We moved into a 6 year old house this summer with a backyard that was full of weeds and had almost no personality. We hired Drake to put in a flowerbed with three trees, and replace the builder-grade patio flagstones. From the start, the team at Drake clearly cared about our project like it was their own home. Neil and Brooke came out to do an initial site visit and determine the scope of the project; Neil (one of the owners of Drake) came back once to talk it through and was frank with me about possibilities, giving an honest opinion about options that might make the finished product more enjoyable to us and fit within our budget. Brooke (project manager) was super helpful and accommodating, even when we changed our minds at the 11th hour on the type of trees we wanted. She gave tons of advice on how to care not only for the trees that they supplied, but also the perennials that we purchased and put in ourselves. (I still feel the sting of her gentle scolding for needing to put the plants in better) ;) The installation team was respectful of our space, and careful with the job given it's a very cramped back yard for large equipment. The equipment needed for the job did a number on our existing turf, but the team did everything they could within the scope of our contract to repair the damage and coached us on how to care for the space to re-grow the grass. Before and after photos of the project are attached (NOTE, the photo of the finished project is BEFORE the team returned to even out the edges around the sod, and lay down grass seed.)
Landscaping is expensive. I gulped when I saw the quote. I will say now, it's worth it. Could we have done it ourselves? Possibly. But we don't have the right equipment or the know-how; it would have involved backbreaking work every weekend for months; it would NEVER have looked as beautiful as it does; and very likely resulted in a divorce. Hire Drake. You won't regret it.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $13,000.00
- Company Response
Kate, thank you so much for your thoughtful review! Neil, Brooke, and the entire team were absolutely thrilled to work on your backyard transformation. They’ve mentioned more than once how wonderful it was to collaborate with you, especially when you brought such a great sense of humor and openness to the project. From the initial site visit to those 11th-hour tree changes, it was clear that you were just as invested in making your backyard shine as we were!
Brooke loved sharing her plant wisdom (and, yes, those gentle reminders about planting!), and the crew really appreciated your understanding with the turf situation. They were determined to leave things as perfect as possible, even in those tight spaces. We’re so glad you’re happy with the results and that the investment was worth it in the end—avoiding weekend backaches and potential divorce is always a plus! If you ever need anything else or just want to chat plants, you know where to find us. Thanks again for being such a fantastic client!