TLC Gardens

Cheri and her team were both creative in their design and professional in their delivery. I'm very pleased with my back yard project and would highly recommend Solid Ground.

If I had more words for this review, I could elaborate on the many outcomes I am both happy, but also unhappy with. I'll start with the positives. Cheri is a very talented designer, and she cares a lot about trying to keep her company together in a very competitive business and treating her crew as valued professionals. Her partners, workers, and subcontractors (mostly) are fantastic. Our landscape truly has been transformed, and eventually, with more time, effort, and money, it will look great. Here are the negatives. Our yard would have been awesome if we'd had half a million to spend (like the site posted on her website with 45 photos on it), but alas, we tried to stick to a budget of $100,000, which we actually thought was generous. Silly us. She asked for, and we provided, half up front, a big mistake, then, we kept paying, paying, and paying. The final price tag ended up at $144,000, not including the $8,000 Cheri charged us for her design, an especially irritating cost, since we thought that was included in the original $100,000 price tag. That final figure includes zero plants. We signed our TLC contract last August and the company finished in May, an overly long, drawn-out process that made it clear we were not their priority. Without my pestering, I'm doubtful we would have ever finished. (In fact, we're really not finished, but I've given up, and we're out of money.) We chose TLC because of their beautiful photos on Houzz at properties like ours, a relatively blank, semi-rural, .75 of an acre. However, with our budget, we simply couldn't do everything we hoped to do using TLC's design process, which begins with creating a "Houzz wishlist." From the beginning, our expectations were bigger than our budget could ever achieve. I knew we were in trouble when the first design meeting with actual budget numbers included a $20,000 BBQ grill, which represented 1/5 of our budget. Instead of beginning with a design process that feeds customers' fantasies, TLC should have enough expertise to know landscape costs and not create unrealistic expectations. It's better to underpromise and over perform than promising the moon and continuing to increase the budget, because that just creates hard feelings. If you contract with TLC, watch your money. Hold back funds until the work is completed. Be smarter than we were. TLC probably isn't the right company for you if you have to stick to a budget. We ended up raiding our retirement funds, which doesn't feel good. Even after spending all this time and money with them, we heard nothing when the job finally dribbled to an end, which seems like a bad way to do business. If you want your customers to feel good about the work, it would be a good idea to do an "exit interview," to learn how to improve.

Working with Cheri Stringer was the worst vendor experience of our thirty year marriage. We picked TLC Gardens because of their lovely photos on Houzz and other sites. Cheri promised an exquisite design, a seamless process, precise installation, and extraordinary service. We got the opposite at every turn. The design was flawed from the very beginning due to mismeasurements. Construction was an exhausting exercise in mistake after mistake on quite literally every element. We were willing to pay a premium for service, quality, and beauty, but instead we paid for inadequacies and misrepresentations. Throughout it all, Cheri Stringer offered not a hint of accountability. Cheri Stringer will likely respond to this review by saying that we (her clients) “stopped work” several times and that she tried to come up with solutions. She is somewhat correct. We “stopped work” because we had to bring constant errors to their attention -- errors which fundamentally impacted and delayed the project. Ultimately, the problems came down to: (1) Cheri’s original site measurements were completely off from the beginning, which caused the design to be out of scale for our backyard (and could never have accomplished our project goals); (2) her design was grossly over-engineered, using expensive systems and materials that were wrong for our site; (3) she over-ordered and overcharged us for materials that we did not choose in amounts that were never adjusted after she had to remeasure; and (4) her attempts to create fixes were so poorly executed that they have to be completely rebuilt by a new contractor. After months of issue after issue, rework after rework, tens of thousands of dollars spent, lost sleep and total frustration, we finally had enough and walked away. We are working with an honest, competent company and going through this process anew.

We had an excellent experience with TLC. From the start of the project to it's completion they were consummately professional and managed all of our expectations . They planned the project from the design phase through the actual implementation in a way that made it as stress free as possible. All members were polite and courteous and the quality of the work was first class. We would highly recommend this firm !

Cheri and the TLC team contributed more than we ever expected to our home. We've completed two large projects with them and have every confidence in recommending them to prospective clients. Cheri brought a great vision to our challenging projects and her team executed perfectly. Equally important was the follow-up service Cheri and her project manager offered post completion. They stayed engaged and interested in the performance of our landscaping years after completion.

First things first. Our finished landscape is fantastic, in the way it was designed AND the quality of installation. We are quite happy with the results, but we had some bumps and bruises along the way. We started looking for landscapers in February of 2018, and focused on companies that had great reputations for design and quality. The yard in our new home was/is small, but we still wanted it to function incredibly well and look incredibly good. After meeting with many companies, we decided to go with Cheri and the TLC team because we felt they would bring our ideas to life. Our priorities were 1) Budget, 2) Function (serious water drainage issue), 3) Usability (we entertain a lot and wanted to be able to use all parts of our small yard), 4) Aesthetic (it had to look good), and 5) Installation timeframe. When we started working with TLC, we were fairly confident we would get the yard we wanted, quickly, and on budget. That didn't happen. Cheri and her team do a great job of guiding you through their very good design process, but the process took months. When we were finally presented our design, we fell in love with it. It was everything we hoped for and more. It was also 3 times our MAXIMUM budget. We asked Cheri and her team for ideas on how we could redesign key concepts to hit our budget goal, but it felt like a dead end. There were no major redesigns, just recommendations of small things to forego, or move into a future phase. We didn't want to do either and wished Cheri had presented us a concept (or a few) that were within our max budget. In the end, we nearly doubled our max budget, which still makes us uncomfortable to think about. After agreeing on the design scope and contract, we paid a hefty deposit to hold a spot in the TLC construction queue. Two months later construction finally started. We expected construction to take 6 weeks, but it took nearly three months. Cheri, Luke and the TLC teams do an EXCELLENT job on the installation. They never cut corners, rushed, or deviated from the right way to do things. We had an issue crop up during installation that lead to a fiery conversation tied back to our initial "design for costing" frustrations. We felt that we had spent way too much money on a feature (rock wall) that didn't provide enough value relative to other areas of the design that were important to us. To Cheri's credit, her team listened intently and came back within 24 hours with very good solutions to our concerns. We walked through every suggestion in detail, agreed on the changes in writing, and their team got back to work. Within a few weeks our yard was completed to perfection. In the end, I would recommend TLC Gardens to anyone willing to commit the time and money required to get great quality, and a great design. If budget and speed are your main priorities, I would recommend that you look elsewhere.

We chose TLC Gardens for our landscape project based on their reputation and creativity. The experience we had working with Cheri and her team was truly second to none. TLC Gardens did an incredible job from conceptual scheme, detail design, lighting, materials and color consultation, to planting selection and oversight of project execution. Everyone involved helped make it a pleasant, well-organized and collaborate venture. The team was patient, kind, and above all knowledgeable and open-minded to our likes and dislikes. Throughout the construction process, Cheri remained adroitly involved to ensure that her design in its reality was responsive to our expectations. As in any project, there arose issues that she made sure were addressed to our satisfaction. The attention to detail was impeccable, the scheduling was effortless and the craftsmanship was flawless. With TLC you truly get an “original work of art”, as there is nothing standard or cookie cutter about our landscape. We could not be happier. Cheri truly creates artistry in her designs. Thank you Cheri, Cindy, Luke, Scott (& crew). Your professionalism and dedication to your craft is truly appreciated and respected. We would recommend TLC Gardens to anyone without reservation or qualification.

I have known Cheri as a colleague for many years, and am consistently impressed by her creativity and professionalism. As a fellow landscape designer, I believe that she exemplifies fair business practices in a profession that is often loosely regulated and subject to personal interpretation. Cheri's design skills, attention to detail and commitment to her clients' satisfaction is more than deserving of a 5-star rating.

In 2009, TLC Gardens designed and installed a brand new front and side landscape for our home including hardscape and a drainage ditch along the street which was a big problem area for us. The result was a stunning and useful space using native and xeriscape plantings to minimize water usage and manage microclimates around the property. Cheri involved us through many meetings throughout the design process making sure that her design and choices fit our aesthetic style, budget and lifestyle. She was very conscientious of helping us determine exactly how we wanted to use the space and what look we wanted it to have. She took us to visit other sites to show us firsthand some of the ideas she was thinking of incorporating into our design so we could see the effect of well-established plantings and different combinations. We were also involved in meetings with contractors who would handle the installation and Cheri helped us choose the right one. Then she was closely involved during the entire installation process, checking in at least once a day to may sure it was running according to her instructions and keeping us up to date on progress. TLC still checks in with us regularly on the health of the landscape, maintenance issues, and is readily available with any questions we may have or problems we encounter. TLC replaced several trees in 2014 (5 years post-installation) that were not performing to our satisfaction. I strongly recommend TLC Gardens and Cheri Stringer to anyone who has landscape and or hardscape needs and needs a comprehensive design considering space, lifestyle, and usage as well as drainage, microclimates and construction issues among other things that I am sure I am oblivious to! Cheri covers all the issues and has the breadth of knowledge and connections in the industry to be effective and efficient.

We had a really horrible backyard and front yard prior to working with Cheri, Tom and the TLC Gardens Team. We needed a complete overhaul with new irrigation and a new sprinkler system. We basically needed to redo all of our landscape. Cheri was incredible in designing our yard and provided drawings. Cheri and her team came up with a unique and beautiful wall made up of boulders with quartz and granite. They actually sparkle in the sunshine and are absolutely gorgeous. The end result of these walls are more than we ever dreamed and fabulous. Around the front and the side of our yard is stunning landscaping with roses and shrubs. Cheri also created a very special place for me on the east side of my home that is a perennial garden. One section even has fruit trees. Cheri also installed an incredible, new age sprinkler system that I can turn off and on by using my cellphone. One day my husband called me when I was traveling in Utah and told me there was a storm at home and that it was raining. He then told me our sprinkler system was on and he didn't know how to turn it off. As soon as we hung up, I went on my phone and turned it off, simple as that! Our yard really and truly is amazing. Everyone that comes over compliments us on it! We absolutely love our landscaping and can't imagine it any other way. Please note that our project is ongoing and almost complete. Once our project is completed I fully intend on updating my review with a higher rating! We have really enjoyed working with Cheri and her team!

We found TLC Gardens via another contractor who suggested TLC were well regarded and would be a great fit given the size and scope of our landscaping project. I couldn't be happier with the choice. The TLC staff take their jobs seriously and presented solid / engineering based plans, not just pretty pictures. We had a good understanding of the work, time and costs from the beginning and other than some scope creep on our side - they hit all marks. Options were provided for each major decision in a "good, better, best" type format, which was extremely helpful. The onsite team were courteous and respectful (e.g. cleaning up after each day's work) and kept us in the loop regarding progress etc. They worked extremely hard to overcome the inevitable obstacles that turn up and keep the work as close to plan as possible. Overall it was a great experience, we are loving our new backyard and I would use TLC again.

We hired TLC Gardens in the fall of 2015 to redesign and landscape our back and front yards. During the initial design period we gave them a specific budget which was then broken down into estimates for the phases of work. After each bout of work, all of which was very very poorly managed, Cheri came back to us with exorbitant costs that far exceeded her bids as well as our budget. After coming to us for more money time and time again, in the manner that she did, we had to come to the conclusion that she was taking us for a ride and immediately cut ties with her company. This was a very frustrating, disappointing and expensive process. And by posting this I hope to prevent others from going through a similar ordeal with TLC Gardens.