Gilmore Landscape Architecture

We had an incredible experience wtih Gilmore Landscape Architecture! We went to them with an idea for our backyard, and they developed a design and plan that resulted in a beautiful and calming space. They are professional and reliable, and deliver quality. We give them our highest recommendation!

We engaged Rob Gilmore and team to landscape our back yard. We had an aging deck leading to a wooden patio buttressing a slope, rotten timbers, and a chronic drainage problem in our lower yard next to the house. Rob and team worked with us to design a space that feels closer to the natural sloping terrain and that continues to bring us joy outdoors. In the design phase, Rob worked closely with us in reimagining our private outdoor space, more natural and pleasant to be in. This included replacing the old wooden deck with a Goshen stone patio and stone retaining walls forming beautiful contours around the patio and steps leading to a re-graded lower yard. Rob hired skilled masons for all the stonework, dry-laid and built to last 500 years! The team also built a waterfall that fit in beautifully with the natural slope of the yard. Despite two mature trees on the property, we were able to add two new large evergreen trees and many colorful native shrubs to surround us. We can see it all from our new composite deck and appreciate how it all came together. The GLA team was terrific, professional, and friendly from design to build.

We worked with Rob on a complete yard renovation that included full regrading across multiple levels, new retaining walls (both mortared and placed), a stone landing, walkway, and stairs, a paver patio, deck, fencing, sod/irrigation system, and full planting. During the design process, we provided a rough vision and goals for the project and Rob and team game back with multiple options that we iterated around until we generated the master plan. Rob really listened to us and brought his experience to make recommendations consistent with our goals, design aesthetic, and budget. Once we began the project, Rob and his team efficiently orchestrated its execution, which included both his own team's hard/softscape work along with that of subcontractors (e.g., mason, carpenter, excavator). There were many moving pieces and some onsite changes had to be made once the project started and "issues" arose. Rob communicated these challenges and his suggested modifications always made sense and worked out. There were some delays getting the different subcontractors scheduled that overall lengthened the timelines, but Rob kept us posted and let us know what to expect. I really appreciated the design and build aspect to Rob and his team. I was impressed with how Rob and team excelled at both the design, but also rolled up their sleeves to "dig in the dirt" as well. I think that design/build continuity really made the project successful. The final product is absolutely incredible and achieved everything we set out to do - to both create more functional spaces and to make it look great. We couldn't be happier and would absolutely recommend Glimore Landscape Architecture.

We are so thrilled with the major renovation that Rob Gilmore and his crew designed and implemented for our back yard. From start to finish, Rob was professional, attentive, and creative in bringing our vision for the space to life. Before the renovation, our back yard was not very pleasant or child-friendly. It was lacking in features and design (was effectively just some crumbling mossy asphalt at the top of a steep hill), and didn't offer much in terms of enjoyment for our family and friends. But thanks to Rob's hard work and expertise, our outdoor space is now a true oasis. One of the things that impressed me most about Rob was his ability to listen to our ideas and incorporate them into the design. He took the time to understand our needs and preferences, and came up with a plan that exceeded our expectations. The end result is a truly stunning outdoor space that we can't wait to enjoy with our family and friends. Rob and his team installed a large deck off the hill, a winding stone staircase, patio, dedicated drainage for our gutters, and a *ton* of beautiful new plants. These features all flow seamlessly together, creating a cohesive and inviting atmosphere that is a perfect escape from city life. Rob's attention to detail was also impressive. He made sure to use high-quality materials that would stand the test of time, and his team did a fantastic job executing the installation. Overall, I can't recommend Rob enough for anyone looking to transform their outdoor space. He truly is a talented and reliable landscape architect, and we are so grateful for the work he did for us. Our back yard is now a pleasant and child-friendly place for us to spend time, and we have Rob (and his team) to thank for that.

We worked with Gilmore Landscape Architecture to design our backyard. The design itself overall was nice - a good mix of hardscape and plantings. For the most part, the design met our goals (with the exception of a few areas in which we asked for screening and the plantings provide very little). We have received many compliments on our yard and we are generally pleased with the end result. Unfortunately, the process and execution were poor in several ways: 1) We had to frequently ask for things to be done that should have been a minimum expectation of the installation. For example, the team had trouble planting several of the new trees straight. We had to ask many times for this to be corrected. They initially tried staking one of them, which was predictably ineffective and then after further requests on our part agreed to replant it, but even after that remained crooked. We ultimately straightened them ourselves. 2) A number of the large shrubs and several smaller shrubs were unhealthy when they were planted and never recovered. Others died quickly within months of planting. When we asked to replace as appropriate under the one-year planting guarantee, we were told they would be replaced but the team never followed up. After multiple requests to address this went unanswered, we ultimately gave up. 3) Several of the new trees they planted which were recommended for the design because of their hardiness died within 1.5 years due to a pest (can’t necessarily blame the team for this but apparently this pest is quite common and once encountered can’t be eradicated). If we had known we would have planted another variety. Overall we found it difficult to communicate with the team. We felt we had to be more persistent than we would have expected to have requests addressed, and in the end just gave up on some because it was too challenging to get a response. We have declined to recommend to several friends for these reasons.

Rob and team did an amazing backyard transformation for us in Belmont, MA. We were extremely happy with the results and highly recommend the Gilmore Landscape Architecture team. They worked closely with us on the design and permitting process, guiding but not dictating, and ensuring we were able move forward confidently and compliantly. Rob and Ian helped us select and source a wide variety plantings that fit with our aesthetic, our interest in local species (love the sourwood!), and the growing conditions. The installation team was easy to work with and adapted quickly as needed throughout the installation; both as site conditions dictated (e.g. granite edging on patio to compensate for slope) and as we made changes to the plans (mahogany decking and a boxed in railing!)). Overall, we were able to transform a relatively useless and unappealing backyard space into a beautiful, functional outdoor living space that is consistent with the style of our home yet uniquely modern. A special note of appreciation for Rob's coordination of the, gas, electrical, irrigation and (last minute) shed sub-contractors during a peak time of the year - it made the entire project come together. We look forward to many years of outdoor enjoyment.

We presented Rob and his team with lots of challenges - design requirements that were somehow both specific and vague, quirky and rocky terrain, access limitations, and intractable town zoning restrictions. Rob and his team overcame all of the above to give us exactly what we were hoping for – even if we couldn’t always articulate what it was we wanted. Rob was creative, persistent, patient, flexible, and kind. Equally important, he is a good listener and a good communicator. As an enthusiastic gardener, I found Rob and his team to be knowledgeable about plants, sensitive to our existing landscape considerations, and to possess unerringly good design instincts, appropriate to our site. It's important to note also that the team is obviously selected with great care. We felt that they were enthusiastic about the work they were doing, meticulous in their operations, and respectful of our property and our requests. It was always a pleasure to have them onsite, and we would love to have a chance to work with them again in the future.

Rob Gilmore and his team did a fantastic job. We selected Rob for our yard in Somerville because of his experience transforming smaller spaces into beautiful and functional areas. They came up with innovative ideas for different areas of our yard that we would have never thought of including solutions to our steep driveway that used to freeze into an ice sheet in the winter. They listened to our needs and asked about how we used our yard before making suggestions. They recommended we create an extra set of sets off our front porch to improve accessibility to our side yard. They created unique planters around a new patio to allow us to garden. They added an herb garden in a particular spot for perfect herb growing once they learned we liked to cook. Rob's partner Ian has a tremendous knowledge of plants and made great suggestions about what to plant and always gave us choices. They were incredibly easy to work with and were able to accommodate us and change plans when we realized what we had asked for wasn't exactly what we wanted. We hired Gilmore Landscape for both the design and build phases. That made it much easier to adjust things along the way. We highly recommend them.

GLA were a pleasure to work with. The project was a small urban backyard lot. The installation team was professional, neat, and timely in their work. When an issue arose with a problem tree GLA was quick to respond with solutions and installation. In the end the project exceeded expectations. I happily recommend GLA.

This review is long overdue as we I have worked with Rob and his team at Gilmore landscape architecture on a couple different projects. The first one Rob installed some plants in front of the house, and then designed a very unique stairway with native stone that looked very natural. That is what it’s great fun working with Rob is that he likes to use local plants and not the typical stuff you see in the landscaping done by many of the contractors in the area. The second project was a complete makeover of my front landscape with a beautiful walkway. My wife couldn’t be happier with the way it came out, and isn’t that what it’s all about! Rob is easy to Communicate with, and his pricing very competitive. Communicate with, and his pricing very competitive. Thanks Rob! Bob, Winchester, Ma

We hired Gilmore Landscape because of water in our basement caused by rain/snow. Rob and his crew did a fantastic job. The engineering required was amazing, and we got a new, beautiful front sidewalk. The best thing is having a dry basement now. The crew was professional, hard-working and finished on time. They came back twice to seed and replant grass, then watered it. We get so many compliments about our front walk. If only people could see what's underneath.

Rob and his team did an incredible job with out patio and backyard landscaping. They listened to our ideas, helped us to create a vision, and then executed everything beautifully on time and on budget. We give them our highest recommendation!