The Avant Gardener

Johan designed, planted and maintains my little garden in the Mission. Prior to Johan I had a 10×3 strip of «outdoor» space. Basically a sad, weedy place. He transformed into a sculpted jungle. Warm, cozy, and a real retreat from the city. I love it.
I will be working with him on another upcoming project, a small kitchen garden. Can’t wait to get it started.

I’m struggling to provide a balanced review. We have mixed feelings about Johan. There are some real positives but many more negatives. Ultimately, despite a number of e-​mails, because he wasn’t willing to follow through on ensuring that our job was fully completed, I can’t recommend this vendor
If you choose to work with him, be wary. He may not follow through on some commitments. He lacks integrity, and he will not warrant his work nor the work of the installer he recommended, who wasn’t reachable after the install (changed phone #). We’d recommend using another landscape designer with a solid reputation and track record.
In the end, he also cost us ~$ 200 – 400 in plants we had to replace/​install ourselves and in plants returned that he didn’t credit us for (likely pocketing the difference).
Pros
* Personable and passionate about plants. Really knowledgeable about plants and can select (though not perfectly) plants appropriate to your area. If you like plants with variegated leaves, he’s very good at selecting such plants. Good at marketing himself and his approach.
* Willing to try to design according to what the customer is looking for (but won’t admit he’s not very good at particular styles)
* Has a digital collection of photos a customer can review and can source plants from at least several wholesalers. He was willing to accommodate our desire for selecting particular plants. Not all designers are willing to do this to the degree Johan was willing – big plus in his favor!
* Very good with helping customers identify more economical options, for customers on a budget.
* Can point customers to good resources in the area.
Cons
* He’s a BS’er (which we sensed from the beginning). He’s not someone you can really trust; he’ll tell you what you want to hear, and he’ll string you along if you have any problems, especially if you’ve already paid him.
Example 1: He’s prone to many delays and numerous excuses (his personal life often affects his availability, assuming all his excuses have been truthful).
Example 2: The installers he used cut corners by burying plants with their pots! We didn’t discover this until over 2 years later and continue discovering more years later. Of course the plants haven’t grown!
Example 3: When we complained about dying plants because the drip watering was placed directly at the base of a number of plants. He claimed that they moved when they settled.
Example 4: He said that he’ll make the plants behind our windows look like a «work of art». Planting one one type of plant only does not equate to art.
* He’s a mediocre project manager. Communications and follow-​through leaves much to be desired. You have to stay on top of him. He really doesn’t strive to meet his customer’s scheduling requirements. I assume unless you’re one of his bigger customers, don’t be surprised if your project isn’t completed anytime close to when desired. He selected a dishonest installer for our project to win the bid. Then he didn’t quality check the installation work. Our job was never completely finished.
* He refused to replace plants he selected that perished during the winter due to being insufficiently hardy for the area or due to poor installation. He will not warrant his work. A written contract is meaningless to him. He didn’t even return once after winter had passed to check up on the condition of the plants after having gotten feedback.
* He wouldn’t work with the installer he selected to help us resolve quality problems associated with the installation, which cost us another ~$ 400 in damages. He assumed no responsibility for the installer he recommended. For example, when I discovered that drip-​watering emitters were placed right at the base of several of the plants that had died, he said that the emitters had shifted (which I don’t believe, and this also implies that they weren’t staked down).
The installer paid lip service to amending the heavy clay soil, leading to many slowly dying plants that never grew.
* He over-​ordered plants and stuck extra plants elsewhere (not part of the plan) with no drip watering support.
* In creating a layered look, he crowded a number plants very close together in some areas to the extent that they are fighting for the same space – not elegant.
* He would not provide us with any accounting of plants that weren’t used; didn’t credit us for returns.
* He did not work with his chosen installer to complete the job. Both were unwilling to complete installing several plants (with drip watering) that they missed installing. Both pointed to the other party.
* We don’t believe he is adept at designing particular garden styles, though he says that he could in order to get the job. He’s much more at home with Pacific woodland style.
Bottom Line: Don’t trust him. Check the work. Don’t fully pay him until you are fully satisfied with the work. He’s just someone who’ll do what he can to make his living.