GroWild, Inc

pricey,but hard to find native plants

It was an okay experience. The price was reasonable because they grow special plants and they are a little higher than most plants because they are special to plant.

It went well. Mike is extremely knowledgeable in native plants and design, and talks a mile a minute. They warned us that meeting with him was like "drinking from a fire hose," and it was. Besides our time with him, I was also impressed with how quickly Teri returned our phone call to answer questions and schedule an appointment.

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They do a good job. I can't fault them, they did a good job. I'd say they are a little bit pricey.

Mike scheduled me for the appointment and he was very punctual. His consultation was thorough. I would recommend having a large drawing of your yard and a list of native plants that you are interested in, so that when he comes, you can make notes and Mike can recommend plants for certain areas. After he left, I made an appointment to visit the nursery and buy some plants. Before the nursery visit, Mike told me to cut out the beds and add compost, which I did. At the nursery, Mike was there and he was very helpful in selecting my first foundation plants. Even though I am not done landscaping at all, it already looks great.

Mike's plan was excellent and I would highly recommend his services. He did an excellent job of considering all important aspects of our site--lighting conditions throughout the day, privacy/screening issues, heat/drought tolerance and shade tolerance, bloom times, fragrance, aesthetics, etc. Mike was careful to use lower maintenance plants to keep the design realistic for us. He also incorporated a lot of edible fruiting plants, which was a plus. There were one or two things that I questioned about his design when I first saw it, but once the plants were in the ground I realized what a great eye he has for design. We wanted a naturalistic landscape that looked sylvan without being untidy, disorganized, or overgrown the way many "naturalistic" yards look. We got exactly what we wanted and it looks fantastic. We love looking out the window and sitting out in our tranquil yard! We had previously paid two other landscape designers to draw plans for our yard and both of those plans contained glaring flaws, such as using plants that need full sun in areas of our yard that are in deep shade. Also, the other landscapers could not appreciate or understand that we did not want linear, symmetrical plantings of the same old boring laurel, monkey grass, holly, boxwood, knock-out rose, nandina, etc. They wanted to force their ideas on us instead of listening to what we wanted. Mike was great at listening and incorporating our ideas. Mike has a fantastic knowledge of native plants and a great eye for design and I would highly recommend his services. His plants are also very high quality. Using native plants, you can landscape in a way that requires less watering and diminishes the need for pesticide or chemical fertilizer. You also provide host plants for native butterflies, birds, bees, and other beneficial insects.

My husband and I went to an open house at Growild (great time to get big discounts!) years ago. We were both very impressed with the facility and the deep commitment the owners have in helping people understand why using native plants is a "natural" choice. These plants have already adapted to the conditions for surviving in Tennessee, and don't require the TLC that some of the more exotic introduced species demand. Besides that, they are beautiful! Mike Berkley has a large and enthusiastic group of clients. I would believe that he is the foremost expert on TN. plants in the State. He has been on numerous local TV programs and is now installing Green Roofs in downtown Nashville. Local products, local people, what more can you ask?