Gardens By Design - Milford, Connecticut

Joanne Connon

My husband and I have worked with Gardens by Design for more than six years. We have also referred numerous friends and neighbors to Bebe and Vic and we ALL have had an exceptionally positive experience. When I saw the one star review on this site today, I felt compelled to speak up. I get the feeling that this customer had to wait and he was irked. Sometimes we’ve had to wait, too, but it’s been worth it because Gardens by Design’s work is that good.

Dr. Steve Perry

We contacted Gardens by Design as we considered a significant landscape remodel. In April my wife and I met with the owner. She was pleasant. We were surprised that what amounted to her portfolio was sparse and included what amounted to old newspaper clippings of other landscapers' work. However, she told us that she'd been in business for many years and could get us customer referrals. We are new to the area and felt we could work with the owner. So we provided 50% of the retainer as requested.

As time passed it became clear that our work would not be completed until mid to late summer. With no designs, no communication, not even clippings to mull over as she completed other projects, we lost interest in working with Gardens by Design of Milford, CT. We shared this with the owner and asked for an invoice of work completed. This is when she became undone and completely unprofessional.

In a series of emails, the owner was aggressive, confrontational and directly insulting - literally calling me names. My wife and I were stunned. We just wanted our garden completed earlier than she could provide. No biggie..or so we thought.

After the tone of her emails became increasingly disturbing and insulting, I asked the owner to please stop emailing me. I explicitly told her that her last email made me feel uncomfortable. She did not relent. She immediately sent yet another email, again lobbing insults.

I have never written a review but I often read them when looking for goods and services. I wouldn't have written this one if the owner's actions had not become so unprofessional as to have morphed into the bizarre.

Every customer matters. A simple, 'Here's the invoice...I'm sorry it didn't work out...good luck...' would've sufficed. Instead, the Milford, CT Gardens by Design's owner felt entitled to blatantly disrespect and attempted to belittle our family for nothing more than deciding to go with another firm.

Under no circumstances would I recommmend this group. We have since learned that southern Connecticut is replete with talented, professional and current landscape firms. We've settled on another and are very pleased with their work.

I have learned that reviews matter especially when you are new to an area or product. Lesson learned, do your homework.