Planned Environment Associates

Building a home in another state is a daunting task. John (Sensitive Information Hidden) was recommended by many landscape companies as a go-to person for landscape design, who could get the job done. He reviewed our HOA's requirements and interviewed us as to our preferences. He quoted a price for his services and came in at budget. John listened and executed a plan acceptable to the HOA and us which was approved as presented and was available to work with our landscaper if any questions or concerns arose. All in all, John made it a seamless process and we and our neighbors are enjoying the results of his labor in our new home.

Jon guided us through a major landscaping project that included removing invasives, planting native species, designing a retaining wall, a new deck and a fire pit. He was readily available to answer any questions and meet with us whenever we needed. Thanks to his knowledge and skills, he was able to bring our vision to life.

Jon (Sensitive Information Hidden) was incredibly helpful in the design and execution of our landscaping project. The scope of the project included renovation of a pool deck and the addition of a fire pit area and small patio, plus new plantings throughout the property. Jon responds promptly to phone calls and has a detailed knowledge of local vendors and contractors. We could not have completed this work without his help and would recommend him for other projects without reservation.

If we could give more than 5 stars we would. Our experience with Planned Environment Associates was seamless. We worked with Jon Ruble and our expectations were exceeded. He listened to our vision, gave input when we were going to make choices that weren't in our best interest and most importantly helped us trouble shoot a lot line, septic issue. Our design is unique and low maintenance. We love it.

There is no one better than Stu!!!!! He designed a beautiful landscape for our house as if he could see the pictures I had in my head! Building a house is difficult enough when trying to envision how all the finishes you have selected will all come together.....then developing a landscape vision to showcase the exterior curb appeal of your new home can push to the brink. Stu's professionalism, experience, and attention to detail takes all the stress and worry away. He knows what the HOA's want. He takes the time to learn what you want. There aren't too many people you can turn a project entirely over to and expect a superior result - but you can with Stu!!! Our family will spend many hours outside enjoying our beautifully designed yard. Our MANY THANKS!!!!

We had the great pleasure of meeting Stu Franzen early on in our new home building process. Our desire was to create an outdoor environment that complemented both the cottage we were building and the neighborhood we were joining. Right from the beginning, it became apparent that Stu was a great listener as he quickly grasped our vision and was able to help us bring it to reality with his extensive experience and knowledge. He was instrumental in helping us find the right sub-contractors and stayed very close to the project throughout construction. His suggestions on refining the plan as we proceeded were invaluable and the final results far surpassed our expectations.

In addition to reaching out to Stu to address stormwater management challenges on our Lake Michigan sited property, we also had Stu design our landscaping plan. Stu, taking into account the strategic placement of the drywells, designed a beautiful assortment of plantings to enhance the appearance of the property as well as to address the slopes of the finish grades. Everything from stormwater management and coordination with subsequent landscape design was very well thought out while using native plantings consistent with a beach type environment. The design consisted of Alliums (Millenium), Rozanne Geraniums, Karl Forester Grass, Black Eyed Susan, Blue Wonder Catmint, Prairie Dropseed and a Dwarf Mugo Pine. In reaching out to businesses for the procurement of these plantings, comments were "what a beautiful compliment of plantings and we can procure all of these". I highly recommend Planned Environment Associates if you are interested in a person and firm genuinely focused on addressing your challenges and interests.

While I did not end up working with P.E.A I did have an initial consultation with Stu. After taking a look at my property and assessing the scope of work, Stu realized I did not require his services. Rather than make an attempt to oversell me, he was upfront and honest with me and steered me in a different direction. Since he had made the trip out to my property, he did provide me with some high level recommendations and even sketched out a quick design for me at no cost even though he knew we wouldn't be working together. He also gave me some good background information to have when talking with other landscapers about what I was looking for. Overall Stu is very knowledgeable and I learned a lot from our meeting. I would recommend contacting him for his services.

Ours is a small backyard (approximately 30 x 40 feet) and when the previous owner's playset became rotted, it was time to redo the use of our yard at our home in Long Beach, IN to make it more inviting and functional for our family. The backyard was almost 100% hardscape with the exception of 3 large hostas, so we knew that we needed to soften the look. I am active user of Houzz and used it to find possible landscape designers in the Michigan City area. As I scrolled through Planned Environment Associates' project gallery, I recognized many homes with landscaping designed by Stuart Franzen that I admired on my walks in Long Beach. I knew then that Stuart was the right choice. We gave Stuart a wish list and he was able to incorporate all of our "must haves" into our plan and budget within a quick turnaround. The scale of the project and variety of plants was perfect and despite the yard's small size, we were able to easily fit in an outdoor kitchen, an eating area, a curved low wall, a fire pit area with room for large chairs, as well as a planted border. The design development, bidding and installation were all done long distance and I had no concerns as Stuart was a great communicator, provided options as the project progressed and worked with the contractor. He was able to recycle a large amount of existing pavers into a seat wall to surround the fire pit, which was a win/win in that it saved money by reusing the existing pavers and kept them out of a landfill. The low wall also adds an interesting vertical element and additional seating. The yard looks spacious despite its small size and numerous functions. It is a low maintenance yard that suits our second-home time constraints perfectly. We couldn't be happier.

Stu developed a great landscape plan to update our house. He listened to our ideas and came up with a nice plan that we could implement over time. He was very flexible in making some changes as we got into the actual work. I highly recommend his services.

I've worked with Stu on a number of projects and plan on continuing to welcome those opportunities. His knowledge and ability to read clients to create a design that fits their needs. From the plants and hardscape materials to ordinances and construction specs, I trust and respect his knowledge, design elements and professional opinion.

My husband and I contacted Mr Franzen on the recommendation of our architect to create a complete site landscape design for our newly constructed home in Sawyer, MI. After his first tour of the site, Stu was able to create a detailed vision of our dream, incorporating all elements requested: hardscape of bluestone pavers, inground pool layout, fire pit ,lighting, tree and planting beds. His careful design considered our unique terrain and native habitat, including wildlife! Plus, Stu's expertise and knowledge of the landscape craft are wide-ranging. He displayed an ultimate professionalism and responsiveness at all times. Stu respected our budgetary framework, submitted and reviewed bids to contractors and continuously monitored the progress and quality of each installation. The detailed plan incorporated our preferred plants and materials in an easily read and artistic fashion. We heartily endorse Stu for projects of all scope and will definitely call upon his services again!