Marvin's Organic Gardens

Marvin's Garden representative came to my home on March 29. He toured the yard and said that he would provide me with an estimate for the mulching. I called and left a message a few days after the visit because I had not received an estimate. To date (more than two weeks after the visit), I have not received a return call or an estimate.

Overall, I was disappointed with this experience. Given the high ratings from other customers on Angie's List, I expected better. I made an initial appointment with Wes Duran; within a few days he came out to do an estimate. We walked the yard and discussed at length the work I wanted done. He wrote up an estimate right there and I accepted it. He called me a few days later to schedule the work to be done on a Thursday morning. When I asked if I needed to be home since I work, he asked that I at least approve the placement of the new plants. We agreed that he and his crew would be there by 9:30am. That Thursday, it was 10 am when I called Marvin's Organic Gardens asking where Wes and crew were. The young lady said she'd check and put me on hold; after waiting a few minutes, I hung up and called back. A young man answered and said he would check on the status; he returned to tell me that "they're loading up and should be there soon." I explained that I couldn't wait longer; I needed to get to work. I asked that he have Wes call me. Wes called me 5 hours later. He explained that they needed to come back on Friday to finish the lawn restoration. I told him that a number of things had not been done, including cutting back all of the dead perennial leaves (who mulches before cutting back all the dead material?), a large dead ornamental grass planting at the edge of the wood had not been removed, the tree branches overhanging the deck hadn't been cut back, and one of the granite boulders had been placed up against a sprinkler head making it difficult for my sprinkler person to change it out with one that would extend over the boulder. Wes promised to address these issues the next day. On Friday when I returned home, I saw that the rest of the work had been completed. However, the cuttings of some perennials were scattered across the front flower bed, some hadn't been cut back, and my front sidewalk and driveway were marked with muddy footprints. I spent an hour cleaning up (including pulling Lavender fronds out from under the new mulch so I could cut it back). The backyard was better, but there were broken branches underneath the tree that had been trimmed back. Overall, the clean-up was poor. The dirt, distributed on the lawn and covered with straw, was clumped - it looks like it was just thrown down, but not raked smooth. I'm hoping that rain/watering will even it out and not require hiring someone else to do more. Since that Friday, no one called to see if I was satisfied with the work. I feel like once he got my business, Wes was not interested in my satisfaction with their work. As a customer service provider myself, I expect better service.

Their work is awesome. I worked with Frank on design. It took a little back and forth but he nailed it and kept everything in my budget. The work done is amazing. The guys that did the work pounded every stone perfectly level and had a work ethic that was incredible. They went above and beyond at every step of the process. I will never look anywhere else for landscaping needs. They are the best.

Wes Duren initially came out to our house one evening to discuss possibilities for our front yard and to give us an estimate. He spent two hours with us after hours, thoughtfully listening to what we hoped to accomplish with our landscaping, answering our questions about some things in our backyard (including giving us helpful advice on a few DIY projects), and even educating us on city chickens. Before he left, he gave us a detailed design option for our front yard that not only was awesome for its visual interest, use of edibles and ability to be built upon in the future, but also because it showcased how closely Wes had listened to us ? he incorporated every little thing we had mentioned during our consultation along with a lot of interesting things we'd have never thought of (like rain barrels, one of which is now a cool new feature in our landscaping). It was truly customized just for us and we didn't have to spend a dime. (Another company we called wasn't interested in talking to us at all unless we wanted to pay to see their ideas.) Once we told Wes we wanted to go ahead with his plan, it wasn't long before a crew was out making it happen. The two guys working with Wes were just as nice and professional. All three of them were always willing to answer questions about the plants, explain how to care for them and were always patient and kind to our curious 3 year old. Wes was heavily involved in the whole process, including making little changes here in there as they went to make the landscaping more robust, including giving us extra plants not in the original design without any additional cost. Wes also came back to our house after the job was completed to give us a thorough walk-through. When he left, he said us he wanted to keep in touch and that he'd be back in the spring to see how things are going. We couldn't be happier with the overall experience and know that Wes and Marvin's Organic Gardens are truly interested in developing a relationship, not just selling a service. They're also interested in making this world a better place and are happy to share their knowledge. As another reviewer mentioned, Wes' passion is very inspiring and catching. He really got us excited about our landscaping (and organic gardening in general) and we look forward to watching it grow. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Marvin's or to use them again in the future.

They did an excellent job. The design is beautiful and adds a lot to the curb appeal of our house. The did a great job highlighting the wooded setting of our home. They selected lots of beautiful perennials, which are my favorite plants. We have received several compliments from the neighbors on how beautiful it looks. They were very accomodating to our oreferences and moving some of the plantings around a bit after their initial placement. We plan to complete the rest of the project with them as soon as we can save up for it. I would highly recommend their services. And they give a discount to Angie's list customers!

There is a creek running by our backyard and over years eroded our backyard and took away a lot of soil that our fence posts lost support. We wanted to control the erosion and restore lost soil. We called Marvin to look at the problem and gave us an estimate. They sent out Frank to come to our house. He was very friendly and experienced. After seeing what the problem was, he soon emailed us a thorough proposal and detailed what they were going to do. He also gave us the price and mentioned to factor in the 10% angie?s list discount. I called him in for a second time to clarify some work and proposed some minor modifications. Frank tried to accommodate my schedule. He was open to our thoughts and explained further why he was going to do the work in certain ways. Since their crew and one equipment are going to pass the lawn between our house and my neighbor?s house, we were concerned the damage to the lawn. He said they were going to reseed the damaged lawn after the work is completed. We agreed to the proposal and soon after he brought his crew in. I wanted to make sure the crew understands what they were going to do so I talked with Rob, the chief of the crew. He was a nice guy and from the talk I can tell Frank has explained the work well to him. Rob paid attention to our needs and was always willing to address our requests. They did an excellent job with the retention walls. The wall looks quite sturdy. They were built with heavy rocks with slight set-back. Per our request they used many bricks we dug out from the yard to back fill the wall. It helped us to get rid of those bricks. They didn?t mind doing us some quick favors although they were not in the proposed work. For example, they used some flat stones we dug out of the yard to lay on the adjacent river banks to protect the soils. They cut out a 4 feet dead trunk in the backyard for us. They did more than they proposed and the work was excellent. The work site and our driveway were cleaned well and the entire work path was applied with their compost. We are going to have them renovate of rear lawn soon so they will reseed then. We were very happy with the work, the crew and the entire process from start to finish. Thank you, Frank, Rob, Tim, Mike and another boy who came to help the last day (I can?t remember his name).

They were great. He was so easy and did a good job. I worked with Frank. He was so knowledgeable and used plants that were native to the area for better success. He stuck with the organic theme and made a lot of suggestions. He was very easy going and flexible. The crew worked so hard and they were so professional. They were so responsive and if everything wasn't as you expected it you could call and talk to him. They did a great job. I liked his ideas of putting in some edible trees and bushes. He was really laid back and relaxed which fit our personality. He listened to what we said we were going for. He worked within those perimeters and came up with other ideas that we hadn't thought of. The price was right and very competitive with other places. They did a lot with using Ohio native plants and trees. They were efficient in getting things done. They worked our suggestions in right away.

They came out and looked at the work that needed to be done. They are yet to give me the quote. I told them that I am in no hurry but they will get back to me shortly. The gentleman, who came out, was very polite and punctual. However, it will be difficult for me to comment further until he gets back to me. I am yet to decide if I will use them again.

While there to give the wall estimate, Frank noticed a plant problem that nobody else knew the solution to and told us how to solve it. This had nothing to do with the retaining wall; it was freely offered. Frank had several good ideas to make our plans better. The crew that came out was efficient, hard working, cleaned up and were responsive to my comments. The finished work looks great

Landscape Designer Frank Stewart was the designer and supervisor for the entire project. The initial consultation was very thorough. Mr. Stewart was obviously very knowledgeable about native plants and organic practices. When he returned with his proposal, he presented a detailed plan that incorporated the various ideas that had been discussed at our first meeting. At the time, Marvin's was offering a generous coupon to Angie's List customers that was influential in my decision both to choose Marvin's and to proceed with such a large project. Once the project began, work lasted over several days with interruptions due to weather. All Marvin's employees were professional, friendly and cleaned up after themselves. When the time came to install the plantings, some of the plants brought to the property were different from those in the original design. These changes were apparently due to what plants were available from Marvin's nursery. The alternative plants were satisfactory substitutions, complimenting the original goals of the design. The completed project has significantly increased the house's "curb appeal" and has garnered several compliments. Throughout the process, Mr. Stewart was responsive to both phone calls and e-mails, called to confirm appointments, readily made notification of any scheduling changes and was flexible in scheduling appointments. At the completion of the project, Mr. Stewart walked me through the entire yard, providing care tips for each of the plants. In the months since, he has readily provided plant advice when asked. The original agreement included a guarantee to replace any plants that did not survive or appeared unhealthy following the first year. While the majority of the plants thrived, the next spring there were several that fell into this category. Mr. Stewart oversaw the replacement of these plants, making some substitutions for varieties that had not flourished.

I met with Frank, from Marvin's, on March 17th to build estimates for several projects, including landscape, hardscape and repairing a retaining wall. Four weeks later and I have not heard from them regarding an estimate. I even call after two weeks to follow up... nothing! I consider this completely unprofessional and unacceptable behavior for such a highly rated company on Angies List. Very disappointing.

HIRE THIS COMPANY! We could not be more pleased with their work. They revitalized our existing beds with weed control paper and organic compost and mulched them all. Because they had extra materials, they extended the existing bed along the side of the house to create more planting area at no charge. They rearranged all of our existing plants into a more sensible configuration, added the plants we purchased, and even threw in a few extras at no charge. They added stepping stones from the front door through the bed to the yard, and planted all of the bulbs we just had not been able to get to yet (again, at no extra charge). Finally, on their way out they blew the last of the leaves out of the yard just to make sure things looked nice. I've worked with several landscaping companies in Cincinnati and Marvin's is hands-down the best. Wes Duren is extremely knowledgeable about his work and was extremely helpful in helping us decide what to plant. Again, I cannot recommend this company highly enough.

I was very happy with their service. The guy who came out before doing the work was very knowledgeable. I will use this company in the future.

We are incredibly pleased with the landscaping work performed by the team at Marvin?s Organic Gardens! From the very first visit by Landscape & Construction Supervisor Wes Duren, we knew were in good hands. His knowledge and experience was immediately evident, and his enthusiasm for his craft is contagious. While walking our property and describing what we wanted, Wes immediately connected with superb ideas for our yard. When our plans arrived via email, we were excited with the possibilities presented. Wes recommended a beautiful color scheme of dark pinks, purples and whites ? a nice variety of edible berry bushes, an espaliered red delicious apple tree, a weeping redbud, a trio of awesome cedar trees, pink hydrangeas, blue switchgrass and purple coneflowers. On our scheduled date, the crew from Marvin?s Organic Gardens arrived early and worked tirelessly throughout the day. Prior to final plantings, Wes took us around each planting area to ensure we approved the placement of each tree, shrub and perennial. Each member of the crew was hard working, knowledgeable and personable. Mounds of good, organic fertilizer and mulch were used as well as a biodegradable tarp that will prevent weed growth. Our trees, shrubs and perennials will have all winter to put down healthy root systems, and we eagerly await our new landscape blooming next spring, as well as the healthy fruit harvest all summer long. Our job included a Fall cleanup of the entire yard as well as pruning of a mid-sized Bradford pear. In addition, Wes helped us select a beautiful baby blue spruce as a live Christmas tree, which they will return to plant in our yard after the Holidays. Also a nice surprise, Wes brought a few gifts in the form of flowering perennials and a grape vine for our front yard, continuing both the color scheme as well as enlarging our edible garden. A very thoughtful gesture. (One minor suggestion -- if you need to reach Wes Duren during the work day with a followup question, try leaving a message at the office rather than his cell phone. He is very busy and sometimes difficult to reach.) Several neighbors have remarked how beautiful our yard looks and what a great job the landscapers had done. HIGHLY recommended for small or large landscaping jobs ? Marvin?s Organic Gardens!

Frank Stewart and his crews did a superb job here. What's more, we were gone the entire summer, and they proved themselves trustworthy enough to do all this in our absence. The new limestone-boulder retaining wall is great, and looks even better than expected (and we were expecting a lot). They were responsive, made good suggestions, and listened to our needs. They evidently even honored my request that there be no smoking on our property, which we really appreciated.

The workers from Marvin's use organic products. They are very easy to work with. They are very knowledgeable about their work. They give me very good advice on how to care for my lawn. I have been very pleased with everything.

The backyard in the house we bought two years ago was severely overgrown, with a heaved and decrepit retaining wall, impenetrable weeds and poison ivy, tree stumps, tons of rock, stone, and other debris. We thought we could clear and clean it up ourselves but we weren't able to. All we wanted was a clean and simple yard that was safe for our kids to play in and very easy to care for. Frank's crew came in and basically "recovered" our back yard. The guys were great. They were very friendly, didn't mind that our kids wanted to watch them when they had their machinery out, and were very careful. They cleaned the driveway and the street after days when they moved lots of soil and mulch around so you couldn't even tell they'd been there. They accidentally knocked down a fence post with their "dingo" and someone came out and replaced it. They answered our questions, didn't mind when I checked in to make sure we all had the same ideas about what was going to happen, and were very willing to work with us. They were really terrific. When we decided to have a professional landscaper take over this work for us we had three estimates. Marvin's actually came in the highest, but their Angie's List discount ($200 off every $1000 spent) made them competitive with the lowest bid. With a competitive choice and organic materials and processes they were our first pick, and we are really happy with their work. The most exciting thing about this for us is that they laid seed instead of sod. We wanted sod because we wanted immediate grass. But Frank talked about why they prefer seed (sod is full of pesticides) so we agreed to seed. Frank told us to water every day and we'd probably see grass in about two weeks. We saw grass in FOUR DAYS. The seed was laid only about two weeks ago and almost the full area is grassy. It's not thick and plush yet, but it's well on its way. It was *very worth it* to go with the seed. Thanks Frank!

It went like clockwork. Wes came out to give us the estimate, he told us when his crew would be there, and they were! He took the time to listen to us, and knowing we aren't great gardeners ourselves, planned the lowest maintenance but greatest color and variety of perennials. We can enjoy the garden without a lot of work! When he came out, he decided that the area needed more plants than he had originally estimated, and put them in without changing the cost for us. He came out after the work was done and reviewed everything with us. One area received more fertilizer than it should and the grass/plants weren't doing well, so he replaced them as well. And because their work is all organic, I feel better about the environment and safer letting my dogs out in the yard. We have quotes for two other projects from Wes, and I look forward to working with him again! I recommend this company with absolutely no reservations!

The service was ok. I think in general the people were outstandingly nice. I worked with somebody named Wes Durance and there was a hardscape designer named Brandon and their personalities were nice. Their responsiveness was not great though. The yard was mediocre, it looked nice but I was not impressed. They were on time when they finally said they were going to get here. There were two or three times they said they were going to be here on that day, but they could not give me a time. It took them a long time to get my project in; which was my biggest complaint. I think I had a smaller project than they are used to so I feel that they kind of pushed me to the side.

All in all this was a miserable job. I wouldn't want them to do anything again. I called them 2 - 3 times and pointed out the low spots to them and they would say they would come out and take care of it. All they did was put a few wheelbarrow loads of grass seed on it. When I called, I would ask for Wes, the owner. I spoke to him once, but other than that his foreman would call me. They would leave drink bottles laying around the yard, one time they even left a shirt. They didn't clean up after themselves. I do plan on contacting the BBB about them as well. We are going to have to have someone come out and do this right.

They are very knowledgeable about what they are doing and once they get on the job they are very good at it. My yard looks fine. Their price was competitive. I would hire them again.

We had worked with Wes Duran and the Marvin's crew before: reshaping a front yard hillside, including building a stone retaining wall in the motif of the home's existing stone foundation; installing a garden strip alongside the new stone retaining wall and the existing driveway; building two stone pillars on front stoop and capping them with two existing lintels preserved from earlier renovation work; and removing, reshaping, expanding, and replanting two gardens across the front face of the house. Brandon worked with us this time, taking our general ideas for restoring the hillsides in the backyard and creating separation between visual/functional areas of the backyard in conjunction with our existing/ongoing renovation project. He created a functional, flowing design that incorporated elements of the existing structure's stone foundation and Wes' front-yard retaining wall and pillars; more clearly defined for us the patio area concept; and introduced a rain garden into the design both for its "green" properties but also as a way to resolve thorny drainage/access problems. Marvin's also removed/replaced an existing concrete pad before the garage/garden-shed. The work included grading and redistributing existing soil; introducing new soil; digging and preparing footers for the two retaining walls and an associated flagstone step set; grading and preparing underlayment for the flagstone patio and walkway. In this, Marvin's and our general contractor (performing renovation work also underway in the back yard) worked out logistics for their individual and joint interlocking responsibilities for site preparation and development. Some specifics to the project were necessarily left for finalization until the actual on-site work began, so there were some increases from the original estimate. These were presented to us on a timely basis as the options unfolded, along with alternatives to consider. In the end, we believe the impact of the design and its implementation has far exceeded our own vision of how the back yard could be improved, in very positive ways. The design is "organic" not only in its plantings and other environmental elements, but in its conceptual and functional expression of what our property "could be." Of course, like those who "love sausage and the law," those who contract for hardscaping projects should probably not watch any of them being made. With this young and energetic crew, we sometimes found it difficult to tell indeterminate activities from those derived from a planned, relaxed confidence built upon experience. However, Brandon's enthusiasm, leadership and attention to finish details left us with an overall superlative impression. We look forward to "finishing off" the associated follow-on plantings, etc., once the back yard construction is completed and the weather will allow. We definitely would (and did!) "use these folks again."

We thought this was a very good value for what was done. I think the only thing I would have liked for them to differently was for them to have left markers or an outline of what plant was what. Their follow up was great. We had a drought and some things didn't make it and they were very good about replacing these. We would hire them again.

They did a great job, everything looks very nice. They have some good ideas. We've known them for a few years so they take care of us, but they would do the same for anyone else. They are very professional. We will continue to use them in the future.

It went quickly and smoothly. Frank said it was a relatively small job and close to their headquarters, so he was able to work us into his schedule quickly. He called to let me know the day the job was to be done, then called again the next day to check on it and give us careful instructions on taking care of the plantings until they're established. He called a second time a few days later to once again check on everything and assure us that we can call him with any future questions or concerns. It all went very well. Frank's confidence and knowledge were excellent.