Gardens of the Carolinas

John always had his people here working to meet deadlines that had been set. The spring of 2013 was an exceptionally wet spring but John knew that we were planning a big function that would require the use of deck, outdoor kitchen and patio and he had his people here working rain or shine and believe me there was plenty of rain. We never thought he would complete on schedule but he did, AMAZING! We are especially pleased with the outdoor kitchen area which John designed and constructed for us. Our deck, patio and kitchen is almost like having an additional room on our house. We love it. If I ever need a project like this again Gardens of the Carolina's would be my first call.

We are so happy with our new patio! Gardens of the Carolinas were great to work with from the beginning. John provided the most detailed and comprehensive estimate of the four companies we spoke to, and was great about following up and answering questions. he was comfortable communicating via email, which is a huge help for us (and is something more service providers should do). It took a while to get on the schedule because they are a popular company, but we felt confident that what they would provide was worth the extra time and we were right. John had great ideas for the patio design and we were so happy with the shape he suggested and the beds he recommended. He also was able to design drainage that would work on our sloped yard and address some longstanding water issues. He can describe in detail what would work best and why. We appreciated his honesty and he had good opinions about the best options for various aspects of the project. John and his team were very professional and took obvious pride in their work. When there was a mixup and the brickyard sent the wrong color of bricks, John took care of it and sent one of his workers to get the correct bricks. They cleaned up thoroughly and left the yard and driveway in great condition. We would not hesitate to call John for future landscape needs.

Our project also entailed redoing a small courtyard at the back of our house. The demolition part of this work included removing the old courtyard patio and steps and clearing out the old plants. Many of those plants have been temporarily relocated and will find permanent homes by the time our project is completed. Installation of the new courtyard involved paver patio installation, new plantings, lighting, and installing a soaker system. They also handled the carpentry work on a Japanese style pergola that forms the entry to our wonderful new courtyard. All in all we are extremely pleased that we chose Gardens of the Carolinas to undertake our landscaping project and we recommend them enthusiastically to anyone considering their own project.

We have been working with John for years and have always received excellent service. When we decided that this was the time to take on the drainage project in the front of our house we knew who to call. John came out to discuss the project and develop a plan of attack. We selected the stones and pavers at a local supplier John recommended and we were set to go. The wet summer then conspired to delay the project as things backed up for John's other projects but eventually the day came when work was to begin. The job consisted of removing a set of pavers, digging out an older set of drains and replacing this with upgraded drainage, a lot of gravel, decorative gravel, new pavers, steel edging and a set of plants to compliment the new design. We also had some older plants replaced and a bit of pruning done. The wet summer delivered a test of the new system the night of the installation and revealed a few weak spots in the plan. John and the crew were out the next morning, we discussed the strategy for revision, and they executed the plan that day. Again the sky cooperated that night with a huge downpour and this time, as planned, the water was all directed to the drainage system, not a bit of mulch moved an inch, and no puddle of water on the walkway. Since then the drainage has consistently performed as desired and we are absolutely happy with the outcome. The decorative gravel/pavers/decorative grasses also look great and add a nice touch to the curb appeal of the property.

Was quite impressed with the knowledge John ( the owner) , retains for all plants. He really knows his stuff and has a great vision. It was easy to follow his vision. I did have to tweak some things which was no problem. We just went in a different direction and all was completed quickly. I love it!!! It was much more expensive than I had thought , but still went forward to get such a pretty area. My neighbors can't say enough about it. Too bad I didn't have a sign to advertise bc we had a garage sale over the weekend and had soooooo many positive comments. John is VERY easy to work with.

John Spivey and Gardens of the Carolinas did fabulous work! We had two major issues with our landscape. First, we had a FLAT playground area that would turn into a swamp every time it rained. John quickly recognized the problem with our soil type and grade. He proposed several solutions, and gave his recommendation for the best way to ensure a dry play area for the kids. Secondly, we had a driveway on a hill that was crumbling. He again offered a couple of options and even offered to work with another contractor if we chose not to work with him on this part of the project. As soon as you meet John Spivey, you'll realize that he is passionate, and more importantly, informed and knowledgeable about everything that relates to his work. Among the 3 or 4 people that gave me quotes, John was hands-down, the guy who knew his stuff. In addition, I had a small side project of replacing a short concrete walk with pavers. Through all of the planning, it was clear that John had a really great eye for detail and design. He knows what looks good, and will let you know his opinion. As for the work, John's men worked quickly and efficiently. Unlike others I've used in the past Gardens of the Carolinas actually cleaned up! I was very impressed with the time and dedication that went into restoring the property to it's condition (actually better); they swept up the dirt/gravel from the street and even power washed it to remove any sign that there was recent work done here, and they planted grass in areas that they had disturbed. As for the quality of the work, I couldn't be more pleased. If you're looking for the absolute lowest price, you may get your project done. But, Gardens was extremely competitive and lower than most in cost. They quality of work, the expertise in planning and execution, and the cleanup give me so much confidence in them, it's was worth choosing to pay a tiny bit more.

We'd initially called John to "pretty" up a fountain that we'd unaffectionately called the "Sing Sing" fountain-nothing more than water coming out of a concrete wall into a basin coated with chipped concrete sealer. Not pretty at all. John came out and listened to our basic idea for the fountain and asked us what our goals were-- not only for the fountain but the yard itself. We have an odd shaped yard comprised of a very narrow backyard with a large side yard we call the forbidden zone (hasn't been touched in the past 20+ years prior to our buying the house in 2013); and on the opposite side of the house, a narrow strip of property abutting our neighbors. We loved the design that John came up with and made the commitment for the work to start this past June. On the designated day, John and his crew (Sam, Carlos, Mike are awesome!!) showed up and the work began! We'd expressed the hope that we could eventually make the yard itself more welcoming and if possible create pockets of areas that would not only create a peaceful -but private retreat. We had an arbored walkway to a fireplace that wasn't much to look at, and with the current plantings in place actually detracted from what should have been focal point in the yard. John's plan was to add additional patio space to incorporate the fountain into an outdoor 'room,' as well as add a bit of softness to the area by installing curved flower beds to bring a bit more softness to the patio. Masonry work was installed on the fountain and to tie in the concrete block wall. Once the rock work was done- we decided to tie in the very plain fireplace with new masonry work. John's design included bringing green space directly behind the fireplace into an area that had never been cultivated. This was then fenced in with a decorative metal fence that John's crew very kindly installed wiring on and buried below the fence to keep our small puppy in the yard. The fountain was completely redone besides the masonry, a highly durable coating was installed in the basin as well as a new pump system. A real perk was the float system utilizing the irrigation system that provided auto fill for the fountain! No more dragging the hoses! On the side of the house closest to our neighbors John designed a beautiful trellis system that not only brought in a wonderful level of privacy but an architectural aspect as well. Topped with copper caps, the trellis is beautiful for the neighbors to see on their side as well. This same style of trellis work was custom created to cover a gas meter and fuse box. In such a narrow yard- made a huge difference! New plantings were done along the side of a driveway and throughout the front yard and back yard which gave our home a boost from the 'builder' look that is quite prevalent through the neighborhood. To add the sparkle, LED lights were added along the front and back of the house, on the arbor, and inlaid in the pavers to highlight the texture of the fireplace. On a plain concrete wall near the fireplace- a beautiful piece of ironwork was installed with flowering vines. The yard is not only beautiful during the day but spectacular at night. Many of the plantings will only look better as they mature. This was a big project and John with his crew did a fantastic job. Just like any other project there were some kinks and changed minds that were addressed and taken care of in a timely manner. We would not hesitate to hire John again, and in fact, will likely have he, and his exceptional team start this spring in our very messy 'forbidden zone.' No doubt that it will look amazing when completed. For now, we will just enjoy the lovely, outdoor, living spaces Gardens of the Carolinas created for us.

The job was able to be completed a month earlier than planned. It only took two days to overhaul the backyard. It was like HGTV's Yard Crasher's ... very exciting! The crew was pleasant and worked very hard to get the work done right. Everyone was professional. I am very happy with the entire experience and especially the results. John even lent me his extra long hose so I could water my transplanted shrubs and also educated me on how to keep it beautiful and maintain it.

It went very well, we had a hard time getting everything scheduled due to weather. They did a great job with our drain lines, and the paving work is beautiful! John, the owner, had some great ideas about paving and landscaping. It looks really pretty and added to the value of our home. The only drawback is that we had them plant monkey grass, and we lost about 25% due to the winter. We did have to have them come back to fix some leveling to make sure it flowed into the drain. John did a good job! I would recommend him to other people. His crew was great and they worked

John set the expectation back in June when we met that work would not be able to be started until August earliest. We said that was fine but we were looking for a quote for the entire project so we could get in the 'rotation' of work. He met with us for over an hour, went over our landscape plan and said he would get back to us within a week with a quote. That week went by. On the second week we contacted him and he said he was sitting down to do our quote. Nothing was heard from him. Contacted him again and he said he was having computer problems which were fixed and he would get us a quote after the weekend. Nothing. Contacted him again - no response. We have NEVER received a quote for a very large landscape project. It was highly disappointing that we spent time with this landscaper to go over what we were looking to have done and never received anything from them. We tried on several occasions and received one excuse after another until we didn't hear from them again. If they can't follow-up on quotes, how well do they follow-up on the projects or issues if you go forward with their projects? Would never recommend anyone calling them as they are unprofessional in not following up.

It went even better than expected. John and his crew came out when we moved in a couple years ago and took down a few trees and shrubs that were near the end of their useful life. They also moved other trees and installed other plantings around the house and they did a phenomenal job. As a result of the great experience we had the first time around, we called them back last year to fix some drainage issues we were having in our backyard by installing a French drain. Then we called them back again this year to install the patio and we were impressed again. They arrived on the job on a Thursday, worked through the rain on Friday and were finished by the following Tuesday. They did such a thorough job cleaning up and spreading grass seed that you can barely tell they drove heavy machinery through our back yard to install the patio. One of the plantings began to struggle within a couple weeks so I sent a couple pictures to John and he was out two days later installing a replacement. They are truly a full service land and hardscape company with a level of professionalism and attentiveness unmatched by most other companies. I look forward to calling John back again for the next improvement we decide to make to our outdoor space and enjoy having them to recommend to anyone that mentions a desire to do the same.

It couldn't have went better! My husband has ALS and when we told John he took the time to research the disease and designed a plan that turned our yard into a haven for us! He implemented plants and shrubs that were colorful and that would produce a sweet fragrance. The whole design was executed with the knowledge that my husband is confined to a wheelchair. John made sure that the sight range was perfect from our deck. John's team was punctual, respectful and extremely hard working! When they finished each day they blew our driveway and cleaned up for the next day. We were never tripping over tools or supplies. We actually hated to see them leave. Our neighbors even enjoyed the team and their dedication to our job! We would HIGHLY recommend The Gardens of the Carolina's and we have become lifetime clients!

I used the company's website to try and schedule an on-site consultation for a small backyard project. I wanted to remove a tree, pave a path and maybe build some sort of shelter for my brick patio. John did contact me right away via telephone, but told me that my $2000 budget for my project goals would probably need another 0 at the end (so $20000)- who invests that much money in a town house-sized backyard?! Anyway, I told him I really didn't think it would be that elaborate of a project and asked about the possibility of an on-site visit in order to gain a better idea in regards of the actual project scale. He said his guy "Aaron" was doing a job nearby and would contact me to schedule an appointment. Aaron did contact me, and we scheduled an appointment for the following week. On the day of the appointment- nothing. Aaron just doesn't show-up; there was no phone call or email saying he wouldn't make it and needed to reschedule, no follow-up email apologizing for missing the appointment, etc. Nothing. My initial thoughts after speaking with John was that this company isn't interested in small projects- I'm guessing that's why I got stood up and have been basically ignored. This certainly isn't the only company out there that ignores folks with small budgets. Out of the 5 companies I contacted, only 2 got back to me (including John's phone call). So, I learned my lesson and didn't include my budget estimate in my second round of inquiries (and also contacted a new group of landscape designers). I have since found one that I think will do exactly what I want within my budget- which is awesome. Any response I receive from Gardens of the Carolinas at this point will be "too little too late". I'm sure they're great for large projects, as evidenced by all the positive reviews (which is why I tired them first) but as usual, the little guy gets screwed (or in this case, ignored).

well documented, worked with me on design and worked to budget effectively.

Best overall experience on Angie's list so far very pleased! I was looking to get a platform deck installed possibly using Trex material in a way that my neighbor had that I was really blown away with. I saw the deal saver Angie's list promo John had running for a pavers patio and felt the combination of price, lifetime durability, and zero maintenance were too compelling not to turn down. The other reviews for John and Garden's of the Carolina's seemed really positive so I got the Big Deal promo for a 10' x 12' stone pavers patio. Everything turned out phenomenally well, John took the time to help me come up with a plan that brings all the details together, he has a great balance for bringing his experiences of what works and what's possible and making sure he understands exactly what it is you're going for. We came up with a plan and I felt good early, ultimately we decided to go for a 10' x 16" patio size with curvature around the borders and steps. We were able to talk through everything quite thoroughly and all my questions were answered with all the details decided (steps, curvature, colors, crawlspace and doorway options).I left feeling pretty good but the return was the BEST!!! The next day I came back and as I rounded the corner of the duplex and looked at the Patio the words came "F***ing Beautiful!!! OMG F***ing Beautiful! ...Complete Bulls-eye!" it was a great rush. The grading, the dimensions, the patio itself everything came out spot on perfection , well beyond what I was expecting. Truly a great victory and it kept going the new tenant who was yet to move in it immediately it became the "this is what I absolutely love" glow with her mother asking me all kinds of questions about it who had done it and how much it cost, It was an awesome week! THANK YOU JOHN and Gardens of Carolinas install team I love it very nice!

He is very knowledgable and able to provide suggestions and feedback throughout the planning process, he listened to my different ideas and the end result was far more beautiful than I imagined. The actual work was of the highest quality, both in materials and workmanship. They did everything possible to protect the surrounding area and cleaned up everything when they were done. In the end, the bill was even adjusted because some of what they anticipated was not needed so I was credited those items. As I continue to landscape my property, I will not hesitate to use Gardens of the Carolinas.

After moving into our new home we encountered difficult getting companies to respond to our phone calls and/or e-mails. By the time we found John we were pretty discouraged by the lack of professionalism exhibited by other landscapers and design groups. We had several concerns going into the project specifically the existing irrigation, our septic drain fields and the care and preservation of a large oak tree. John made sure that we addressed all these issues right from the start with the necessary inspections and amendments to ensure our large investment would be a source of happiness and pride for many years to come. The process has been very lengthy and we continue to add small projects as we are better able to see the ?big picture? design of our yard. We were very confident through the design process that our needs, wants and likes were taken into consideration. Seeing the plan on paper and being able to break the large project into smaller manageable projects is very helpful. There was no pressure to complete all the suggestions at anytime. Plant choice was very specific (size consideration, leaf variation, flower color, smell, child/pet friendly, bug repelling, etc?.). John has helped educate us on the care of our new sod and plants while inspiring us to be ?yard people? again. The pride of our yard is a very large oak tree that now has beautiful lighting at the base and in the tree. We cannot wait to see how magnificent this ?Old Man? will look when his canopy fills out this summer. The yard design highlights this centerpiece. All the folks that work with Gardens of the Carolinas are foremost hard workers, very polite, professional and enjoyable to talk to. John has become a part of our extended family as we have settled into our home, our new city and the birth of our first child (which did not go unrecognized by him!). John is a master conversationalist with a very witty sense of humor. Working with him is a true pleasure.

The provider was very open and honest about the amount of work to build a walkway to my below grade front door. What I ordered as the special deal was not really relevant to the work I needed to do, although I was told that we could use the deal's cost against anything I did. It was clear that this provider is very professional and has exciting ideas. I was hoping to spend less than the service would cost, so we agreed to part ways. I would definitely use Gardens of the Carolinas in the future, going into the work with a more realistic idea about the amount of work and cost.

John and I spent time discussing my needs and my overall concept for my back patio area. My desires were taken into consideration when John and his assistant developed the plans for the space. He handled all the paperwork required by my HOA prior to beginning work on my patio. Once we determined the best time for doing the project, John stuck to the date and the work was completed in a timely manner. I am thrilled with my "new" backyard which l I will use this spring once the weather is nicer. After the project was completed John took the time to go over the final details i.e. watering, fertilizing, and pruning schedules; final costs and adjustments and follow up details. I have used Gardens of the Carolina on a previous project and will contact him for future projects.

They were very professional and efficient. They arrived on time, kept me posted on the work status, and they cleaned up behind themselves.

We contacted Mr. Spivey and he responded quickly, coming to our home to look over the project. We were impressed with his knowledge and professionalism. However, when a cost figure came in it was much much more over the $1399.00 for the deal than we can handle. He did factor the $1399.00 in but it grew from there. Thank you for the refund.

John responded to my email immediately. He stated he was leaving on holiday and gave me the exact dates. John also said that for the job that I wanted he would recommend someone else and provided complete name and contact information. This impressed me very much. I appreciated the quick response and the honest answer. Believe me, when I have a larger landscaping or tree trimming project, John of the Gardens of Carolinas will be the first that I contact. Thank you.

I owe John an apology for not writing this sooner. My wife and I have a toddler that has taken up/distracted us in a good way. John and his crew did an amazing job for us in June 2013. As promised he shared that if we had any issues with the sod to contact him in the fall. (As a first time homeowner I did mistakingly not give enough water to two areas) We did and he arranged on two occasions to ensure he provided us with extra sod from a job. I wanted to ensure I wrote a review as we recieved a call one Saturday from John notifying us that he had almost a pallet worth of sod that he could not use from a job. We dont have the money to sod our backyard at this point, and he asked if we wanted it to start on our backyard. We graciously accepted and within the two hours he told us, John was backing his truck into our driveway and unloading the sod. He would not even take money for gas or let me buy him lunch. He couldnt stay long but found the time to say a quick hello to my wife and son (who he met days after he came home from delivery), and talked briefly as he was genuinely interested in our lives. I know it can slip peoples mind when people go above and beyond, and to say the least Im guilty of this today. John I want you and your crew to know that our family is extremely grateful and appreciative to have met and worked with you. You just don't see this kind of customer service these days. When we can shake some money from the money tree I know we'd love to have you back for more work. Until then hopefully my point gets across here and someone calls you. Happy holidays Gardens of the Carolinas!

I mistakenly put details in the provider do list. See above.

After purchasing the Big Deal, John came out to discuss the project. The site is an awkward location for a patio so we've decided not to move forward with the project.