Landscaping in Franklin Michigan

Photos of a recent project we completed in Franklin, Michigan. Bob Porter designed this wonderful backyard oasis. We custom designed and built the pond, waterfall, flagstone patio and plantings. We used natural stone and ‘Lilac New York Blue’ flagstone in the patio seating area.

Special Kudos to our foreman, Chad King, on his exceptional work building this beautiful pond!!

 

 

 

 

Bob’s Stone Work

We thought we’d share some recent photos of stone work Bob Porter, owner of Landscape Artisan, built when working for a prestigious landscaping company. The projects were designed by designers employed by the company.

  

 The stone work above was done at a job in Franklin, Michigan.

He then did the following stone work at a neighbor’s in Franklin.

The stone work below was completed on a house in Birmingham, Michigan. The home used to belong to Frederick Marshall — the famous Spirit of Detroit sculptor.

 

The photos below are of a residence also in Birmingham, Michigan:

 

 

 

Now for some photos of a job in Bloomfield Township:

  

New Testimonial

Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
“Price was significantly lower than competition. Work was done professionally as promised and completed on time. Completed patio project made my wife proud. I would definitely do business with this company again.” Southfield, Michigan

Thank you to our clients!!!

Why Should A Homeowner Pay For A Landscape Design/Plan?

The design for a landscape is a valuable product. The value can be measured in many ways.

• The designer spent time studying what plants grow in the soil and the exposure of the project.
• The designer knows how different plant material grows and works with other plants. Some plants are toxic to each other and should be placed correctly. Designers know how big plant material will grow, etc.
• The designer knows that color plays a key role and how a landscape can accent or contrast a house.
• The designer takes into consideration the location and shape of patios, walks, fire pits and outdoor living areas.

Landscape designers will take the guess work out of a landscape. These plans will (or should) give clear steps in the process to completion of the project. The plan will explain what should be installed and in what order.

Most people phase their landscape project over the course of several years. A plan will tell the homeowner where to start and where not to. No homeowner wants to build a patio that then must be altered or moved to continue with the overall design and look the homeowner desires.

Remember that no landscape company gives free designs. The homeowner is paying for the design somewhere in the bid process unless the homeowner has purchased the design outright. The cost of purchasing a design will depend upon the size of your project, the project’s complexity and the designer hired. The design is a worthy investment for any home, much like the investment in the building plans.

Here at Landscape Artisan, we only charge for the drawing when a homeowner wishes to keep it. Or when a homeowner wants to DIY their project and hires us to design. Otherwise, the design is covered through our overhead. The average design with completed drawing takes approximately four to eight hours, depending on its complexity and scope. Our designer spends a minimum of two hours on any project that involves design in any way. This includes the development of the concept, laying out of the concept and pricing and locating materials.

Smaller projects will get what Bob calls a “napkin sketch” : a sketched out drawing of the concept. Smaller may mean less complexity rather than size. Larger projects “go on the board” and are drawn on vellum paper according to the measurements of the project and with specifications for project completion. This is when Bob pulls out all of his catalogues and reference books and materials and his reading glasses and really thinks about what will meet the homeowner’s needs and transform their space. He will sit there for sometimes a very long time, watching a Tigers game and drawing then erasing then drawing again and asking for research into this or that on the computer. For instance, prices on stone posts or ways to reduce highway noise.

Since we expect a homeowner’s input, we expect that revisions will be made to the original design and we look forward to that process. Bob will bring the drawing “back to the board” and revisions can include working on ways to make the project happen within a certain budget.

Don’t feel sorry for Bob though- he loves what he does!!!

Estimates from Landscape Artisan

What can you expect when you request an estimate from Landscape Artisan?

We receive leads from a variety of sources, primarily through the Internet. So, depending on how you choose to contact us will determine how quickly we receive your contact information. Calling us usually results in the information getting to us the fastest. If we are sent your contact information through the Internet and it is past working hours, the information may not reach us until the next day. There also seems to be a delay in emails being delivered at times. Remember also, we try and take Sundays off to spend time with our families.

Once your contact information is received, we decide on which one of our designers is best suited to contact you and the information is sent or phoned to that person. Landscape Artisan then expects most of our customers to receive an initial telephone call from one of our team 24 to 48 hours from the time the designer received the information. 

Remember that we are not a lawn maintenance company nor an irrigation system repair or maintenance company nor do we trim large trees. If we can, we will send your contact information to the proper company if we do not perform that service. We do perform horticultural services for our existing customers and on a limited basis. Another factor in hearing from us, is how far away your project is.

The initial telephone call will determine what you need from us in terms of an estimate. Usually, an appointment time will be scheduled. Some repair/maintenance jobs will not require an appointment but will require one of our team to visit the project.

Why so long you might ask?

• We are blessed and fortunate in this difficult economy to be pleasantly and wonderfully very busy. Our designer Bob is either meeting with customers, drawing for customers, phoning customers or working in the field at the customer’s house, ensuring our exacting standards of craftsmanship are followed.

Secondly, an appointment will be scheduled at your earliest convenience when our designer is also available. Sometimes, customers simply are not very available and we try our hardest to work around your schedule while not neglecting our other customers.

Will you receive an estimate at the appointment? Sometimes. It depends on your project. The complexity of your project will determine how long it takes to get an estimate and design back to you. Our designers are passionate about the art of landscaping and they want to deliver to you the most unique concept at the lowest possible price. This means research may be involved in securing affordable materials, or in determing the best plant materials to achieve the desired effect, etc. Our general rule is to get back to our customers with a design within two weeks.

If you are on a time crunch, it is important to tell us that during the initial phone call. We do help customers transform their yards for special events, such as graduation parties, weddings, family reunions. Just let us know.

Can we always get your project in? No. And not because we don’t want to, only because as I said before, we are blessed to be very busy. Projects are scheduled and delays occur at times. Weather, especially heavy rains can impede a project’s progress and add-ons will increase the time we spend at another customer’s home. We love add-ons! Many customers need to find out they can trust us to do the job right and when they find this out, they will add-on to their project. This is always a blessing to Landscape Artisan.

So, what can you expect when you request an estimate from Landscape Artisan?

• One of our team will phone you within 24- 48 hours of receiving your contact information. They will attempt to phone you again if you do not call back. But, it is much better for you to return the call at your earliest convenience.
• The estimate is free.
• Our team will treat you and your project with courtesy, respect and professionalism. Our team will be passionate about the design of your landscape project.
• Our team will present completing your project above the board. Permits will be pulled, township ordinances will be followed, our company carries liability and workmen’s comp. insurance, our employees are on payroll and are U.S. Citizens, etc.
• Our team will expect your full input into your project. What is your budget? What flowers and plants do you like? What do you want your outdoor space to do for you? Do you have pictures of landscape elements that are pleasing to you? What do YOU think? If you are in a relationship, we will expect to meet with both of you. We want both of you to be pleased with the final outcome.
• We will revise the plan and the estimate to meet your needs, within our power to do so. Revisions are an expected part of the progress of finalizing a landscape design/plan.

Landscaping in Royal Oak, Michigan

These photos were taken by Mark Kelly of a project we recently completed in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Before Photos:

    

 

After: 

 

      

     

   

Three Recent Testimonials

To Adam at HireitDone.com> “Just wanted to let you know that we used your web site for paver repair quotes. 
Landscape Artisans got the job from the estimates received and they did a great
job.  They showed up when they said they would, worked with us on our budget and
did a great job (including taking care of a few things some might consider
picky, but things that made us ‘totally satisfied.’)  Thanks for the web site
referral service.  We will use it again and can recommend Landscape Artisans. ” Shelby Township

“We LOVED Landscape Artisan!  We hired them after receiving their information
through this great website, and Mark and Chad and the whole crew were just
wonderful.  Our patio looks spectacular and we would recommend them highly to
anyone who’ll listen!  They came in on time, on budget and the design is
beautiful!!  Thanks Adam!! “   Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

And to Service Magic:

“Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
This project far exceeded my greatest expectations. Our backyard was transformed from a no-privacy open space to an enjoyable outdoor living area. Design ideas originally set this company apart from other contractors. We did not have a good idea of what wanted and really liked his original design. Bob was willing to come to our house several times before we committed to him, making minor changes to the design to fit our budget and for additional requests. When the project started, the crew was timely, friendly and worked hard. Most importantly, the craftmanship was first rate. After this experience, I would never use another contractor.”  Oxford, Michigan

Landscaping in Ortonville, Michigan

We did this job last fall, but the photos we just took.

Side of the house brick walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side of the house brick walk

Stone step in walk

Landscaping in Oxford, Michigan

    

 

We just completed this fire pit with a sitting wall in Oxford, Michigan.  The customer also chose to install outdoor lighting underneath the seat and each pier will get one light facing the patio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patio Before

The inlay was added to enhance an existing patio. Enhancing existing elements is one way to spruce up your landscape while containing costs in a tight economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This fire pit is perfect for entertaining, night and day.

 

Can you imagine having the family and friends over, the kids are

roasting marshmallows (with adult assistance) and the adults are enjoying good food and conversation.

Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful staycation?

 

Cleaning Bricks

Cleaning, sealing, and sanding of existing brick paver sidewalks and patios should be performed every 2 – 3 years.

The sealing of bricks should not be done more often than this.  Excessive sealing could result in a build up of sealer and even produce a hazy or cloudy appearance to the pavers.

If this does occur we should be able to remedy the problem by diluting the sealer with a stripper or a thinner. This is something that the average homeowner should not try on their own.

While cleaning brick pavers use a power washer and “blast” the sand out of the joints. Now don’t go crazy with this. If you blast too much out, you could get down to the bedding sand, and this could cause the pavers to settle and become uneven — creating a costly repair.

Brick pavers don’t usually need chemical cleaning. Washing with a power washer works well, but if the pavers have stain from hard water or oil from vehicles, there are some good products that can usually remove the stains but not always or completely.

If your pavers are not sealed and the contactor used polymeric sand to fill the joints the pavers may not need sanding for 4 – 5 years. If you don’t have polymeric sand in the joints then your pavers will need sanding every year, and I suggest you spend the extra few dollars and upgrade to polymeric sand. As a contractor I only use polymeric sand.