After several failed attempt to fix up our pudding-stone-filled garden with mixed elevation, my wife and I were introduced to Noah and the Restoring Roots crew. We have seen their previous project at the Old Oak Dojo and really liked the idea of a functional landscape that meet aesthetic purpose, yield edibles as well as fitting in the native eco system. Noah is very knowledgeable of different plants and flowers so conversation with him has always been very educational for us amateur gardeners. He has also been very accommodating from the consultation. He listened to our needs and concerns before coming up with a customized plan that fits our property and budget. The project includes a low dry-stack retaining wall, plants that would help stabilizing the soils since we live on a hill, perennial flowers/plants that support each other and blooms at different time, and irrigation etc. The installation was under a short deadline so that we can have our wish of throwing a post-wedding party in our yard. Noah, Cheryl, and Karen moved very efficiently and accomplished the project before the deadline and within budget. The project also includes post-installation maintenance as the first year is crucial for the garden to survive. We are very happy to find Restoring Roots and will definitely consider using them for future projects. read more

We bought a condo in the Woodburne neigborhood of Jamaica Plain a year ago. One of our first priorties after we moved in was to deal with the backyard landscape, which consisted of some scraggly grass patches and a few hostas. There wasn't a lot of space to work with but I was sure that a little patio would fit between the house and the garage. I started contacting landscape design and build firms in March 2015. Most larger firms were already booked for spring, and when a couple of firms came out in June, they indicated that our job was too small for them to consider. Our realtor recommended Restoring Roots. From the first visit Karen was enthusiastic about the possibilities for our little space. She listened to our concerns and needs--one of the biggest concerns being that as new home owners facing a lot of projects, we wanted to consider a design plan that we could implement in stages. Karen came back to us with a detailed and comprehensive plan for our little space. After multiple negotiations with our condo association, we decided to move ahead with the patio construction in the fall and put the planting and construction of a sitting wall on hold until Spring. The bluestone patio was completed right before Thanksgiving. We are very impressed with the quality of the work and we think the patio looks great! We hope to have Restoring Roots back in the Spring for the next phase of the project. read more

Will definitely be using again. Very responsive, cheerful, explain everything fully, even happily explained things twice since I'm not an expert. Always on time and did great work on time. Would recommend highly to anyone though I hope they don't get too too busy! Thanks guys. Five stars. read more

Great professional service. We've had our leaf cleanup done annually with this company. This year, they fit us into their calendar on the same day that I emailed them. Reasonable price and the team works quickly. Support this local gem. read more

Standing on my porch, with steaming mug in hand, I surveyed my backyard and felt a terrible sadness. This was NOT the yard I had hoped and dreamed about when moving to our new home in Jamaica Plain. Our grass was dead and scraggy (no thanks to over-zealous landscapers and an indiscriminate pooping dog); our attempt at gardening didn't go as well as we had hoped the previous year; and the bare patches of earth around the edges of our fence where the dog ran were quite disheartening. Our previous company seemed to spray pesticide/weed killer liberally, mow grass at the hottest, driest, part of the day, and routinely left our back gate open--great for our escape-artist dog, not so great for us, the vet-bill-paying owners. Enter Restoring Roots. We contacted Restoring Roots after doing a little online research for a new landscaping company. We wanted a company that felt an ecological responsibility toward the earth, followed through on what they promised, strived for balance between form and function, didn't try to oversell us on unnecessary items, and listened to what we (the clients) wanted. We figured if Restoring Roots could give us at least 3 of those things, then we would be satisfied. Restoring Roots did it all, and then some things we never even considered. Beginning in April (2014), Restoring Roots took our dilapidated back yard, and transformed it into something amazing. They initially met us after work (6:30 on Wednesday night) to discuss our needs and expectations. We thought we needed new topsoil, sod, a full blown irrigation system, new plants alongside the house, a rain barrel, and a litany of other things too numerous to list. Restoring Roots arrived, listened to what we were saying we needed, and then began to help us see what it was that we really needed. Luckily, top soil, sod, complete irrigation, and a rain barrel were NOT necessary. After listening to us, Restoring Roots drew up a contract, complete with cost analysis and different scenarios for our objectives. When we had questions, they quickly answered them and explained their rationale for each step of the process. They had a wealth of knowledge, experience, and understanding of how plants interacted with one another, and how this interaction would not only benefit us humans, but also the environment. All work was completed within the time frame they provided, and within two weeks we had a backyard oasis--flowers, flower beds, blueberry bushes, a peach tree, forsythia, lilacs, bee-friendly plants, 3 garden beds ready for planting, and a drip irrigation system for the beds themselves. Additionally, they noticed an invasive weed that was slowly killing some of our other plants. They identified it, removed it, and replaced it with something else. The patches of dead grass were seeded with heartier clover, and are no longer barren. The down trodden area along the perimeter of our fence created by our dog was filled with a thick layer of mulch. Our pup still happily runs along this, but no longer kicks up a dust storm in the process. You would think that their involvement would stop there. But no! As part of their product, Restoring Roots makes it a point to come back and check on their plants throughout the hot, summer months. They made necessary adjustments that benefited the overall health of the plants and the look of the garden. They will come and do a "fall maintenance" to make sure our plants are ready to survive their first winter, and we hope to work with them again in the spring. We were so satisfied with Restoring Roots, we have asked them to help us with the shared maintenance aspect of our condo association. The front of our house has numerous plants and shrubs that were not looking their best. Since coming under the care of Restoring Roots, they have returned to their original state of glory. Now when I stand on my porch and look at my yard, I still see an indiscriminate pooping dog, but more importantly, I see the beautiful space I imagined created by Restoring Roots. read more

We are so pleased with the work Restoring Roots did at the Connolly Branch Library Cheryl and Noah listened to our needs and then developed a plan to fulfill those needs. The front of the library was transformed! We can't thank them enough. Fran Streeter Co-Chair Friends of the Connolly Library read more

Cheryl and Noah completed a landscape design and planting for me. It's just beautiful and full of fruiting plants and other native perennials. I get frequent compliments on the design and beauty of the layout. I asked for Spring bulbs which Noah planted last Fall. He selected varieties that are providing continuous blooms so far. They also maintain another property for me in JP. They are reliable. The price is reasonable and I feel good supporting a worker owned business. read more

It's ironic: I moved from a big house with a spacious back yard in Newton to a small condo with a wee piece of land in Jamaica Plain and this is the first time I hired a landscaper to plan out and install a garden. Well this is the first spring since the planting and we couldn't be more pleased. Karen is the woman I dealt with; she is knowledgeable and generous with her time and really wants her customers to be happy. I ran into her last week and she happily parked her car and took a look at our garden making suggestions and promising to come out and make sure the sprinkler system is working. There's a square of land on the side of the condo and I'm going to ask her to plant some herbs and possibly tomatoes. I wish I knew about them when I lived in Newton. I would have hired her in a heart beat. Restoring Roots is a collaborative so they don't gauge customers with out of this world prices the way a lot of larger landscape companies do. I recommend this company without hesitation. read more

In the beginning of the summer, my housemate brought in Karen Chaffe of Restoring Roots Cooperative to help her build a container garden on our porch in JP. It has brought so much beauty and joy to our home. Every day I see something amazing; morning glories, green and purple beans, kale, tomatoes and all kinds of treasures. I have lived in my place for 10 years and had no idea that so much could be done with a porch container garden and latticing. Thank you so much. Keep speeding Beauty and nourishment. read more