08/04/08

Can't stop staring at the garden...

by kerrypaulaboyd

We were fortunate to have found Rock and Rose to help us completely overhaul the former yard of one of the city's most notable botanists! Our back yard is now a sanctuary where we do most of our entertaining because it is the most soothing place to hang out with friends. People take one step outside from the living room and their eyes go so wide - they're hypnotized and enraptured - they start to stroll to whichever plant has grabbed their attention first and say - "what is this beautiful flower, I've never seen anything like this before?"

We strongly endorse the entire team - they never push to close a deal and are always sensitive to the cost associated with landscaping. They first want to find out what you prefer, what your tastes are and if there any plants that you might be attached to.

However, when you're READY - they deliver!

My husband is a tough judge of people and slow to trust anyone, but the consistent attention that Rock and Rose has given us and the yard won him over early on.

The fascination is that even though we can't wrench ourselves out of the yard during the day, it's even more magical at night!

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: Nothing

07/10/08

Avoid these gardeners / landscapers like the plague!

by TedR99

To be fair, this company starts out with a great impression -- they'll send Mike Boss (yep, that's the owner's real name) out to your yard to do an inspection, give you some utopian design plans, and trick you into believing your yard will become the next featured garden in Dwell magazine. The problem is that all along the way, they will deliver substandard results, install dead or dying plants, break (rather than repair) your sprinkler system, and all the while charge you above-market rates (including when they have to spend time and labor to fix their mistakes)! These landscapers are engaged in highway robbery, and trust us, there are far better gardeners out there (smaller firms or individuals) who will do a better job for a fraction of the cost. Stay away from R&R -- despite whatever you hear on this site -- you will thank yourself 100 times over!

06/25/08

Ponds, native plants, hardscape - they do it all! My garden was featured in Ponds Magazine!

by JeffreyJWard

R&R did a fantastic job for me when I decided to completely relandscape my garden. It was a typical 27x27 San Francisco garden sloping steeply away from the back of the house, divided into three 9'-wide tiers. They were really good about listening to my vision for the garden as a place of quiet contemplation (rather than, say, bbq parties) and as an oasis of nature in the middle of the city.

R&R constructed a very artful, small two-level pond of natural free-standing stone that offers my shubunkin and goldfish, turtles, frogs, crayfish, minnows, etc., a very safe and welcoming environment. They worked with me over three years to craft planting solutions that would both attract birds, bees, and butterflies to the garden. A challenge was finding plants that could stand up to the activities of three Weimaraners, and they were good about working with me to experiment with various plants.

R&R was willing to let me drive the design of the space. They took my ideas, amplified and extended them, and improved on them. For example, I had a notion of emphasizing redwood and copper as themes. I also wanted to hide the wiring for the fence's post-top lights and my security cameras in a copper pipe that would run along the top of the fence as a decorative element. R&R extended this idea to include copper pipe ballisters for the deck and stairways, and additional copper elements in the design. They fabricated a set of copper bowls that carry water from the upper level of my pond to the lower level.

All in all, I've been very pleased with Rock & Rose, and they continue to provide ongoing maintenance services and new garden elements (such as my bird feeder "tree") to the garden.

• Pros: Very customer-focused, creative, and flexible.
• Cons: I get separate bills for new landscaping and ongoing maintenance.

06/11/08

best garden design service in SF

by sfgarden

Rock & Rose did an exceptional job with a total re-make of our backyard. The design was original and gets constant compliments. The project came in on time and on budget. The quality of construction work (stone walls, fencing, deck, planting) was excellent. Every single person we dealt with was friendly and highly responsive. Without a doubt, I would use R&R again.

05/29/08

Great Gardens

by Petunia2

My experience with Rock & Rose + Birkmyer was excellent from my first meeting with the designer, to the cleanup of my old yard, to the installation of my "woodland garden" . The fine service now continues with maintenance by two gardeners who know my garden, consult with me about specific plants and suggest ways to improve upon an already lovely creation. I especially appreciate the way the designer listened to my ideas,incorporated them into her master plan and continues to consult with me as new opportunities arise. I feel that I have an excellent working relationship with her and with the maintenance team and highly recommend R&R+B to anyone seeking creative and reliable landscaping services.

• Pros: They do it all
• Cons: none

05/20/08

Outstanding landscapers

by nanhoh

I can't believe there could be anything but rave reviews for Rock & Rose and Birkmyer Landscape since I had the best experience with them.

From the 1st meeting with the landscape designer, R & R exceeded my expectations. The designer was imaginative and supportive of my own taste and ideas; created a plan that featured the elements I wanted; adjusted costs to my budget; and re-directed me when first choices were not available, affordable or appropriate.

My design featured some 36 granite paving curbs -- six feet long/six inches wide -- grouped vertically to give a sense of greater length to the area. Ground cover was planted to give a lost world look, and other small plantings bridged the gap between a stand of bamboo and a fence of old roses. In short, R & R kept what I loved, introduced what was new, and organized the whole into a statement of beauty and peace.

Equally impressive was the efficiency and professionalism of installation. In 3 days, the job was complete. The job foreman placed the pavers with surveying equipment, occasionally calling me on his cell phone when there was a choice that might make a difference to me. Not only did he take care in what he did, he took pride.

I'd use them again in a NY minute.

04/16/08

Expensive, unfriendly

by reviewersf123

Had a very poor customer experience with this company. They overcharged and under delivered. I lost sleep because I was so angry about the way they dealt with me. Instead of addressing my concerns they just sent more invoices. Very unfriendly designers too, and not very good. Lesson learnt!

• Pros: none
• Cons: look elsewhere

04/06/08

Overpriced and underwhelming

by Damorh74

Disappointed would be an understatement with these guys. The high (low) lights: 1) They charge $20 whenever they find dog waste. Do NOT hire these folks if you have dogs. I got a letter from the owner explaining his crew was demoralized when they found dog waste. See below for more on this. 2) I installed the "meadow garden" which was supposed to be something like a colorful summer meadow. Admittedly it's not quite through spring yet and the yard is 7 months old, but so far I'd call my yard "patchy highway median." Although the containers look great. Go figure. 3) They screwed up the irrigation design. Their system, which was supposed to complement what I'd installed myself, left my greenhouse with no water, and cut off a drip irrigation loop to the corner of the yard I'd put in, and replaced it with a sprinkler that hits more path and fences than dirt. Tomorrow's project is to fix that...

I also had RR maintain the yard for 7 months. I finally found another gardener after a really childish incident. After they complained about the dog waste (one important point--I don't live at this house full time, we're talking 3-4 days per month of dog, not the SF Zoo), I agreed to sweep the yard before each visit. I must have missed a few one day because the gardeners put the 2-3 piles they found in a paper bag and left it on my doorstep. I wrote them a letter explaining that a) they would no longer be working at my house and b) any eighth grader knows you're supposed to light the bag on fire. They didn't return my key.

I'm frankly surprised they're still around based on my experience with them. One possible explanation: they seem like a big operation. You'll have different accounts, different contacts, different gardeners each week. Maybe it's the luck of the draw to get a really good crew, but aside from a few pots on my deck, I had a very bad experience.