When COVID quarantine began in March 2020, I rediscovered back and front yards long neglected over many years of business and recreational time spent away from home.
One of my first endeavors was to convert two old shrubbery gardens to make space to grow vegetables. Years of neglect and overgrown roots from adjacent trees had damaged the irrigation system, so I sought help from the Yelp community. Companies were dealing with early-COVID restrictions and an unprecedented groundswell of DIY gardeners, so most companies that responded said they could help me if I could wait a month or two.
Vivid Landscape was the exception. Less than an hour after his initial response, Jose (company founder and president) arrived and immediately went to work repairing or replacing broken PVC pipes, fittings and sprinkler heads. He was just as responsive a couple weeks later when my clumsy gardening techniques caused a few more leaks.
In 2021, I hired Vivid Landscape to perform a small masonry project, removing an old diving board and small concrete area to expand the veggie garden space. I was impressed by the quality of Vivid's crew members and their attention to detail.
It was during that time that Jose and I began discussing a far more expansive yard reinvention project, including replacing a decrepit, seldom-used old swimming pool with a backyard basketball court, a childhood dream that resurfaced when the playgrounds and gyms were shut down by COVID. We also discussed options to address driveway damage caused by tree roots, but without stifling the tree's growth.
While I had a general idea of what I wanted, Jose offered many creative ideas and addressed major construction concepts, beginning with chronic drainage issues in my foothill property--gravity has never been my friend since I bought this house.
One thing that stood out to me: Jose knew the boundaries between his company's greatest strengths and when the client could be better served by an associate company. I can speak as highly of the associates he recommended (swimming pool excavation, gates, HVAC, basketball court surfacing) as of Vivid Landscape itself.
By late 2021, the world was already encountering shortages of skilled labor and materials, and Jose was always up-front in apprising me on project timelines he could reliably commit to. Along the way, we dealt with shortages of everything from concrete to synthetic turf, but the project was well-planned and was completed within the timeframes and budget agreed to up front.
The 2022 yard reinvention project included scope: tear up damaged concrete driveway, replace with pavers; new facades for garden areas; excavation of old concrete surfaces; installation of underground drainage system and sump pump, using laser technology to assure gravity became an ally; pouring of new concrete in back and side yards; construction of shed; outdoor lighting; replacement of gates; replacement of natural grass lawn by combination of synthetic turf and paver walkways; and landscaping with drought-resistant plants. They even dismantled my old 10-foot C-Band satellite dish--broke my heart.
The lawn replacement was not in the original plans, but as outdoor watering restrictions were soon to go into effect--eight minutes a week in La Verne--we decided to move forward with installation of synthetic turf. The Vivid Landscape crew made painstaking preparations of the bared soil and boundary edges before installing the new turf, and it turned out fantastic. If you are considering replacement of a natural lawn as drought restrictions are likely to become even more restrictive, this is definitely a company you should consider.
Jose is immensely proud of his team and the culture of his company. I was always impressed by how hard each crew member worked and the skills they displayed. There was also an ongoing commitment to training and continuous improvement. Pride in their craft was always on display, as well as friendliness and daily cleanup of the work area.
In the real world, not everything goes perfectly, and the contractor's response is an important metric for evaluating their performance. Shortly after project completion, there was a leak below a small area of concrete. Within an hour, a crew member arrived to troubleshoot the problem (a PVC fitting had developed a small crack) and the problem was fixed on the spot.
My summary opinion: Vivid Landscape did everything that Jose and I had discussed in the months leading up to the project, down to the most minute details, and they performed them to the highest standards of craftsmanship. Whether your outdoor needs are small, intermediate or large, my experiences with Vivid Landscape allow me to heartily recommend this company. read more