Under The Sun Ecological Landscaping

My front yard retaining wall had nearly collapsed when I reached out to Sal. The level of proffessional service I recieved right from the start was truly exceptional.
The transformation of my front yard post completion of this project was amazing. Sal was also able to wrap up the work quickly and work around my schedule without impacting the final quality.

Under the Sun Ecological Landscaping did some work for us in the spring of 2014 to regrade our backyard and replace a very unusual front walkway made of brick chips. The regrade of the backyard was a necessary follow-up to a basement waterproofing.

When we purchased our house, the backyard was covered in flagstones and graded towards the house, with water continuously infiltrating into the basement. We asked Sal and the crew at Ecological Landscaping to take up the flagstones in the back, regrade the yard away from the house, and use some of the flagstones to replace the "brick chips" walkway in the front. We also wanted a bit of grass, a small garden shed and a flower bed around the tree in the backyard.

The did all of this beautifully, adjusting their design in back to accommodate the roots of our maple tree with a lovely curve. The hid and buried the pipe from the basement sump pump so it waters this tree. They also used some of the flagstones to build a platform for our garbage and recycling containers and a path to our shed.

Our basement is dry. The front walkway and stone steps received many compliments from neighbours as they are much more functional and add curb appeal to our house. The shade plants we put in back around the tree filled in this spring. We love to sit on our deck or at our kitchen table and enjoy our beautiful green yard with its Solomon Seal and may apples.

We are very, very pleased with the finished job and give Under the Sun Ecological Landscaping a 10 out of 10. They were easy to work with, listened to what we wanted and thoughtful about all aspects of the work, such as situating the pipe from the sump pump and respecting the roots of the tree.

The work has also been approved by the local squirrels, raccoons and worms.

It's so difficult to find a good contractor…A contractor that you can trust…

I had a "good" feeling from the start, when I met with Salvador ("Sal") and, for sure, he didn't let us down…

After going through a two story addition at the back, the backyard looked as if we would have landed in Mars…Very unwelcoming and hostile, more so because twice the basement got flooded trough the backyard…

The water came from the back alley and so, tackling the backyard's landscaping was not only matter of creating a place where we would enjoy and relax; we needed this backyard to "work with us"….

Salvador and his team (Patrick, Steven, Osvaldo and Kio) made our dream come true. They gave us solutions to all the challenges that this backyard presented to us in a very "ecological" manner…Meaning…I like nature,…I like trees,…I like "green"….and a "green" space that would protect us against "the elements" (rain…lots of it…) is what this team delivered. This backyard is also practical and a true extension of our home.

Not only we feel that the job has been done incredibly well (finishes included) but, it looks wonderful!!! It does provide so much pleasure to my eyes looking at it. It is serene…Birds are coming already into our backyard - saw a couple of Robins and Cardinals!

It's, obviously, not finished completely since the "greenery" has to be added …We want to plant a tree and some vines that would cover the pergola…but, with a bit of imagination whoever cares to take a look to these photos can "envision" the "secluded garden nook" that I always wanted…

I thank Salvador and his team SOOOOOO much for the work well done!
Dallas and Teresa

LINK TO PHOTOS:
https://picasaweb.google.com/nairne.teresa/BACKYARDBEFOREANDAFTER?authkey=Gv1sRgCP349eXg0YblLg

"We are extremely happy with the work you and your crew have
done for us. From the initial design where you suggested
ideas we had not considered to the finishing touches of
ensuring that the site was clean of debris.

The result has turned out better than what we had imagined.
Definite 10 out of 10.

Thank you so much."

I contacted "Under the Sun" landscaping to help us with some much needed hardscaping in our dreary, unkempt backyard. I didn't know exactly what I wanted (deck vs. patio, new shed vs. refurbished shed) so I wanted an ecologically sensitive company which would work with me to hone my vision and to give me sound advice on what would and wouldn't work in terms of practicality and environmental impact. Well, "Under the Sun" did not disappoint! From the beginning Sal was very receptive to my ideas and had lots of suggestions of his own. He drafted a basic design which I quite liked and then we were able to go back and forth about the specifics. I had LOTS of questions and Sal answered all of them with patience and in-depth knowledge. Eventually we settled on a brand new cedar fence, a cedar deck and a refurbished shed with a living roof. But Sal didn't just concern himself with the aesthetics of the project; he ensured that things like water drainage and the underpinnings of the deck where it attached to the house were addressed as well.
We were excited to get home each evening to see the progress being made by the crew. And when the fence finally went up we were not disappointed! It's beautiful and gives us just the right level of privacy we were looking for. The deck is also lovely and Sal even came back to do a little sanding when he felt one of the boards wasn't quite smooth enough. The shed was transformed from a water-damaged, crumbling eyesore into a charming, cottage-like structure with a window, new wood cladding and a stunning living roof. We still get a kick out of showing it off to our friends!
Throughout the process Sal was very good about communication and about addressing all our niggling concerns. He even gave us advice on things that were out of his purview but of which he wanted us to be aware, like some possible foundation issues. And he has made suggestions for how we might want to go about installing native plants, trees, etc. And, even after the project was finished, Sal was available to answer questions. We were so satisfied with "Under the Sun's" work that we asked them back soon after to replace our front fence as well!
Considering the superior level of service and craftsmanship we thought the pricing was reasonable and were extremely pleased with the whole process. We would definitely recommend Under the Sun and would certainly use their services again.

We had Sal and his crew at Under the Sun completely transform our backyard last summer by putting in interlock, laying sod, and building a garden shed. Sal was extremely knowledgeable and gave us great advice on the design and maintenance of our new yard and his employees were also very helpful and professional. They were on time and on budget and we are very happy with their work. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Thank you Under the Sun Ecological Landscaping, for a great job from myself and my neighbor for the work you did in our front yard, the side of our house and our backyard. The gentlemen working here were very courteous and professional.
I would definitely recommend you to anyone looking for any landscaping to be done. Here are some recent pictures I have taken.
Again thank you. I am looking forward to working with you in the future, I do have some more work to be done in the near future.
One last thing I have listened to stories from my friends that had contract work done. They have told me of situations where contractors would not show up on time, not have the work done when they said it would be done. I appreciate the fact that you were very professional, you showed up when you said you would and you finished the job in the amount of time you gave me.

I retained Under the Sun Landscaping to do some minor landscaping to my front yard. I was happy with the work by Under the Sun, so I decided to expand the work and do more than I originally planned. While not a major project for Under the Sun, they treated me like a valued customer. Sal came out promptly to provide me with an estimate, and while late in the season, Sal said that he would be able to complete the work before the cold weather set in . In fact they came and started and completed the work before they said they would.

I expected the work to be completed in a couple of days, but their workers, who were very polite and respectful of me and my property, stayed very late that day and finished the work that same day and the price charged was very reasonable.

I wanted a very organic look to the landscaping and Sal was very particular to make sure that the work was done in accordance with my vision. After the work was complete I decided to do one other small thing and Sal was great in attending to return and complete the added task promptly. He even charged me a discounted price to do the minor additional work.

I was very happy with the way in which Under the Sun dealt me and my project, was very happy with the result, and the ultimate price charged. I would recommend this company for landscaping work.

Under The Sun was referred to us by a close friend and having seen the work that was done for them, I was interested. I had called other companies, but for starters most didn't have the courtesy to call back...or the ones that did, never bothered to show up for the appointment. Sal, the owner, called me back promptly and followed through with an in-person meeting to discuss my project plans. Although the project had to be delayed with the extensive rainfall in the later part of the summer of 2013, the end result was worth the wait. Given the plants are very small at this early stage and have not begun to spread, etc., thus it's hard to grasp a true finished product, I am very pleased with the finished results. I will follow up with an updated review in 2014. Regardless, I was impressed with the quality of workmanship and dedication that Sal and his crew demonstrated whilst on the job. Although Sal was not on-site everyday, his crew as mentioned, worked till the end of each day with precision and dedication. Any mistakes, etc., were covered immediately and handled in a very professional manner. I would highly recommend Under The Sun for your landscaping projects, etc. Regards, Peter A.

10-star ratings are so common that they don't leave room to call out truly outstanding work. Sal and his team gave us a genuine 10/10 backyard and we couldn't be happier with the outcome or experience of working with them. Everyone who sees our backyard flips out.

Sal came in with a very competitive quote based on our general design. He checked in with us almost daily on design and construction details during the job and made sure we were in the loop at every turn. Despite an ambitious schedule and adverse weather, they finished on time and on budget. Support and service even after the job was completed has been above and beyond.

If you're looking to transform the outdoor space around your home and aren't sure what company to go with, we can't recommend Under the Sun highly enough.