I found FISH Landscape and Maintenance on the contractor board at Green Acres. If you've ever…read morelooked at that board, you know there are a lot of business cards to choose from. FISH stood out to me because of the simple design of their card and because they specifically mentioned that they handle both small and large projects. That was important to me because my project was relatively small: installing one 25-gallon tree, one 15-gallon plant, and four 1-gallon plants, along with checking the irrigation, emitters, and the health of the other plants in my yard.
From the moment Joe got out of his truck, I could tell there was an openness about him and that he was knowledgeable about landscaping. He definitely proved me right.
After the introductions, I took him to my backyard and showed him some of the issues I was having. Almost immediately, he was down on the ground examining the rocks, soil, irrigation lines, and emitters. He noticed that the soil was overly saturated and suggested that we cut back on the watering.
Joe took the time to explain our clay soil and how difficult it can be for water to penetrate and drain properly. He also examined the other plants and explained that too much water could be accumulating below the roots, potentially causing root rot. That appeared to be exactly what happened with one of our trees that had died--we found a tremendous amount of water around the base.
I went one step further and capped the irrigation to make sure there wasn't a leak. Joe suggested waiting about a week to see what happened before moving forward. Over the course of that week, the area finally dried up, confirming that overwatering appeared to be the problem. I let Joe know the results before I had even signed a contract with him. Once I received the quote, we agreed on a date for the project.
What impressed me was that Joe didn't just tell me what needed to be done. He took the time to explain WHY it needed to be done.
On the day of the project, I met with Joe and his crew before they started. Joe went through the entire project and explained what they would be doing. It was nice knowing that we were all on the same page, and everything he discussed was exactly what was included in the quote. Speaking of the quote, it was very clean, detailed, and easy to understand.
One small thing really stood out to me while I watched the crew install the new tree. They kept turning and adjusting it to find the best-looking side and make sure it was centered properly. It may seem like a small detail, but to me, it showed that the crew actually cared about how the finished project looked. They weren't just trying to get the tree in the ground and move on to the next job.
I also appreciated that Joe didn't just show up at the beginning and disappear. I saw him at the beginning of the project, again during the work, and at the end. Everything went smoothly.
But one thing Joe said during his original visit really surprised me. After examining the soil, rocks, irrigation lines, and emitters, he told me, "If you don't go with us, pass this information along to whichever landscaper you choose."
I've dealt with a lot of businesses over the years, and I don't remember anyone ever saying something like that. He was willing to give me the information I needed even if his company didn't get the job. That told me a lot about Joe and the way he does business.
From the initial visit through the completion of the project, I felt like Joe and his crew cared about doing the job correctly--not just getting the job done.
I highly recommend reaching out to Joe and FISH Landscape and Maintenance and allowing them to earn your business.
I don't know if FISH was the cheapest or the most expensive, and honestly, that wasn't the most important thing to me. What I needed was trust, follow-through, knowledge, accessibility, promptness, cleanliness, good communication, and a company that did what they said they were going to do.
That's what I got.