Red Stem Native Landscapes

Monica took our mud pit of a yard and transformed it into pure beauty. Our yard went from being the eyesore of the block to a sightseeing destination. From the initial consultation, Monica’s number one goal was to make us happy. She was able to creatively make our vision come alive (literally). She has a vast knowledge of native species and was able to plant beautiful and sustainable native plants that bloom throughout the changing seasons. The staff at Red Stem is extremely friendly and will teach you how to care for your landscaping although it pretty much takes care of itself.

Monica turned my postage stamp of a backyard into a native wonderland. It’s part prairie, part woodlands and part wetlands. The prairie part is in full sun against the garage (and I didn’t water it once this year), the woodlands are in the shade against the house (with blooming bushes) and the wetlands is where the downspout runs off into a «bed» of river rock and thirsty colorful flowers thrive. She put in lots of edibles that my kids LOVE — including wild strawberries. Her crew is strong and sweet and her layout/​design is artwork. She turned a tiny grass-​weeds city yard into our private park. Highly recommended!

It has been a year since Monica and her team installed rear and front native gardens, along with a large brick patio.
I think it is always better to wait a year after contracting a trade to evaluate how the installation held up and how the contractor responded.
Well…the project came out looking better than we hoped, and a year later, it looks even better, with a pleasant symphony of flying visitors gorging on the various flowers that now bloom.
There were plants that didn’t survive or didn’t like their location, and Monica moved them or replaced them. She follows up to see how things are going. She returns calls. She explains what direction a plant might take, making sure you understand this is nature not a fixed object.
She offers a team to come out and do maintenance on the plants to ensure that certain native plants don’t take over, and the weeds don’t overtake the young native plants that are trying to establish. And when I told her I wanted to do it more of it myself, rather than give me attitude for losing a bit of business, she came over to show me what to do.
When we started the project, Monica came up with several landscape plans and presented me with various options on the type of native plants that we could have in the different gardens we were creating. And she even designed a fantastic patio so the bricks flowed with the gardens.
And since everybody has to pay attention to their budget, Red Stem was one of three reputable landscape designers I met with and their pricing was extremely competitive, but a year later, with the follow-​ups and willingness to modify plantings, Red Stem was by far the best value.
Contractors of all fields could use a lesson from Monica. Installation is only part of the job. An ability and willingness to communicate, correct, and check-​in are equally essential, and Red Stem excels in all of the above.

Monica and her team created an entirely new front yard/​garden for us this spring. I had been battling waist-​high weeds for 3 years since we moved here, and decided it was «time for a pro» to really get things where we wanted. Red Stem removed all of our weeds, small plants and misc flowers (except for a central magnolia tree and rose bush), then treated the soil with corn gluten (to keep new weeds from sprouting) and compost. They planted new native plants throughout our front yard, including sedges, prairie grasses and bee & butterfly attracting flowers. They also laid some stepping stones and various accents like river stones and tree logs to give our yard depth and variety.
Since late May we have had flowers blooming at various times, so there is always something new and beautiful to see, and they keep the butterflies and bees happy too!
We are so happy with our home’s new «facelift» and Red Stem’s pricing was very reasonable for the fine quality of plants and services.