Landscape Architects & Designers in Alma

“James Widman and Cornerstone Landscape Studio Our project, completed in the Fall of 2015, was comprised of multiple components—outdoor rooms, structures, and art. Several local companies collaborated to make our dreams come true, including Dargal Clark Builders (pool house and pavilion structures), Midwest Custom Pools (pool/pool features, patios, retaining walls, water art feature, fireplace and fire pit), Fine Design Studio (interior design/furniture consultation), Long Lighting (lighting on all structures), Topeka Landscape (yard/accent lighting, irrigation, lawn), and the subject of this review—James Widman and Cornerstone Landscape Studio. First, if we had to summarize our experience with Cornerstone Landscape Studio, we would use these words: beauty, integrity, quality, service and FUN! The landscaping design and implementation were aesthetically crucial to this project’s end result. These guys NAILED IT. James has an incredible eye for design, and applied his unique ability to transform our vision into a reality surpassing our imagination. We interviewed a few landscape designers for this project. James incorporated all of our ideas—including unique plantings, focal point enhancement, immediate and long-term “wow” factor, color, texture, movement, all-season interest and ease of care. We had a somewhat narrow time-frame in which to work, and James met that timeframe. He delivered a thorough, highly-competitive bid comprised of a presentation, the plans, plant and material samples. When it was time to get started, James collaborated with other members of the project team to determine the timeline for completion, ensuring that things got done when it most made sense to do them—which meant more efficiency and less mess! We made some unique requests which CLS went out of their way to accommodate and support—like helping us select and haul boulders from fields in a family farm to our place. James then artfully incorporated those boulders into the landscape as though they were a part of the original design. The care with which each of those stones were placed extended to every selected plant, pot, and tree that went into this project. James hand selected each specimen and got dirty and sweaty with shovel in hand alongside his employees—participating in every phase of the landscape work. When it was time to call it a day, it was James who made sure that the site was cleaned up—trash taken away, patios hosed and swept clean. We were so impressed by how CLS repeatedly stated, “we work here, but this is YOUR home.” They approached their work with the level of detail, respect and care that a guest in your home would have. Each day, they left the site better than they found it. . . and took extensive measures to ensure that equipment did not scratch or rub on any surfaces or structure . . even the concrete! James personally monitored the health of all the plants during the first weeks of planting. He (not a crew member) came to water several Saturdays and Sundays. . .We could have done that ourselves—but again, this company is about integrity, quality, and service. The few times James felt something wasn’t quite right, he replaced it immediately. Finally, the FUN. James and his crew LOVE what they do. This is a crew that smiles and laughs and shares in your delight as it all comes together. They were efficient, committed to a high standard of quality, collaborative, flexible, and of high character. We look forward to many more projects with this company. **As a side note—we did not have a General Contractor for this project. What we DID have was a team of individuals who stand by their integrity, their company, and their product. Dargal Clark, Glen Westervelt, James Widman, Andy Gilliland, Jennifer Metzger, and Kellie Long coordinated and collaborated with one another SEAMLESSLY. They kept us in the loop about everything, consulted us prior to each decision and problem solved as a team. It was NOT the experience we had anticipated after reading as much as we could about “how-to” approach a project like this. We believe our incredibly positive experience is a direct reflection of the caliber of each company we selected. We would work with every single one of these folks again!”

“This is a company where people & customers come first. In fact, it is what drew us to the company from the very beginning. I love coming home after the monthly maintenance has been done because my lawn is the best looking in the neighborhood. The creativity of the design for our larger projects is excellent & the guys are always striving for 100% satisfaction. They listened to my ideas & then brought their expertise to make our backyard setting like that of a 5 star hotel, and that is exactly how I feel when I am in my backyard...a slice of vacation.”