Workshop at The Gardens

We used Switzer's Nursery and Landscaping for general landscaping (plants and edging) and a paver patio / retaining wall project. The design options provided were wonderful and exceeded our expectations. The workmanship on the job site was excellent. The quality was 2nd to none. We appreciated the timely scheduling and quick project completion. I would recommend them to family an friends.

Project was to be finished in 3 weeks; however, it took three months to complete. While parts of the project were completed well, we've had major issues with washout behind a retaining wall, washout of gravel next to stairs, portion of patio sinking, and the grade of the property was still angled toward house causing water in basement. While the work was warrantied, only one of the issues was attempted to be remedied after nearly a year. The issue has since reoccurred and there is no response from Glenn or his team. He doesn't call back and he doesn't respond to issues. At this point, we are having the fixes bid. Value of re-work is many thousands to fix. We paid top dollar to Glenn who hired the C team to execute the work, and the outcome is sad. While there is a phase 2 to this project, Glenn isn't willing to fix the issues they caused in phase 1 to even bid out phase 2. He simply won't engage which speaks volumes about the mess he left.

Our landscape project was done in three phases. During each phase the project was completed on time and within budget. The crew was friendly and easy to work with. Glenn Switzer proved to be a creative landscape designer with an eye for detail. He created three beautiful outdoor spaces for our family to enjoy, a private, a public and a semi-public space. Glenn spent a lot of time before, during and after the project to ensure we obtained a livable and beautiful outdoor space. We live in an old Victorian home so the challenge of blending and balancing the size and style while adding some updated elements to the overall design was achieved through his vision.

Switzer's Nursery & Landscaping, Inc built three retaining walls at our house. The crew dealt with adverse weather early in the spring. Glenn has a very good eye for design and the walls turned out great. The workers were courteous and cleaned up well after each step of the project. I would definitely hire them again for another project.

Glenn is such a great, knowledgeable and professional designer. He has shared his background and passion for architecture and I can see it show in his landscape design with the thought and consideration he has put into it. Glenn has shared his experience and expertise many times with details on quality installation techniques or areas to add detail that just make a project stand out. I am happy to have Glenn as a fellow APLD designer.

Our back deck is about seven feet above ground level with banks sloping toward the deck from both ends of the house. I had envisioned a patio under the deck with a landing area at the base of the deck staircase. I also wanted a paver sidewalk leading from the end-load garage driveway down the bank to the patio. Simple, yes; creative, no. Enter Glenn Switzer. He spent time with us discussing sight-lines from the street and neighbor's house, discussing our hobbies/interests and sketching many ideas that opened our eyes to the possibilities of the space. What resulted was a two-phase project that gave us a large paver patio (with delightful decorative insert), plenty of headroom under the deck AND tall raised garden beds that grow out of the sloped bank. Providing room for our flower/kitchen garden, the beds frame a short set of steps that bring you from the sidewalk down into the now private patio area. It's difficult to describe but far beyond anything I could have envisioned without Glenn's insight. So, we asked Glenn to help with our front walk. It has a reverse slope, dropping down from the curb to the front porch of our Craftsman-style home. The existing paver walkway simply followed the downward slope of the hill without providing any visual interest. Again, he framed his plan in terms of the overall view of the front yard: sight lines, curb appeal, function and aesthetics. Here's what he designed: large paver landing area at the curb with planting beds, a short, wide retaining wall with three steps at the midpoint of the run that allowed the walkway to be relatively level in two sections (and created a private 'welcoming' area for guests), and a pedestal with lamp post that lights the walk. Wonderful! On both projects, Glenn responded to concerns immediately and was always available for discussion when he wasn't on site with the crew. He surprised us with special attention to auxiliary materials like stepping stones or specimen shrubs. (Our neighbors are envious.) His plans look 'organic' to the original home; not like afterthoughts. Although my wife and I are seasoned DIYers, we've also worked successfully with designers and contractors on our homes. Glenn is a cut above. He brings projects in at or below contract price, has a professional and courteous crew and, above all, listens carefully and brings an artist's sensibility to the work. Highest recommendation!

Glen Switzer of Switzer's Nursery did an amazing job on our project. Many of our friends have tried to translate his ideas into their own projects. Glen thinks like an artist with great care being given to every detail. For example, our front entrance decking was designed to replicate the wooden floors inside. Glen said it would visually expand the flow of the house making it seem bigger. It really does. Glen also added large boulders to our hillside that act as steps through the garden. Each boulder was hand selected and positioned by Glen for its color and shape. Now that's artistry!

I hired Switzer’s to do a landscaping upgrade to my St. Paul house as the inside had been redone but the exterior was a bit neglected and did not complement the interior living space. The designer from Switzer’s worked with us to determine what we were really looking for. I was really impressed with the Glenn’s ability to get at what we really wanted in our outdoor experience compared to other firms I had received estimates from. I was debating between pavers in one area and colored concrete in another. I had questions about both as to which one would work better in different locations. They answered all my questions and I couldn’t be happier with the choices that were made. Glenn really created a clear vision for us of what our outdoor space could and would eventually become. I outlined my budget, what I was looking for and was presented a couple of great options that would meet my needs. We ended up going with a very nice paver patio, revised exterior entry from the backyard side of the house and a completely new set of plant materials on the street side of the house. They created a wonderful outdoor space in the back that simply did not exist in the previous configuration. We have found that we really enjoy being in our backyard now and look forward to spending time there. The house is now as attractive from the outside as it is on the inside. They even solved a small drainage problem that we had with water coming into our yard from an adjacent property during heavier rain events, putting in a small rain garden which really added to the overall experience in the new backyard. No more swimming pool during rain events! Old material was removed without mess or destruction to any existing features or lawn that I wanted to keep. The crew was well trained and very professional and the work was completed well within the estimated time frame and within the agreed upon estimate. I will certainly be calling Switzer’s again when I plan my next addition to my outdoor living spaces. Thanks to Glenn and the crew!

We at Architectural Audio Integrators have worked with Switzer's many times on projects. Our experience working together is this: they have a vision from start to finish of a living space that is not only beautiful but also inviting. We provide audio, video, and/or outdoor theater and they build it into a room fit for a quiet summer evening or night at the drive-in with all the neighborhood kids. We can’t wait for the next time they call. It's always fun to see what they have flourishing.