Lake Forest Landscape Co. LLC

Barrett did a phenomenal job on my 500 sq ft backyard. In the beginning it was a barren concrete area and grassy slope, and in the end was transformed into a peaceful, zen oasis. DESIGN: Barrett listened to my goals and preferences, and was very receptive when I wanted to switch something out. He designed with everything I had in mind -- drought tolerant and low maintenance, does not excessively attract bugs, green and non-distracting for a meditative space. Whenever I had questions (which was often), he was happy to hop on a call and discuss with me. His design aesthetic, choice of hardscaping and plants made everything look very high end. CONSTRUCTION: Barrett made sure to check in on my space and the project almost every day of the week while the construction was going on. He hired Alex and his crew to install the job. What a responsible, receptive, hard-working crew of three. They showed up when they said they would, and their work was meticulous and detailed. The retaining wall and all the drainage components were really thoroughly built to a high standard. Alex was very receptive to my feedback as well, and took the time to meet me at a landscaping supply business to walk me through options and answer any questions I had. The project did end up taking longer than what was originally estimated, but it was not due to a lack of effort or showing up at all. OVERALL: I'd highly recommend Barrett for his design and project management services. When a few things did not turn out as expected, he offered solutions and ways to make it right. He truly wants clients to love and enjoy their outdoor spaces. I'm so glad I chose him -- I originally interviewed a few other highly-reviewed businesses, but I did not feel like my small space mattered to them and they emphasized how fast it could be completed instead of focusing on what I wanted, and did not offer the 1-1 attention to detail and partnership that Barrett offered. I'm looking forward to the next home I own in the future, when I can connect with him again!

Barrett did an amazing job re-designing our small townhouse yard into a beautiful and functional space. When we first moved in there was a rotting deck, trees growing into the fence and poorly laid grass that never took root and died after a couple of months. We didn’t have a vision of what the space could look like but Barrett drew all of our ideas into a concept sketch then worked with us to make adjustments based on budget and aesthetic preferences. When the first contractor came back with what we thought was too high of a bid, Barrett advocated for us and got a more reasonable bid from another contractor. Our contractor, Alex, was timely, meticulous and respectful of our home and our neighbors. When the job was done Barrett came back to replace plants that had died and he walked us through how to care for each plant, which was much appreciated as first-time home owners! We were able to contact him via email and phone throughout the process for questions and updates. The yard turned out better than we could have imagined. Overall a wonderful experience working with Lake Forest Landscape!

Barrett and his team from Lake Forest Landscape did an AMAZING job transforming our yard into a beautiful space that gets compliments every time someone sees it. Our yard was a mess to start with - brambles, bamboo stumps, loads of weeds trying to reclaim the land, and some poorly-laid sod. Barrett re-envisioned our sad yard into a beautiful mediterranean-inspired landscape with climate-appropriate plants that are now thriving! The landscaping team led by Abel worked SO hard to transform the land and work creatively to literally move earth in a situation with tricky access and a lot of stairs. We would absolutely recommend Lake Forest Landscape to anyone looking for a beautiful outdoor space, you'd be in great hands!

Barrett was wonderful to work with! Barrett was very responsive, has a great eye for design, and even came back to check on the plants. I would highly recommend Lake Forest Landscape!

Working with Barrett was an excellent experience from the initial e-mails and meeting all the way through consultations, brainstorming ideas and plan presentations and adjustments. The installation process was exactly as we were told it would be and even though we had some delays in getting several products needed for our project -- the delays were from supply chain issues mostly -- Barrett knew how to mitigate the setbacks and keep things going forward. A landscaping overhaul is a lengthy process and Barrett knew how to keep things moving and to correctly set expectations about timing and planing. Reviewing the plans and budget, he was a dream to work with and had no issues with making adjustments to save budget as needed as the project evolved. The installation stage was well managed and Barrett works with great people to get everything done. Overall, Barrett works to make your vision a reality with just enough help to improve your own ideas every time without dominating the process. When we did come up short on ideas, he had plenty of thoughts and choices for us to consider. We can't say enough positive things about working with him and recommend him to include in your designer search. We were happy to invite him to include our project in his portfolio to show potential new clients.

Barrett was the right fit for our landscape project from the moment he arrived for our consult. We had met with a couple other designers who all asked us what we wanted to do, but we didn't know. That's why we were hiring a professional! Barrett wasn't shy about identifying the problem areas of our yard, and he IMMEDIATELY had some great ideas. I appreciate his desire to reuse as much of what was already in our yard as possible, and he was really down to earth when make making final decisions that worked for our budget. Whenever we've had follow-up questions or concerns, his customer service has been excellent. I've stopped counting how many compliments we've gotten from perfect strangers walking by or doing a quick Buy Nothing pick-up, and several neighbors who enjoyed watching the transformation of our property asked for his contact info! Everyone loves our yard! We couldn't be happier with the outcome of our initial project and are looking forward to having him back for future stages of our overall yard re-design!

We loved working with Barrett on our backyard landscaping vision & execution. After an initial consultation and a visit for measurements, Barrett created an amazing design for our yard. He was a great communicator, extremely knowledgeable, and was always available to hear my frequent feedback. Our backyard was just grass and fence prior and now we have a gorgeous landscaped yard complete with dozens and dozens of plants and a flagstone patio... we are so excited to have our friends over to show it off. I also appreciate what a good teacher Barrett is - I learned a lot about the plants we put in and how to make sure we take best care of them (watering, pruning, etc.) We would definitely recommend Barrett for any landscaping project.

Barrett and team did a great job with our project. After spending weeks under the Stay At Home order and staring out at a yard I did not like, I contacted Barrett via Houzz and found a great partner for our project. He put together a design drawing, budget, and crew very quickly. The team he works with was very thorough but purposeful. I recommended Lake Forest Landscape to my neighbor and good friend, and would happily use their services again.

Barrett was simply outstanding. We had started working with another landscape designer who ended up not being a good fit with our project. Changing designers in the middle of a project was not an easy decision, but as soon as Barrett started working I knew we had made the right choice. He listened to what we envisioned and put a plan on paper. He was always open to feedback, incorporating most of our suggestions and providing alternative options when he thought there was something better. Not only are his design skills great, but he's also an outstanding project manager. He took ownership of the project, directed the landscaper, and was on site daily while the work was underway. This project was new construction and his project management skills were FAR superior to those of our general contractor. I would hire Barrett again in a heartbeat and highly recommend him!

Barrett was fantastic to work with! He helped us with the entire project, from planning/design to finding a custom carpenter and planting. Barrett was always very fast to respond and the entire process from start to finish was very quick. Our small patio has been completely transformed and feels much bigger now. I can't recommend Lake Forest Landscape Co enough!

Lake Forest Landscape was fantastic. They came over quickly and were very responsive. Barrett has great vision and plant expertise and knew exactly which plants and trees would work best with the designs he helped create. He had a great understanding of what we were looking for and proposed several options for us to choose from. His easy going demeanor made the process fun and professional and has great attention to detail. We couldn't recommend Lake Forest Landscape enough. We'll definitely be using them again when we redesign the front yard.

Barrett has an incredible botanical knowledge and was very helpful in both discussing a possible rain garden and designing it with native plants and within the specs I wanted.

Barrett did a superb job for us by designing and coordinating the work for our landscape project. He was always prompt to respond to any of my questions and his original/practical design ideas worked perfectly with our property! Our new patio, water feature and fire pit are amazing! I would certainly recommend him to anyone looking to renovate their landscape!