Natural Selection Tree and Garden

We have been working with Benjamin Gray (owner/operator of Natural Selection) since 2009. Like many people in the area my wife and I have a small yard with about a dozen small to medium sized trees. In 2009 we needed help with two trees that had issues. We also needed help with 5 trees that were planted too close to the house (by the builder). It seemed like the best approach would be to hire a certified arborist to address our concerns. There are lots of tree service companies from which to choose. I looked at many companies most of which send out a crew that may or may not include a certified arborist. With our small yard I wanted to work directly with a certified arborist. At that point we found Natural Selection and hired Benjamin to perform the work. When we first met in 2009, Benjamin and I walked around the yard to talk about the work needed. For each tree, Benjamin would call out the species and quickly assess the condition of the tree and what it might need both now and in the future. His knowledge and experience was immediately obvious. For the two trees with issues, Benjamin said that he thought that they would recover on their own and we should wait and see. For the rest he did some fairly significant pruning. That took care of the trees planted too close to the house and improved the structure of the other trees. We were very happy with the work. By the way, regarding the two trees with issues, one has totally recovered and the other is steadily improving, as predicted. Because trees continue to grow, pruning is an on-going process. Since our initial service, we have had Benjamin return to our yard two times for more pruning work. Benjamin specializes in what he calls "fine pruning". He has a very good sense of aesthetics. The trees look great and their overall condition has steadily improved. In addition to pruning, Benjamin provides a full range of tree services. For example, on the first visit, Benjamin made us aware of a potential problem with a Flowering Pear tree in our front yard. The tree has a "V" shaped crotch and Benjamin indicated that this may split in the future. Sure enough, this year I noticed that the bark was torn and that the tree was just starting to split. When he came last week I pointed this out to Benjamin and we made arrangements for him to install a threaded bolt (that won't be visible) in the tree to fix the problem. It would have been far more expensive to let the tree split and then have to replace it. Benjamin told me that if he had planted the tree in the first place, he would have selected a tree with no "V" crotch. One of many valuable arborist lessons. In terms of cost, Natural Selection is not the cheapest provider out there. I will say, however, that Benjamin has a low-overhead approach. He does most of the work himself (although he has other resources available if necessary). My trees get expert care and I get expert advice. It's a perfect fit for my small yard. I feel like I'm getting good value for my money. Over time, Benjamin has developed a relationship with my trees. At this point I won't let anyone else touch them (especially my wife or myself). This is one of the rare things in life where I can have someone else assume responsibility and not have to worry about it. As a customer, Benjamin makes me feel like he has my back. I would recommend Natural Selection without reservation. Benjamin is knowledgeable, honest, has a great attitude, does a quality job and takes pride in his work.