2/5
It is hard for me to express my disappointment after having worked with Bill Peterson for over 1 year on my landscape project.
I took my time to find just the right person to work with after the Thomas Fire took most of my garden.
Initially, Bill was very friendly and easy to talk with but by the end of the project he simply avoided the problems that remained and didn't replace the MANY plants that were failing or had died.
His lack of knowledge of plants was surprising. He wisely teamed up with a capable person who did excellent drawings and plant recommendations but became unavailable for changes after the initial drawings and expense, much to my disappointment.
Bill does have an "artistic eye" but has not kept up with issues critical to homeowners currently: water and electrical conservation, fire prevention plants/materials or erosion control strategies.
I was willing to pay more to have someone who listened and followed through with an excellent team. Bill's prices are very high but I was willing to pay for quality. I thought he was "hearing" my concerns and requests but in the end I realized he did not. It was exhausting to try to figure out why .
His workers were lacking and the follow through disappeared. We had many discussions regarding plant choices and substitutions that were simply "not heard". I wondered if there was a serious memory concern or some other issue. This was very confusing to me. I tried to communicate in various ways wondering if I had just not found the optimal way to communicate with Bill.
What started out as a very pleasant project, couldn't end quick enough. Realizing that my voice and plans were not being heard became stressful. This project was a huge emotional and financial investment for me. After a year's effort, many of my concerns and requests were simply not heard or fulfilled.
The separate contractor Bill used for the hardscape, Eddie, was excellent. He does have a wonderful team. All work was excellent and overseen daily.
Bill did not have anyone oversee his landscape workers or the deliveries. He dropped workers off and picked them up, sometimes coming midday. When I saw problems with the work and deliveries, I would contact him and he would follow through but I did not pay high prices to be his foreman.
A neighbor had referred me to Bill. She also lost many plants in the smaller project he did for her. As of 6 months after the completion of my project, Bill is not willing to replace the plants that are failing.