Artistic Landscapes

Mark and his team did an incredible job on our project. Their scope of work was a 5’ retaining wall with drainage to control a large hill we have in our backyard, a pvc drainage system, pavers on the porch and patio, a dog run, a putting green, and artificial turf across the whole yard. They also designed the landscaping perfectly with plants and low voltage lighting which really makes our backyard spectacular at night. Additionally, on the porch they performed some framing work that has turned out amazing for our entertainment. Guests we’ve had over say it feels like a resort. Throughout the project Mark communicated very well and was honest and upfront of all costs associated with the project. With such a large investment I was always asking Mark questions and he always picked up the phone to take the time to answer my questions. Mark knows the construction business extremely well and that wealth of knowledge made our backyard a little piece of paradise. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic in recommending Artistic Landscapes for your next project, they truly know know so much about every aspect of the business.

We unfortunately worked with Mark and his crew. We had terrible communication from them through out the entire project. They started 3 weeks late and took over twice as long as he quoted us. He miscalculated how much sod we needed for the project we requested. He then tried to make it seem like he was doing us a favor by getting more. He then tried to leave us with a terribly steep hill off our patio. He told us it was about $3k more to fix. We negotiated to $1k more making this a $12,600 project. We paid this for a patio expansion, drainage issues, regrading, and sod. Yet now we are left with worse drainage issues than we had prior to his work and we are still out over $12k. Mark and his crew also ruined a lot of our existing sod. He told us he’d come and plant seed and fertilizer to fix the sod he damaged and he never did. His workers hit our pillar and they did not come fit it like they said they would. Do not use this company unless you want terrible communication, worse drainage issues then you had prior your project, half your existing yard ruined, and him to squeeze more money out of you throughout the job due to his “miscalculations” in the initial quote. I am utterly disappointed with this company and the job they did. It’s disgusting charging people thousands of dollars of their hard earned money all while providing terrible service.

We hired Mark/Artistic Landscapes to redesign our yard with flowers and plants; to install two small patios with pavers; and provide for corresponding drainage controls (we are uphill from two other homes). At first, the project went well and working with Mark was very good. However, then we ran into problems. Mark failed to create a plan and submit the proper permits to adhere to City of Atlanta requirements for hardscape installation and drainage. A stop work order was then instituted which left both our sides and rear yards a MESS for 11 months until a proper drainage proposal could be submitted and permits issued (a process that included us hiring a second landscape professional, even though Mark represented that he could handle the drainage portion of the project). It was frustrating to learn that he hadn't thought thru the drainage piece of his work -- and only once a stop work order was issued -- he discovered (with my assistance) that permits were needed. The entire purpose of hiring a professional is for him to do the thinking and I had to act as a liaison between him and the City to figure out what went wrong. During the 11 months the project was "frozen" to get the permits, Mark left our yard in the condition you can see in the photos and failed to provide for ongoing, temporary drainage measures aside of a simple erosion fence. In fact, we never heard from him again. We ended up spending hundreds of dollars in wheat straw to control erosion while the project proceeded thru permitting. We had overpaid Mark by approx. $3K by the time the stop work order issued and sent a letter to recoup this but he never replied. This whole mess caused a lot of issues with my neighbors and stress within our family. Another issue we had is that Mark installed a round patio in the center of the yard before finishing the side yard. So when we finally hired another landscaper to finish the side yard, the entire patio had to come up because it was installed in the middle. Mark should have finished the side yard (which required drainage work and machinery) BEFORE installing the patio. In essence, we paid for the patio twice due to paying Mark then the second landscaper a year later. In short, he might be good for basic plantings but anything involving hardscape or permits should be avoided. We believes he likes to do work in North Fulton/Cherokee because permit requirements are lax, as he was completely overwhelmed and under-educated when dealing with the stringent requirements of the City of Atlanta esp. regarding water runoff, downspouts and impervious surface calculations for patios. Just left us to figure out the requirements and find someone else to finish the job. Frankly, the photos speak for themselves. Who leaves a person's yard like this and disappears???

I hired this company to remove my old back deck that was on its way out and they did a tremendous job. The old deck was removed and cleared with no issues. The new deck is well built and sturdy. I am no longer hesitant to have more than a couple of people on it at one time. The team also found an issue with our front porch and were able to remedy it before we had a major problem down the line. The pricing was very reasonable and the entire crew was very professional. Highly recommended!

Knows what he is doing. Pays attention to detail. Does what he says he is going to do. Took his time to get the job done right.

Couldn’t be happier w this company. Mark is an honest hard working professional. Fantastic job. Great attention to detail. We love our new backyard!

I am very pleased with Mark, his artistic vision, and the final results of his landscaping crew. I contacted Mark on July 3rd. He came out on the afternoon of July 4th to look at our yard, gather information, ask questions, and formulate his vision. Later that night he sent me his estimate. I accepted his estimate with some minor changes and he started work the next afternoon. Mark was also able to R/R our sprinkler system, which was needed in order to maintain the beautiful plants. I know this is way above and beyond what I was expecting. Other landscape companies are not able to respond in such a timely fashion. But most importantly, the quality of work and post-install cleanup are superb!! Thanks Mark and Artistic Landscapes!!

Mark of Artistic Landscapes re-did the front landscape of our property by installing over 10,000 sq ft of Bermuda sod, contracting out tree removal of 22 trees, re-grading the property, planting several new Japanese maple trees, roses, shrubs, hydrangeas, etc. He also fixed some drainage issues at the front of our driveway by installing a pipe underneath the concrete driveway and installing a dry creek bed and berm to control the water movement. Mark provided a lot of guidance and expertise through the process, was timely in his project timeline, and had a great crew to support his work. Mark is available after the project is done to guide questions we have and provide recommendations on maintenance of our new lawn. Several of our neighbors who have driven by our house are now asking for Mark's contact information. I would highly recommend Mark to anyone looking for any range of landscaping projects.

We initially hired Mark because he was the only landscaping company in the Atlanta metro area, that we could find, that would manage our entire project from the deck/screened in porch, to the paver patio and landscape. Mark seamlessly helped coordinate our project and provided an excellent design for our space. Throughout the project, he provided suggestions and designs that exceeded our expectations. Mark’s quality of work is phenomenal. Furthermore, he is honest, reliable and we would highly recommend him and his crew to anyone.

I interview several landscaping companies prior to selecting Artistic Landscapes. They resolved a severe water drainage problem, built a beautiful paver patio with a stone wall and a custom designed a large gas fireplace. They also landscaped the hillside surrounding the patio and installed a sprinkler system. Consistent with my interview, I found Mark to be a good listener, easy to work with and his prices were competitive. We are thrilled with the result and would highly recommend Artistic Landscapes.

Mark completed beautiful landscape work in our front and side yard, including a spectacular paved walkway and outdoor lighting on the front of our house and on our back deck. He listened to our desires and came back with a specific plan that he executed on budget and on schedule. The results are spectacular! We continue to get great compliments from neighbors and friends and even strangers driving by! Mark has been really nice to work with and the results speak for themselves - our yard is beautiful and professional looking!

My husband and I just retained Mark's services -- we've yet to install the actual landscape but thus far I have nothing but wonderful things to say. Mark is attentive, has spent time reviewing our difficult lot and has also provided cost-effective, smart solutions for drainage issues and repair of a retaining wall. He's also been great thinking thru issues of access, since our yard is tough to get to. I interviewed many of the top firms and thus far Mark has been just fantastic. I look forward to updating this review as the plan is finalized and installed. I feel like Mark is on OUR team... not just a contractor.