Without question, Living Oaks Landscaping is the best landscaping company on the Outer Banks. The Living Oaks Team completed the landscaping for our new home in late 2014, and we are thrilled with both the results and the entire experience.
During the past 15 years here on the Outer Banks, we've owned both rental and full-time properties and have worked with a variety of other landscapers on the Outer Banks. Our past experiences ranged from decent to horrible. Most all of them, in varying degrees, had the typical OBX attitude: “Dude, it’s good enough for the beach”. Simply getting someone here to return a call or follow up is a constant problem, much less finding someone capable enough to execute a project well within a reasonable timeframe and budget. Any landscaper can specify plants, dig a few holes and throw plants in the ground. Living Oaks is different because of their complete skill set of education and good business management as well as familiarity with all aspects of landscaping, including lighting snd hardscape.
Thankfully, during the process of interviewing multiple landscapers, we discovered Living Oaks Landscaping. After the lot was cleared and the house built, they took our acre lot from sand, a few sad pine trees and wax myrtles, and made something beautiful out of it. During the initial design and subsequent 4-week installation phase, Reynolds and his team of employees (by the way, NOT part-time laborers of subs) demonstrated why they are a cut above the others. The team arrived on time, was hard working, conscientious, polite, and always professional in their appearance and interactions with us. They were respectful of neighboring properties, taking care not to damage our neighbors’ plantings or yard. The team stayed focused on the work, took few breaks, were not constantly looking at their phones, and cleaned up behind themselves at the end of each day. (What a concept…no cigarette butts, Slurpee Cups or DingDong wrappers left in the yard or driveway.) They worked well together as a team and took pride in the finished product.
As for Reynolds, Living Oaks’ owner/manager, his knowledge of materials and design is the best we’ve come across on the beach. His designs take into account the style of the structure, the customer’s personal style preference in landscaping, and the topography. He is very knowledgeable about our beach micro-climate and what plants work best here; yet his creative design choices are tempered with respect for the client’s preferences and flexibility with budget constraints. He also has a good working knowledge of irrigation systems and how to maximize the benefit without breaking the bank. Reynolds is an excellent communicator, and sets realistic expectations while always being open to his customer’s ideas. He is hands-on with his team, not the typical absentee owner/manager. He continually reviews the project’s progress and is not above lifting a shovel himself to get the result he wants for the project. His management style and personal professionalism are reflected by his team’s professional attitude and work ethic. It was obvious to us how much he cares about his company, his team and his customers by the way he acts and the beautiful results that are produced.
We’ve recommended Living Oaks to several friends and are happy to be a continuing reference for them. Due to the large number of rental homes on the OBX beaches, there is always more demand for than supply of landscapers here. Thus the landscapers here stay busy and carry a back log of projects, but unlike all the others, Living Oaks is worth waiting for. Many thanks to Reynolds and his team. We look forward to working with you again soon!
please nite: We (the reviewers) are not in any way related to anyone on the Living Oaks Landscaping team nor have we received compensation or consideration for this review.
