We used Marilyn and team for a tiny front yard makeover and new lawn in our back. We also have them for continuing maintenance. Our new front yard makeover gets compliments from friends and neighbors and we couldn't be happier. More than that, the continued maintenance on the yard - makes that one less item we need to stress about. Super fast and cleanly - the team comes bi-weekly and keeps our yard looking its best. read more

I gave Marilyn a $3000 budget to correct the problems from the previous contractor that I had paid $10,000 to. My yard was left surprisingly untidy/worn out looking. When I complained that clean-up gardening is a reasonable expectation after landscaping given the exposed drip lines/soil, shifted rock/bark, dead plant stalks and leaves/fruit cluttering the ground, etc., she responded that I hired her for landscaping, not gardening. An hours worth of clean-up would have been all it took to have a happier customer. Not impressed. read more

The Plant Connection - How my yard was left. - Landscaping Near Me - Northridge, California

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The Plant Connection has been my landscaper in Hancock Park for (yikes!) nearly 30 years. When I bought my house, Marilyn designed and installed a complete re-do of the back yard, as well as the irrigation system for the entire property. When I needed hardscaping, she did the brickwork. When I had to replace a wall, she secured an excellent fencing contractor. Her crew has maintained my flower beds, my container gardens, my foundation planting, my ornamental trees, my lawn -- you name it. Marilyn's employees are honest, hardworking and knowledgeable, and many have worked for her as long as The Plant Connection has worked for me, which says a great deal. If you're looking for a reliable one-stop landscaping/gardening shop, you've found it. read more

Awesome! Marilyn replanted 2 of my aging parents indoor plants. When I walked in and saw them I couldn't believe that they were the same plants! OMG!!!!!! Really beautiful work, thank you Marilyn! My whole family couldn't believe it. read more

I wrote this review several months ago and decided not to post it. I was going to just chalk it up to a lesson learned but as I view my backyard today and see how many plants have died due to improper soil preparation, how much of the lighting they installed has failed and the fountain I had to turn into a planter because they broke it, I thought I should give others a heads up on what they could expect when working with the Plant Connection......... We had high hopes when we hired The Plant Connection to landscape our backyard. We knew our budget and had a clear vision of what we wanted and was assured by Marilyn at The Plant Connection that we had her personal assurance that she could and would deliver on both. It became apparent that Marilyn used independent contractors to do each task of the project. I normally would not have a problem with this but each of these vendors seemed to have their own agenda. Some of the work was good and some was not so good. When the work done had problems she would call the vendor back to correct. Each time we were told that the vendor charged The Plant Connection to correct their mistakes and/or sloppy work and in turn the Plant Connection passed that charge on to us. There appears to be no control over these sub-contractors. If you opt to use The Plant Connection here's some advice that may help you avoid disappointment. All through the job we were pressured to keep feeding Marilyn money because she was being pressured by her vendors to get paid. This seems reasonable but be very careful to hold back enough money to ensure the job gets finished correctly. I fell for Marilyn's sob stories and paid for the job even though it was not complete. As soon as she sensed she was financially ahead of the game she walked away leaving us over budget and incomplete, with dead plants, subpar work and very disappointed. read more

I have come to really love the plant connection and I think you should too. First of all, I have done a lot of properties and on each one I use PC to do my work. I used to think PC was expensive, but as I took the time to break down Marilyn's very detailed proposals I understood this was simply the cost of doing business with a licensed, insured construction business in Los Angeles. You will always find it cheaper with one of the unlicensed guys or one of the guys who does work on the side! But with Marilyn and her crew - i have always been taken care of and IF an issue arrises they are always there to get it right. I would love to know more about these folks who are leaving PC a 1-star review. I couldn't disagree more! I think they are letting a little hiccup or mis-managed expectations tarnish a perfectly respectable company and for that I am disappointed. I fully endorse PC. read more

I have only great things to say about the Plant Connection, and the owner Marilyn. Marilyn has been our landscape designer and manager of care-taking our garden for twenty years...and I am continually impressed by both her expertise and level of service that she and her workers provide. Years ago Marilyn completely re-designed our front and back yards to create a delightful English-inspired garden--and now we are working with her to redo our property with water conservation and sustainability in mind. The project is going wonderfully. Marilyn's understanding of both the aesthetics and practicality of sustainable gardening is truly impressive--and she is a delight to work with. Frankly, I am surprised at some of the low ratings on Yelp...I believe they transpired when Marilyn was recuperating from an illness a while back...but she is definitely back in gear...and I can't recommend her (and her staff) highly enough. Whether you need landscape design and/or ongoing management of your garden....I strongly recommend you give Plant Connection a call....and at least meet once with Marilyn, to see if she is a right fit for you. read more

I had a stump that needed removal along with some irrigation problems which I'm sure is a pretty small job by their standards but Miguel treated me like I was his most important client. The work was done quickly and at a very reasonable price. Great people to work with and I will use them again. read more

Our garden design and creation is a few years old at this time. I can't say enough about how happy we are with the artistic design, native plant selection and hardscape details. We constantly get complements from our neighbors about our front yard. Our backyard took a hit with a husky puppy we had briefly who dug up almost everything. We were planning a memorial event recently and I asked Marilyn what she could do on short notice to repair the damage. In less than a week she had a few workers planting, laying fresh bark and cleaning up damage. The Plant Connection does our weekly service with polite, professionalism. I'm sorry to see the old negative reviews, since my constant and current experience has been beyond positive. This is the type of vendor I enjoy doing business with. read more

When we remodeled our house, the back yard was completely destroyed and all that was left was dirt. We hired Marilyn to create an outdoor area that we could enjoy year round. She came up with several different options for us and we eventually chose a plan that we are thrilled with. Marilyn is very responsive and always answered our calls and e-mails in a timely manner. She also listened to our feedback throughout the entire process. In addition, she pays a lot of attention to detail and will not hesitate to have her staff redo work if it's not done exactly right. read more

I highly recommend The Plant Connection for landscaping projects and monthly maintenance. Marilyn (the owner) knows what she is doing and has a really great team working for her. She and her crew are knowledgeable and hard working. Marilyn is clearly dedicated to her work and has always been incredibly responsive to our needs. We have hired The Plant Connection for several projects, including: landscaping our backyard, side yard and front of house, installing new irrigation systems... and soon they will plant a privacy hedge around our property. Reliable, hard working, excellent service... good people. Don't waste your time or money with anyone else. read more

I attempted to try to hire them for maintenance but it was such a hassle getting return responses I eventually just gave up. These are not people I'm going to trust my landscaping to if a phone call or return email is too much work. read more

Marilyn and her team are extremely diligent and hard working. They get the job done fast and she always keeps your budget in mind. I never felt pressured into doing anything over our budget. They are always available to answer questions and they don't leave until the job is done well and done right. We are so happy with our new landscaped backyard and now we have the greenest lawn on the block! read more

If they say they can repair your sprinkler system, run the other way. Once the contract is signed, there is no supervision or quality control. You won't know it's not working until the plants they sold you are dying and your money is gone. read more

Everything looked great at first, and we were pleased even though we dropped 10,000 dollars. Within six months every thing was dead or had to be moved. Marilyn planted flowers under our beautiful orange trees that required lots of water. We had to take them all out since all the water was killing our orange trees. They installed sprinkler systems that did not cover all the areas needed and left many plants dying. She makes a good impression but I would not recommend her!! Unless you like the look of dead flowers and plants. read more

The biggest problem here seems to be lack of clear and speedy communication. Waiting days for emails to be replied to does not sow a trustworthy relationship. Eventually Marilyn will respond, and in our situation, address the concerns. But the speed at which she replies is very very long. read more

This is an amazing company with Marilyn as the owner and Miguel as the foreman. They work with you to create the perfect landscape at reasonable, albeit non-exploitative prices. In fact, they are very sensitive to budget issues. I love the way Marilyn gets a sense of your taste and helps you realize your ideal garden. The company does many large jobs but seems just as committed to smaller jobs (which is what mine was). I think that you can't go wrong with this company, whether you have large acreage or a small patio. read more