Plant Design Therapy

Serves Bristol, CT

35244

Hired 78 times

25 employees

11 years in business

$150/on-site estimate

4.6

This pro accepts payments via Apple Pay, Cash, Check, Credit card, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle.

Next Service

Hours

Sun Closed

Mon 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Tues 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Wed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Thurs 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Fri 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sat Closed

Credentials

Background Check

Mylan Sarner
Completed on 5/1/2021

Introduction

Plant Design Therapy in Lyme, CT is : A full service Design, Build & Service landscaping company. We specialize in creating beautiful landscape and hardscape plans for your home, residence, or business that you can give to any contractor or hire us to install it for you. We do complete property and garden maintenance year round for your main residence and investment properties. Licensed & insured, we can provide liability insurance for your property, residential or commercial. Call us directly- Plant Design Therapy in Lyme, CT. Please visit our website to view our work and designs. We are a full service landscape construction company, we specialize in hardscape, landscape, pool design and planting installation. We also install landscape lighting, outdoor kitchens, patios, retaining walls, driveways and decking. We call before we dig, pull permits and abide by all rules and regulation. We handle town permits and much more! We only install lawns, and do not service lawns, we, however, can make recommendations on experts that we have worked with previously that are highly rated. Customers hire us because they know we will do a great job. Our business is built on our reputation, experience and quality. We stand by our work, and we are meticulous about what we do. There isn’t a worry or stress that comes when you work with us. We take pride in our landscaping because we enjoy it. It is money well spent. We are also educated in horticulture, landscape design and architecture, botany and gardening. Most importantly, we do this because of passion. We love what we do. And you will too! Please ask for our referral, veterans, senior citizens and our essential workers discount! Thank you for all that you do for our country!

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

Weekly Garden Servicing: Weekly garden maintenance start at $75 and usually is $65/crew member per hour after an installation. General Garden Labor: Labor charges for garden work with a crew of 3 at a rate of ($65/hr/member). (Mulching, garden renovation, pruning, plant dividing, container planting, ground installation, weeding, digging etc.) Planting Installation: New Garden Design & Install range from $1500 and up which includes, removal of old plants, yard debris, edging, mulching, compost and plant material. Plant Material can range from affordable to rare varieties which will provide flexibility in pricing and budgets. Design Clients: Design consultations are done via phone and emails, are typically $150/bed, included is typically 1 page per bed of customized information for your location and zone on what to plant, what varieties, location of individual rows or drifts, and pictures featuring inspiration and pictures of plant material. Also included is a Pinterest board customized for your specific garden. A more formal design (architectural rendering of your property) starts at $300-$1500 and would require a site visit.

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

I speak to them on the phone for an initial consultation, discuss their concerns, ideas and inspiration. I take lots of detailed notes and find out about their style, intentions and wishes about their property. After the phone call, I give them an estimate through google earth if possible, and then head out to meet them to give them an accurate quote after walking their property. I ask lots of detailed questions regarding what they are trying to achieve, if they have family, pets, preference on plants and color. I complete a design and collaborate with them through a Pinterest board on what I think would look best including the names of all inventory. If the client requires a formal design, we will complete a dream design based on their wishes with revisions and then tailor it down to something achievable within their budget. We can phase out big plans for several seasons or even years. The client gives me 50% deposit before the job, and 50% at the end of the job. Or in 3 installments (1/3). That allows me to pay for plant material and bring materials in and book them a spot in our schedule. Invoices are signed and mailed back with the check deposit, and I book the job as soon as I have a free spot in my schedule.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I believe nature has a very positive effect on our wellbeing and I continue to educate myself and my crew in that field. I am a certified Master Gardener from the University of Connecticut, Middlesex Extension. I am currently a student at the New York Botanical Garden. I am pursuing my certificates in Landscape Architecture as well as Floral and Botany Studies. I take continuing education courses in Psychology as well as Horticultural Therapy. My background is in Biomedical Engineering and Biomolecular Science. I also serve as Vice President and Program Chair on the Executive Board of Directors for Essex Garden Club, for the National Federated Garden Club of America.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

After having a formal education in horticulture and landscape design, I have created a team that consists of brilliant landscape architects, a masonry crew as well as experts in turf installation. Our individuals have well over 30+ years of experience and have won numerous of awards for excellence in landscaping. My volunteer experience for the Town of Essex as a Vice President and Program Chair allows me to plan, design, install & maintain the town parks, and public gardens which combine with the formal education as a gardener really gives me an edge when it comes to designing private properties. I am able to transform ordinary living spaces to my client's dream oasis with thought to how a modern family lives and uses their outdoor space.

What types of customers have you worked with?

I have such an admiration for people who take pride and care for their natural spaces around them. I work particularly with those clients that want to spend as much outdoor time as they do indoors. I work with single, successful individuals to small business owners, veterans, families and retired professionals who care and love the space that they are in.

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

A few years ago, I was asked to spearhead a pro-bono project to create a 4 season garden in a median of parking lot at the Vietnam Veterans in Essex, CT. It was a collaborative effort with the Essex Garden Club members and our veterans. We worked together to design, install and construct this garden from scratch. I drive by every week beaming with pride and happiness that I was part of such a rewarding project. My American grandfather served in the Vietnam War and had passed away only a few months before I was asked to do the project so it meant a great deal to me.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Make sure the landscaper you hire see your vision. If you can’t gather your thoughts down in writing, show them pictures of landscapes that have inspired you! A few thoughts to get you started: Do you want to add value to a home? Do you want to have a safe space for your children to run around? Do you want to have access to a part of your property that is otherwise inaccessible? Why are you doing landscaping? Is it to Flip a house? Is it for greater curb appeal? Do you want to entertain and accommodate a large group of people? And most important of all, how much maintenance do you care to do especially watering and feeding your garden?

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

What is your budget for your project? Look online- google what it costs to put in a patio, the cost for mulch, the labor, gas, time you would have to put in if you were to do this yourself. We pay our crew a living wage and offer full benefits. How much do you really want to spend, this season and long term? How much maintenance do you want to do? Be upfront with your landscaper- are you home all the time to work in your garden? Are you doing work for incoming guests? Are you selling your house? Do you want to create a dream garden? Are you realistic about garden maintenance? Most people think that once they put in a garden, it will look amazing forever without putting extra work to maintain it. Just like a house, it will wear over time. Gardens need weeding, fertilizing, and pruning. So think about how much time you will want to devote and say this to your contractor when you meet your landscaper. Best of luck to you !