Garden Gate Landscaping

I hired Garden Gate Landscaping to improve the look of my backyard and they delivered! They came and gave us a free estimate. We gave them a general idea of what we wanted. After that, we got out of the way and let them work their magic. We will definitely be calling them again for another project next Spring.

Charlie and Garden Gate did an exceptional job on our yard. We had a big water problem and suffered two major floods. The job looks great and has already improved our water problems. Charlie was extremely thoughtful and careful to make sure whatever we did would help the water situation and look nice. The professionals who worked on our yard for three weeks to do the job were courteous and trustworthy. I would recommend them.

Garden Gate Landscaping absolutely transformed my backyard into a garden oasis and I couldn't be more pleased! I had been considering a backyard makeover and reached out to Jeffrey Willis with Garden Gate. He worked with me on a design that met my needs and is beautiful! Manuel and his team were diligent and conscientious, checking in with me regularly, letting me know of any issues and always leaving my space as neatly as they could. They did beautiful work and I couldn't be more pleased. Now I want to be outside all the time and I have a space that I can and will use almost year round!

We wanted someone with the aesthetic to create a Japanese-inspired landscape that would blend comfortably in a suburban backyard - and Garden Gate succeeded brilliantly. They were professional in responding and drafting designs, highly personal in their service, and careful with every step of the execution. They also completed the project as promised on time, with crews working steadily every day once they started. We looked to them for guidance in creating the design and knowing what plants would work, and we now have a beautifully natural stone patio, trickling waterfall and small pond, and beautiful seasonal plantings. They chose plants with low maintenance, but the result was so impressive that we chose to invest in ongoing service with Garden Gate to preserve the look. The regular weekly caretakers are as professional, polite, skilled, and responsible as the crew that designed and installed. We recommend wholeheartedly!

Phase 1 - Removed old deck and dealt with major drainage issues using frnch drains, excavation along one side of foundation with sealant and moisture barrier. New patio. Phase 2 - New walls, grading with a second patio, steps to and from patio and planting beds.

Last year, we purchased an older single family home that had significant water problems -- so significant that the basement walls needed to be reinforced with carbon fiber strips to keep the cinder blocks from buckling. This work stabilized the structure but did nothing to address the underlying water problems, which we learned were the result of poor grading, deficient gutters and downspouts, bad landscaping decisions, and no system for moving water away from the house. An architect friend recommended that we consult Brandon Sackett of Garden Gate Landscaping. We were told that water mitigation was one of his many specialties. It was the smartest recommendation this pair of homeowners ever received or followed. Brandon came in, assessed the problem, explained all of the options, and developed a plan to fit our budget. Among the solutions: 1) regrading key areas around the foundation, and throughout the yard; 2) removal of shrubs that were exacerbating the problem; 3) installation of a drywell and catch pan in the backyard to manage excess water; and 4) installation of underground PVC pipes, connected to all downspouts, (complete with pop-ups by the curb to clean out debris) to take the water out to the street. Garden Gate brought in a terrific team of landscapers who did all of the excavation and digging by hand to ensure that the PVC pipes had the proper angle to take water away from the house, and that no utilities, pipes or cables were disturbed in the process. Following Brandon's plan, we then had a roofing contractor come in and install heavy gauge gutters and downspouts, which were connected directly to the underground pipe system that the landscapers had installed. The roofer also installed openings just above each connection, per Brandon's instructions, enabling us to periodically flush out the pipes with a hose to prevent any build up of debris. As a final step, we hired Gutter Helmet to install their gutter cover system to prevent roof debris and leaves from washing into the gutters. The result: Notwithstanding one of the wettest winters in memory, our basement walls (which had been inundated with water) have completely dried out, and the water removal system has worked beautifully. While water may still be Enemy Number One for the homeowner, Brandon Sackett and the Garden Gate team were the answer to our prayers. We are truly indebted to these professionals, and heartily recommend them to property-owners dealing with pesky water problems. P.S. I would have provided a photograph, but most of the improvements discussed herein are barely noticeable. However, now that we no longer have an unmapped body of water for a yard, our plan is to have Brandon and his team back soon for the beautification phase:-) So, we'll be back with photos after round 2!

The Garden Gate team was very professional and understanding. In particular, Brandon Sackett did a great job in meeting with us, listening to our ideas and converting them into a wonderful design. The workforce was very punctual and efficient. One aspect that was of particular satisfacton was the way the job was approached. The overall project was broken down into smaller elements and for each element a range of work/ideas/prices were provided. This allowed us to tailor the landscaping of our entire backyard to fit our aesthetic and budgetary needs.

Garden Gate has been my landscaper for the past 7 years. They have redesigned and built my front entrance and patio as well as my lawn and garden. I use them regularly for all my general needs--planting, seeding, fertilizing and trimming. They have even modified my fence to keep deer out and solved a mole problem with organic material. I give them my highest rating and recommendation.

Garden Gate Landscaping has very knowledgable and credentialed individuals on staff. They are friendly and professional from start to finish. Garden Gate provides options and recommendations to guide customers to the best choices for their landscaping/water management needs, and help determine the best pricing structure (fixed our hourly) to fit the project's workload.

We hired Garden Gate to do landscaping in our front and back yards. They put sod down and planted bushes out front, and in back they cleared a ton of brush and put in stones and boulders. We worked with Brandon on the design and he was fantastic. He altered things to fit into our price range, and had a lot of creative ideas. The workers who came to install things were great too. They worked so quickly and efficiently. Brandon also came to check in during the installation. Overall, we could not be more pleased with things, and will use them again in the future for sure!

Brandon Sackett of Garden Gate developed an excellent design and planting scheme for our patio and garden and was attentive and helpful throughout the process. I appreciated the attention to detail and great follow-up. Garden Gate doesn't just plant and disappear - they check back regularly to make sure everything is growing and thriving properly.

One of the Best Design Build Landscape Firms in the Washington DC/Baltimore MD market. Attention to all aspects of a project are addressed from start to finish. The end result is another successful Landscape for all to enjoy.

I hired Brandon of Garden Gate Landscaping to refresh my 12 year old garden and improve some hardscape areas. I was very happy with the service, responsiveness and installation. I intend to use their services going forward.

Brandon Sackett and Gargen Gate did an excellent job, from concept plan to project completion to replace a stone patio and stone wall, and also fix a sloping side yard drainage problem by installing a stone walkway, plants and stone "river bed". Drainage proble is gone and new patio looks great. Job done on schedule and for price quoted.

Note that I have already completed this review, but I guess somehow it was lost in cyberspace. I will attempt now to roughly replicate what I said before. Garden Gate performed two jobs for me in the last six months. The first was a three-day thorough cleanup of my yard, which I had basically neglected for the past five years or so. They did a very nice and thorough job. The second project, and the one most recently completed, was the construction of a new path in the backyard, linking a long flagstone path leading away back of the house, with a brick patio constructed almost 15 years ago by Garden Gate next to a brick shed--with a colonial-style shingled hip roof--at the back of the property. The original path, made of brick, had made an arc to the rear of a large willow oak, connecting with the aforementioned flagstone path, but over the past 14 years had been seriously uprooted by the above-ground roots of the willow oak. It was decided to run the new path in a convex arc around the front of the willow oak (roughly matching the arc of that end of the lawn), with the hope of leaving enough space between the path and the willow oak to keep the tree's roots from uprooting the path. The new path, rather than made of old brick, is composed of flagstone stepping stones that fit in nicely with the existing flagstone path (see above) but also with the brick patio (also see above). Garden Gate also designed and put into place a drainage system and dry well to carry rainwater accumulating on the sloping lawn away from the new path, which makes a convex arc at the end of the lawn and around the willow oak. Garden Gate carried out what appears to be a very well-designed and quality-built path and drainage arrangement.

I've been very satisfied with the landscaping design work that Brandon Sackett has handled at my home during the past several years. Brandon is prompt, respects the ideas put forward by his customers and makes sure that work is done as promised. His personality is also such that it is very easy to work with him. He is also willing to respond to questions other than when a specific project is involved. I recommend Brandon to those I know who are in need of a dependable, professional landscape designer.

We worked with Garden Gate on two major yard renovation projects, in summer 2008 and fall 2010. From concept to completion, the entire team and experience, led by designer Cathy Carr, was first rate. I would describe us as "involved" clients and our input and feedback was welcomed throughout--including thoughtful understanding of parts of the project we wished to plant ourselves. The 2010 project involved many moving parts, including removal of existing concrete/asphalt driveway, stormwater flooding mitigation, installation of flagstone patio, water feature, stone steps and driveway pavers, as well as plant installation. When the following spring thaw revealed water seepage issues, they returned without hesitation to reroute drainage and solve the problem. The projects have transformed our outdoor living space and bring us great joy as we spend lots of time outside with family and friends.