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
