Merrifield Garden Center - Fair Oaks

Price includes the dogwood and cherry trees purchased as well as delivery/planting services. Merrifield is great and I'm a long-time customer but did shop around for these services. Had to remove mature maple and tulip poplar trees from my property due to disease (used for removal and stump grinding). Everyone is knowledgable at the Garden Center and based on my propery/soil/light were able recommend specific tree variants and teach me how to pick the best/healthiest of the trees on site. We scheduled easily and the team that arrived (on time) did a great job in getting both the trees planted within an hour, straight and with great room for roots and the trees to thrive.

I'm very happy with their services.

They left very large patches of the original grass when I assumed that they were going to sod the entire yard. They did basically half of the lawn in sod and left the other half with the original grass. It is very obvious that some of the lawn is brand new, and some of it is original. Four people came out and it took seven hours to complete the work.

No matter what the question - indoor/outdoor plants, pest control, fertilizing, etc., there are always skilled and knowledgeable staff available to help. They take the time to answer every question, not matter how basic or complicated.

Our landscape designer took us on a tour of the nursery and helped us select a tree and several shrubs for an area of the backyard. Merrifield had a very extensive inventory of diverse and high quality plants. Their prices are not the lowest you might find but are reasonable in light of the quality of plants and selection.

The estimate provided me with more me questions than answers, as overall I cannot tell exactly what will be done, other than the 26 plants being put in the ground,and top soil, sod and mulch being put down. Is it normal to provide an estimate giving no detail as to the specifics of the work? 1. Removal & Clean Up Labor - What exactly are the plants to be removed? 2. The 26 plants/trees priced - where exactly are they being planted? 3. What exactly will be done on the hill of my backyard - what will be the dimensions of the portion of the hill worked on (top to bottom, side to side) 4. Are my two azealas being removed and replanted - this was discussed with Tom 5. Is there work around the perimeter of my house in the backyard included in the estimate? - this was discussed with Tom It would require a tremendous leap of faith on my part to just sign up on the dotted line with no specifics being provided. I sent this info in an email back to Merrifield over a week ago, and never heard back!

I thought we paid too much for the service.

I have used Merrifields many times. Matt and his team always show up prompty and go through the project with me to make sure what will be done. They do a great job!!

Review of Merryfield Garden Center (MGC) Design Services – TRAIN WRECK and deception. After spending a few thousand dollars at MGC I decided to use their landscape design services and contacted Renetta Holt. I had purchased some trees for installation and wanted MGC to install the trees and for Renetta to come out to my property for consultation and landscape design. She was unable be on-side during the planting. I waited nearly 3 months for Renetta to come out to my place for a consultation and design. Dozens of phone calls, emails and text messages were repeatedly ignored or I would receive a response a week or two later. She always claimed to be busy and told me that she was only able to come out on this day or that day at only this time or another and that MGC set here schedule. Finally after 3 MONTHS and dozens of contact attempts, I called the general manager Peter who told me that they DO NOT set their designer’s schedule and that Renetta basically sets her own. This revealed that her excuses were childish lies and that she lacks integrity. I gave Peter my contact information after he promised to look into the matter but I never heard back from the General Manager Peter or the Renetta and hence this review. If this is the level of service and are seeking then you have found the right place and Renetta is your designer. Note: the installation workers/laborers were professional and helpful and this review does not pertain to them.

I had purchased a new home and needed a landscape design for my backyard. I had used Mat Kluger for my previous home and was very pleased with the results. The design he created for my new home exceeded my expectations. I asked for uncluttered and he provided what I would describe as understated elegance. The installation took a crew of three an entire day to complete and the result was quite impressive. Mat is a very talented designer and I recommend him without reservation.

In Spring 2012, we bought 5 rose bushes from them and planted them in our front yard. In Spring 2013, only four survived. And this Spring only two survived. It is shocking that the best growth and plant health was in year one after planting. They seem to be struggling. This year went for one knockout rose for one if the two we lost this year. Not happy.

It's hard to grab somebody when you're in there. They'll answer the phone but you get put on hold and stuff and when you're in there, they don't have enough people helping people who are in there. When you get to talk to them, they have really knowledgeable people and great selection. It's just that they're a little bit pricey and when you go there, sometimes you have to wait a while before you can get to talk to somebody when you have a question. We would definitely use them again.

Merrifield planted 10 Emerald Green Arborvitae 6-7 feet tall in my backyard. The workman did a good job which included fertilizing and mulching. By six months later, two of the trees had died. Merrifield cheerfully provided a credit for the two dead trees.

The whole process of selecting a replacement eastern redbud tree and installing it was easy, friendly and expert. In our choice of a tree at the garden center, we were helped by a tree professional who then scheduled the installation. He also scheduled removal of the stump of the tree that we were replacing. On the morning of the day the tree was installed, a Merrifield professional ground out the stump at our house and created a bed for planting the new tree. Also, he removed the grindings. Then, on the afternoon of the same day, a second Merrifield crew arrived and installed our tree in excellent topsoil in the new bed, and then mulched the installation. They also replanted three ferns around the tree that we had moved to save them from the stump grinding.Then they cleaned up after their work. The final installation looks great and everything was easy and friendly.

Everything turned out beautifully. The front beds had the color I desired and were easy to care for.

They give you accurate estimates and fulfill their work exactly to the estimate. The designers are easy to work with, professional, and have great ideas.

Most of the plants we bought were generally dormant, with little or no green growth on them since it was early in a cool Spring. Most of the plants grew beautifully with the exception of a purple coneflower and a switchgrass which did not grow at all, showing no signs of life. After five weeks, I called back and explained the situation. I was told to dig them up and bring them in with the receipt, which I had. I did so, was referred to the Plant Doctor desk where I waited in Iine. When I got up to the desk, I was told there in no warranty on such plants and he was surprised I was told differently on the phone that morning. He threw my plants in the garbage. We then bought replacements, which cost $30. That afternoon, I sent an email through their website asking for clarification of the policy. I have not received a response. I have shopped at Merrifield before and been pleased with service and quality. However, this time I found the service frustrating and felt neglected after they sold me two dead plants for $30. I got conflicting responses from the store and got no response from the email. With many other nurseries in the area, I won't go back to Merrifield.

Great selection of healthy and unusual plants.

Mary Kirk Menefee, Landscape Designer, planned and executed a complete renovation of our curb area. Her planning took my vision and preferences into account perfectly. Execution was flawless. Mary Kirk supervised the placement of every boulder and plant. The crew left the area in perfect condition.

Awesome. Merrifield is clearly the big guy in the area, but for good reason if you ask me. I went on a Friday afternoon, having just locked in a contract to have a tree removed from my front yard and needing a new one. I went to the tree nursery and started looking around. A gentleman (name I forget) asked if I could use some help, and I explained that I was putting a tree in to replace a dead-ish one that is being removed, I wanted a fast-growing tree that would provide shade and that liked a lot of afternoon sun. He showed me around, explaining about 8-10 trees that would fit the bill. I settled on a Sweet Gum that is about 15' tall already. Importantly, I had told him that I was interested in a tree that was somewhat established already, and he explained the cost structure very well. When I checked out, I set up the date for install and was given an option for am/pm. I was given some blue flags and told that if I would not be home to put them in the yard where I want the tree installed. On the day of the install, I got a call on my cell around 8 am, asking if 10am-12pm would work. said yes, and noted that it was POURING rain out, asking whether that was a problem (worrying about my lawn). They said it would be ok. Well, I came home and the tree was exactly where we asked, perfectly mulched and looking great. The BEST part was that the guys took the time and effort to take the soil and turf they removed and dig out the hole full of wood chips from the old tree (removed the day prior) and replace hem with the soil, laying and packing down the turf strips. So not only did they install my new tree, they went out of their way to repair the spot in the middle of my yard from the old tree. Great job guys - couldn't be happier. As for price, the delivery/install was 60% of the tree price, which is very standard based on my research before buying. If Merrifield costs a bit more than others, as some people say, then you definitely get your money's worth due to their experience and excellent service. I believe in doing something like this right the first time - I like to do projects myself, but a tree that should live decades is something I want a professional's help, and Merrifield was great fulfilling that role to a T.

They are very professional, punctual, and knowledgable. They are one of he premier nursery's in the area. I will continue to use them and would recommend them to others.

I selected my trees, the helpful and professional staff tagged them and took them to holding, and a cheerful crew showed up on time the following Saturday to install them and mulch around them. Work was completed in less time than I imagined possible, giving the 30-50 mile an hour wind and steep slope on which they worked. Cleanup was thorough and professional.

They were excellent. They did a fantastic job! They have also returned to replace some plants that died for no additional charge. They are expensive but it's worth the price.

Excellent experience!!!! Went to the nursery and received great service on picking out the type and size of trees we needed for our project. The large trees we wanted (15-20 feet tall) were even on sale at a great price, so that was a bonus. On the day of delivery the crew was on time and did a tremendous job of getting the trees planted. The weather was not great, rain that morning, but the crew was very professional and didn't seem to mind having to deal with some muddy conditions. We wanted one of the trees moved a couple of feet after we had already told them where we wanted it and they had planted it. They moved it without hesitation, which I though was fantastic. After all of the trees were planted they added all of the mulch around the base and thoroughly cleaned the area.

They are expensive, very knowledgeable and received many praises from their customers. So what can one conclude? They must be good. Expensive, but hey they must be good, right? Well, there is another side of the coin. They don’t return money when they make a mistake. And they didn’t even give us a store credit! So think twice before doing business with them. Here is what happened in our case. We ordered a weeping cherry and paid them to deliver and plant the tree. We went to the Merrifield Garden Center (Falls Church) sometime in March, picked a tree that looked healthy and within couple of weeks the crew came and planted it. However, the tree that they planted didn’t look very well. We waited and waited but the tree didn’t improve. We called them and they sent a guy (I think his name was Robert, a very nice person) and he agreed that the tree didn’t look very good. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a sufficient reason for them to reimburse us or give a store credit. They told us that we should be patient and that the tree will improve. However, after 8 months it hasn’t improved – it only got worse. I called them several times and asked for a store credit. I even emailed them photographs of a tree but that wasn’t enough. They were convinced that the tree will eventually be fine – we just have to wait for another year. We also ordered about 3 cu ft of “garden” soil. I told them that I was planning to plant vegetables and they said that their soil is just perfect for that. So the soil arrived but it didn’t look very good. It was basically a dirt soil and it became hard like a rock after I watered it. So I called them and said that I ordered garden soil and not dirt soil and the guy on the phone said that they couldn’t reimburse me or give me a store credit. Instead he said that he would send me and frac12; cu ft of some other soil without charge. He said I should mix that new soil with existing (dirt soil) and that would solve the problem. Unfortunately, that didn’t solve the problem. My vegetable garden this year was worse that ever before - a complete disaster. I now have to remove the soil that I ordered from them and purchase new soil from someone else. In summary, it has been quite frustrating dealing with the Merrifield Garden Center. I am very disappointed with them and it is painful because there are many caring and knowledgeable people that work there. It is unfortunate that a place with so many nice people can be so unresponsive to customer’s complaints.