not had a great summer in Minnesota, there is something seriously wrong with my grass and plants. I called the sod company, who told me to buy a special grass seed. After I had been seeding with that special seed with no success, I called Bluhm Brothers, and they told me to try another product, called Lawn Lint, which also did not seem to work. I then called Bluhm Brothers again, and Eden told me that they offer no warranty on the grass, and said I must have overwatered the lawn. I wanted them to come out to give me a better idea of what to do, so I called Eden and John six to eight times to ask them to come out to see what is going on. I started calling in early June, but by late July and mid August they never showed up and never returned my calls. I looked at the lawn with a person who was trained in horticulture, and it appears that it was the sod that was the culprit. The horticulturist blamed the problems on the sod, saying that it was inferior sod and was a poor product. They did not give me the correct sod for my needs, and they did not instruct me on the proper care of the lawn. I asked them to come assess the damage, as well as the plants, some of which did not seem to be very robust. They have refused to come back out, and now the lawn that I was so happy with last year is yellowed and patchy, with bare spots of varying sizes. Some of the plants that I have should be identical to my neighbor’s, but my neighbor’s plants are much larger and lusher. Even if they offer no liability, I would expect them to have provided good sod, or to follow through with the service they were to have provided. I got the landscaping to sell my house, but now my lawn looks shabby. I want them to follow through on what they were to have offered, and I am not happy with their service now.

They worked with us to design the space beforehand, and did an exceptionally good, professional job of preparing and grading all ground surfaces. It was a big job, we wanted it done fast and on short notice, and they met our demands. They came with a crew of about 6 and worked efficiently and professionally, getting the job done in about 5 days. Jared was great to work with. He continually conferred with us as he progressed to make sure everything was done as we wanted.

Initial consultation went well. Eden gave great recommendations on how to fix our grading problems. We went ahead with the work on 8/26. They were very professional. They were on time and went over everything before the work was completed. The entire job went well-they were fast, efficient, cleaned up after themselves, and the quality of work was excellent. The sod and mulch are top notch. We were given careful instructions on how to take care of the sod. I would defintely use this company again. They are excellent at what they do and they were friendly and fun to work with. The owners not only sell the product but do the work themselves. We were impressed!

Overall, a very good experience. This landscaper has the staff, skills, and equipment necessary to handle larger landscaping jobs. We had been wanted to replace the massive quantity of rock in our garden beds and along the side of our house for the past three years, and they were able to get the job done within 4 days. The new paver patio areas look great, and the sod they put down in three areas really adds to the look of the yard. Work was delayed for a few days during the project by heavy rains in the area, but as soon as the rain cleared, they were back to complete the job. The overall cost was $300 higher than the estimate, but that was due to some additional work we requested after the job began.