RDG Landscape Designs

Gosh, where do I begin? Let me start with the highlights and cut to the chase... We could not have been HAPPIER with what Raymond did for our home. Our backyard was a disaster -- it was in fact our achilles heel if we would ever put our home on the market. It was ugly with dirt as the grass had died off, and our patio was just your basic concrete slab. Ugly, ugly. We didn't even bother ever sitting out in our backyard to relax because it was so bad...so we decided to invest in our home and do something about it. Raymond delivered in Spades. While I will be up front and honest by telling you that Raymond's schedule seems chaotic at best sometimes, in which appts would be missed, etc. -- we were in the fairly unique situation of not being in a mad rush to get all the work done for our home. It took all told about 8 weeks for the work to be completed -- but again, we were fine with the lapses and interruptions because we understood Raymond had some personal matters to attend to and we knew he was good for the work. So if you don't mind Raymond perhaps not keeping to the perfect schedule -- then continue reading on. I went through at least 5 other highly-rated Angie's List landscapers and Raymond was by FAR the most professional of all that we talked to and consulted regarding our landscaping. I won't mention names, but one vendor was horrible and the rest were okay at best. The reason Raymond stood out was because he truly LISTENED to our concerns and what feedback/opinion we provided he really listed to and considered. In the end, he made strong recommendations that we had not though about, but we were sold on his level of conviction and in realizing we really did consider all other creative options with him while keeping in our budget. So Raymond blew away the other landscapers in this regard, no question about it. Probably the most incredible benefit of working with Raymond is the price for all he did. We have a show piece front yard now (especially with the lighting he installed) and we have a beautiful patio area that my wife has only dreamed about the first few years we were in our home. Raymond's quality of work and attention for detail is truly amazing. He would spend minutes to hours actually just looking at the landscaping as he installed it and making numerous tweaks as he would go on. No one would have been as patience and careful as Raymond was. I've had other contractors do work, like the Sprinkler company we used, and they pretty much treat you like a number and just want to get the job done in one day -- they rush and problems result. That's the truth. Raymond did take a LONG TIME to complete the work, but the important thing is we knew the work would get done, and the work that was done was simply amazing. We've had folks who've contracted out their own landscaping and they thought we had perhaps paid nearly double what we ended up paying. Raymond is extremely good on price, and given his attention to detail and care for the quality of the work, his price is unbeatable -- even if the schedule gets delayed. Raymond also did a great job of always cleaning the work site at the end of every day. He did not leave any messes anywhere during his work. He is a true professional. I would heartily recommend and urge you to contact Raymond about your landscaping work. So long as you understand the schedule may be in limbo at times -- the work when done will be of extremely high quality and one you will be extremely satisfied with. While some may think that the delays and issues with his schedule may be a show-stopper -- don't let it be -- I've been serviced by high-rated vendors here on angie's list and they can be a victim of their success in what appears to be rushing through jobs and letting their project schedule take priority over attention to detail and doing a great job. Raymond can deliver on this. And for a price I think that is unbeatable. In fact, I spoke to him about how he really needs to get the word out about his services, and he was considering going with a new approach where he would basically just charge a design fee and then deliver on all other aspects at cost of labor and materials. That is pretty much unheard of and frankly, Raymond already provides a very competitive price. I hope others will give Raymond a try even over those landscapers on here that have a higher rating -- he pretty much is working on his own now, so he probably can only handle a set number of clients at once -- but you won't be disappointed in terms of the job he does get done over time. We definitely plan to use Raymond again in the future. We don't plan to install a patio bar which he's good at doing, but we are considering a nice spa area at the side of our yard and we definitely want to work with Raymond. He's the best.

The quality of Raymond's work is great, and he is very knowledgeable. However, he is extremely difficult to get ahold of, and he has been a no-show numerous times. After about the 4th or 5th attempt to get in contact with him for another shrub trimming, I decided to use someone else.

It was great start to finish

Raymond Gonzalez is the owner. I am going to have them come back because some of the lighting has gone out. They will have a better idea of where to look than I will. They are a young company but very experienced. They are absolutely fantastic. They do everything and they do an excellent job.

Geraldo did most of the stone work. He was fast and laid the stone so that the joints were very tight. The price was reasonable for how much I had done and the quality was excellent. I would definitely use them again.

Raymond and Jarrett worked all summer on our project! They did 90% of everything themselves. It was long,hard,grueling work in unusually hot conditions. They also had to work around other projects we had done such as new fence installation,gutter installation, and having the exterior of the house painted!!!!!! All the pieces fit to gather like a puzzle. the sprinkler system was probably the most difficult because of the tree roots. Patio and front walk were next while Ramond and Jarrett worked on the retaining wall in the alley and sculpting the yard for good drainage. Next came Flower beds and the waterfall, then the actual plants. Because of the intense heat they waited to put in some plantings. Surprisingly, we lost very few plants to the heat and drought. Raymond and Jarrett will be back in the spring to replace those plants. They carefully taught us about the plantings and how to care for them. We were pleased that they worked with us to put in plants that will attract birds and butterflies, as well as be year round easy care. Raymond and Jarrett worked closely with us on every step. Both are vey precise in their work and that insures exceptional quality in their results. For us they became like family and we know that we can call any time if there is a problem or we need advice. The end result of this long involved project was an exceptional front presentation and a backyard that provides an escape to the natural world in the midst of the city!!!! Every day I can wake to a view that is calm, natural and full of wildlife. I can welcome guests in the evenings with beautiful lighting that dramatically accents the waterfall as well as the yard's best features. We love what Raymond and Jarrett created for us!

It went very well. They came to repair water break immediately (which kept me from spending more on my water bill). Parts for sprinkler system were ordered immediately and installed the next day.

Exscapes of Texas was one of nine landscapers I interviewed and received bids on our backyard. I was getting married and the reception was going to be held in the backyard and I wanted it to be special. I listened very carefully to each landscaper and compared the bids. Exscapes of Texas was the one company that was the most creative, knowledgeable of the correct procedures without shortcuts and was very conscious of our budget.. Raymond, Jarrett and crew were wonderful! They showed up and worked hard even through the hottest weather --108 degrees. They were pleasant to work with. I didn't even have to ask about them leaving the yard clean--they cleaned up everyday before they left. When the yard was completed and I saw it during the day -- I loved it! They put in lighting and when I saw it at night --I was speechless -- it was gorgeous! We had our wedding and reception on September 17th. Most of our guests had seen our yard before the work was done -- it was a square with grass. They raved about how incredible it looked! One comment was "it was as if they walked out of a desert into an oasis." Since the wedding my yard has been a peaceful and beautiful place to sit and gather with friends and family. My favorite things about the yard are the stone pondless waterfall, the additional usable yard lost by a steep slope beside the original cement patio and the extension of our patio by more than 15 feet using decomposed granite. The waterfall is an original design and is literally a work of art! Jarrett took his time and made it look ancient - as though it had always been there. It is the highlight of the yard! There was a steep slope next to the cement patio which was unusable and now a bar with stools sits there. They also extended out our 12 foot cement patio with crushed granite by an additional 15 to 20 feet. It makes a world of difference in entertaining! They went above and beyond in customer service, work ethic and creativity. I highly recommend Excapes of Texas. When I do the front yard there is no question that they will be the company who will do it!!

The estimate was free. He had loads of experience and he was very professional. He was running a little late so he showed up late for the appointment, but that was okay. He was very , very knowledgeable about products and the type of landscaping he had done over the past few years. He had done a lot of different work. We didn't use him and probably wouldn't because we found somebody else that we really liked.

RDG Landscape and Design is a great company and provides excellent quality service. Raymond Gonzalez has over 35 years in landscaping and design and is very knowledgeable. He is very friendly and knows exactly how to get his work done.