Client testimonials
We would like to share some of our clients' thoughts about us. Here are some additional reviews.
Dear Happy Gardens:
This morning, Stephanie and I sat on our back patio and enjoyed our morning coffee with a view of our backyard unlike any we have seen. The view is the result of your efforts to transform our space into an oasis.
When we first met Anna to look at our space, we knew we had found the right partner for our project. She listened to our desire for a low maintenance, Texas native landscape and soon we had a design in our hands. Her design not only met our low maintenance goal, it also planned for the growth of the plants over time. We greatly appreciated her long-term vision for our space.
Admittedly, we had no idea just how much work the transformation would take. When Christian and his crew arrived, we were blown away by the thoughtful and deliberate process that began with removing existing soil from our flowerbeds and the hodge-podge of grasses in our yard. We could not believe the amount of material the crew brought in to rebuild the beds and the care they took to make sure each flowerbed looked perfect.
Anna, Christian and the crew battled heat, rain and humidity to create the perfect backyard retreat for us. On the last day of the install as they laid grass sod and put the finishing touches on the landscape the first hummingbird we had ever seen in our yard stopped by, along with a couple of butterflies. We cannot wait to greet future visitors to our yard.
Thank you for making the dream of a perfect backyard retreat become a reality.
With sincere gratitude and appreciation,
Brian and Stephanie Allen
Fort Worth, TX
When we built our new home in the country, I didn't have an idea of what kind of plants/landscape I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted something to fit in with our home and property. Anna came up with a plan within our budget that was perfect for our hillside country home. Her crew were professional, hard working, and cared about what they were doing. It took about 2 weeks to complete. When the job was finished, Anna walked me through the plants explaining how to care for them. She even emailed pictures with the names so I could learn about them. I continue to email her questions and she always responds very timely. She has been my teacher, helping me learn how to care for these native plants. She has gone beyond my expectations, and continues to help me. I'm so happy that I found Happy Gardens and can highly recommend them.
Robert and Laura Garrett
Springtown, TX
"Happy Gardens has changed our lives.
Our landscape was in a sad state, the victim of too much shade, soil erosion and neglect. We had no idea where to begin if we were to make it the refuge we desired. Clearly, we needed professional help and were drawn to Happy Gardens’ use of organic materials and a glowing recommendation of their work by a general contractor we know.
We met with Happy Gardens’ Anna Hurst who presented a design that was just right, befitting our neighborhood and the scale of our home. She determined a range of plantings that would thrive in our conditions and under our care. Moreover, Ms. Hurst suggested design elements to address the dilemma posed by too much hardscape including a large concrete driveway and an unattractive garage that looms over our yard from the adjacent property. That she was able to deliver on this task continues to amaze us.
Happy Gardens was so great to work with. They kept to the budget and on schedule to deliver the design as presented. Most impressive was the work ethic of the Happy Gardens team. No task was too great (or too small) and all were performed with an uncompromising commitment to standards and good taste that was a joy to experience.
Watching our yard transformed and made healthy has been immensely gratifying. Neighbors and passers-by continue to compliment and congratulate us on the caliber of the work and what it has done to enhance our home.
We had no idea the contentment we would feel every day when we drove up to our house or stepped into our own private oasis. This was beyond our imagination.
We are pleased to call Happy Gardens our landscaping company and look forward to future projects with them. They have our heartiest recommendation."
Deborah and Steven Truitt
Fort Worth, TX
"Happy Gardens far exceeded our expectations. They successfully took our landscape from drab to a modern wonderland! Anna took just a few inspiration pictures and brought our vision to life. Not only is the design beautiful, but the implementation of the design was thoughtfully and thoroughly completed. The Happy Gardens team is polite, helpful, lovely to be around, and completely professional. They know what they're doing, and do it well. I would recommend them to anyone looking for landscape design!"
Lauren and Travis Essl
Fort Worth, TX
" We wanted our front yard to demonstrate that plants that are native to the Fort Worth Prairie can be used to create an attractive landscape in a small yard. There are many local plants that thrive with minimal water, but in a small yard unless the design is right the beauty and diversity of this unique prairie might easily get lost. Anna really understood what we were looking for and added a number of ideas that really enhanced the yard. The Happy Gardens team worked extraordinarily hard, and everything about this project exceeded our expectations.
Thanks Happy Gardens, you've got 2 more happy customers.
Becky & David Bee
Fort Worth, TX
" Dear Anna,
We want to thank you for the great work you and your crew did redoing our yards. From the beginning you listened to our concerns and came up with a plan that was a real improvement on what we had. Your recommendations of a fountain and particular plants for our back patio was great and has turned our patio into an peaceful and attractive oasis.
In addition to the good design we were very impressed with the friendliness and diligence of your crew. They faced a lot of work taking apart the old landscape and waterfall, yet they did it with with good humor.
Again, thank you for your great work!"
Lisa & Bob Hampton
Fort Worth, TX
" When we moved to our 2.5 acre country home - we had a vision of using native plants, using less water, not spending Saturdays mowing wide expanses of non-native grasses, limiting pollution and living in a native ecosystem of butterflies and birds. Our first attempt at it with a native prairie of wildflowers and native grasses quickly got out of hand and overgrown. Living in a gated community, it was difficult to keep up with the native while not looking neglectful.
We contracted with Happy Gardens to help us transform our front yard into something that maintained our native objectives but also was easier to care for, gave us more usable space and added to the peaceful aesthetic of our home. We couldn't be happier with the outcome. Anna quickly understood the idea I was going for and spent several hours on our property contemplating a thoughtful design. Her crew was professional and knowledgeable, as well as happy and fun to work with. We hated to see them go when the job was over. We now have a complete transformation and are enjoying many evenings in our front yard paradise. I highly recommend them for quality, innovative work."
Terri Swain
Azle, TX
" Anna-
Thank you so much for all your hard work! Our patio was previously an eyesore and now I cannot pass by the window without admiring it. Our backyard is so serene, and a beautiful welcome whenever we come home. You and your crew were meticulous and thorough which is difficult to find in the landscaping industry! I know that if I get any outdoor spaces to work on I will be bringing you into the design process. I feel that we hold similar philosophies and work ethic, and I am glad I found you and your company."
Monika Merchant
Fort Worth, TX
" We honestly cannot say enough good things about our work with Anna & the entire crew from Happy Gardens.
To say we had a "blank canvas" with our dismal yard was an understatement - between the embedded handmade cement pond, years of shards of glass, chunks of old buried brick, rotten and aged tree stumps and random concrete patterns, our yard was a nightmare. The nearly 100-year-old house had been abandoned for several years before we bought it, and we're certain nothing living was tended to for many years prior.
From our very first meeting, Anna looked at our place as a challenge. She really listened to my sentimental but important desire to honor my late master gardener mom with low-maintenance perennials that would survive with Texas summers and imminent water-rationing. Anna was very solution-driven when working with our limited budget, honoring our request for hardscapes while being creative with the materials in order to meet our financial parameters.
Every single person on the Happy Gardens crew was polite, professional and kind - even to our obnoxious obese dog who roamed the grounds while they worked. When difficulties of harder than expected dirt, tougher than nails stumps or other mysteriously unexpected surprises arose, the crew was always quick to find out the best solution possible while keeping in mind our overall budget. They showed up on time, worked full days, were polite, kind and helpful - even with jobs that were not their responsibility.
Christian put together our patio furniture as a surprise . . . James crawled under our house for an hour helping us with a separate plumbing problem . . . Alex was a perfectionist while patiently aligning our hardscapes on a thoroughly crooked ground . . . Shelby worked like a pack mule, always with a smile on her face . . . and Anna's creativity & generosity with the plants until late many evenings made everything come together beautifully. The truth is, we miss all of the Happy Gardens crew - the staff became like family to us.
It's evident in everything they do that the folks of Happy Gardens truly do sow love into your landscape. "
Julie & Bill Fairley
Fort Worth, TX
"Thanks so much to Anna and the entire Happy Gardens team. Anna was very professional and helpful as she provided creative suggestions on how to improve the curb appeal of our house as well as create a beautiful and clean design. Installation crew was very professional and helpful. Happy Gardens is a personal, creative and professional team. Thank you for changing the face of our home!"
Melissa Fruscella
Fort Worth, TX
"I recently moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I needed to find someone to do my lawn work quickly. I hired the first person I spoke to so I could get my lawn cleaned up and going in the right direction after not being cared for while the home was for sale. With that said, I have been very disappointed in the service I received and when I needed help with the sprinklers, my original lawn service preferred not to help me.
I have now found the most wonderful company to work with. They CAN and WILL help on just about anything that anyone might need. They came and assessed my sprinkler system which was working but just not the right type or size sprinkler heads for the now mature landscape. Happy Gardens service is incredible, their plants are excellent, and their staff is knowledgeable. Most of all, I am very comfortable having them around. They work hard on your project, and keep you informed with all that is going on. If they see a potential problem, such as ants, low spots, snakes or drainage problems it is brought to your attention.
I cannot begin to put into words my confidence in this company and crew. I know you will be satisfied."
Patsy Davis
Colleyville, TX
"I fell in love with native plants when I moved to Texas, starting with the roadside wildflowers, so through my own research I knew a lot of which plants were good for my yard. I don't have any real eye for design, though, and I don't have the ability to do the scope of work required to transform my plain turf yard into the winding borders like you'd find at the botanical gardens. Anna and her crew made that possible for me.
When I met with her to discuss design, I could tell that this wasn't just a job for her and that she did indeed love working with the plants and the outdoors. I originally hired Happy Gardens to expand the borders of my back yard flowerbeds and add in a stone bench and birdbath, but she gave me the borders I wanted plus landscaped a flagstone patio, bird bath, and a classic stone bench-table set in under my trees that blends in fantastically. It looks even better than I had hoped! Seeing how the backyard was improved, I went ahead and had her design and implement flowerbeds in other parts of the yard. And while the crew was out there, they brought things to my attention that were in need of fixing, so I got a lovely new fence that will last a long long time, a retaining wall that's properly built and won't fall, French drains with proper grates, guttering with proper fall and water direction, and a dry creek bed that looks attractive as well as redirecting the water flow from my property to the street instead of into the meter box.
They also brought up something that I had been considering, drip irrigation, and it surprised me how easy it was for them to install - they did not have to excavate or disrupt my existing sprinkler system in any way. I'm not entirely sure that there's anything they can't do! Everyone in the crew was very nice, and they always took time to answer any questions I had about the projects (and I always had a million). And my yard is now certified TPW Texas Wildscape!"
Shannon Rockett
Haltom City, TX
"After losing a portion of our lawn during the summer of 2011 and attempting unsuccessful remedies by other contractors, we met Anna from Happy Gardens. It was immediately evident we'd found someone passionate, knowledgeable and committed to her work. After a thorough evaluation of our needs, she explained her techniques. Her approach was thoughtful and intuitive, yet common sense and methodical. It was great to hear of her organic methodology.
When the job began, Happy Gardens arrived on time, were efficient, neat, and got the work done. They replaced sod and plantings and corrected several trouble spots. They also did a thorough clean up, irrigation and soil testing.
Being favorably impressed with our initial work experience, we've since had her redesign and update other areas of our yard. Each project has been a rewarding experience with complete satisfaction on our part. We now have a serene, natural backyard, with abundant wildlife and both native and adapted plantings.
Anna's designs totally work with our yard, and truly feel like a personal expression of our thoughts and ideas instead of a cookie-cutter approach. It's very important to her and her team to achieve the client's vision and goals. We can't thank her enough for her efforts or recommend her more highly."
Debra & Terry Patriquin
Keller, TX
“When we built our home seven years ago, we knew that we wanted to create a lawn-free landscape with Texas natives even though all other homes in our neighborhood had grass front yards. With no formal plan, we muddled along for a couple of years; and the landscape was becoming a huge disappointment. We hired a professional designer; and with formal plans in hand, we figured we finally knew how to create our dream landscape ourselves. In actuality, we were still overwhelmed and unable to generate anything close to the formal plan. In the ensuing years, our organic wildscape was out of control, not giving us any pleasure, and had essentially become more work than we ever expected. Our bigger expectation became one that the HOA would demand that we conform to the rest of the neighborhood!
Fortunately, Happy Gardens came to our rescue. First, Anna and her crew diligently cleaned up the excess growth in the front and backyards. That alone was a huge relief, and the results gave us a taste of what our landscape could become. With complete confidence in Happy Gardens, we asked Anna to help us bring our dream to reality. During the clean-up phase, she had already come to understand our goal – utilize Texas natives with enough structure and definition to prevent an unruly appearance, while still being an organic wildscape that attracts butterflies, birds, and other small wildlife. Anna clearly understood our need to blend my more formal vision with the wild preference of my Master Naturalist husband.
In just one day, the Happy Gardens crew transformed our front landscape into a phenomenal space! We are so happy and excited about our beautiful yard, which is so much easier to maintain now. Anna definitely achieved a harmonious blend of our personal design styles, and her remarkably intuitive landscape design expertise created harmony within our neighborhood as well.”
Corky McCorkhill
Arlington, TX.
" The beautiful herb garden Agnieszka designed for our backyard has truly been a perennial show! It is very low maintenance but allows for periodic harvesting for cooking. The vegetable garden has plenty of room for all our experiments, and the rich compost has yielded a variety of food. The American Beautyberry she put along the fence 2 years ago has filled out and created a backdrop we continually enjoy. The front yard now complements our house with shrubs appropriately sized. and we are eager to see the growth this year as our new plants take hold. I recommend Happy Gardens whenever I can, as we have been so pleased. "
Sandra Soria
Fort Worth, TX
"When we bought our property we knew that one day we would have to replace the collection of rail road ties, random blocks and fence panels that someone had cobbled together as a “retaining wall” with a proper structure; a huge and expensive undertaking. For five and a half years we talked about it, we fretted about it, we ignored it, but finally the day came when we could ignore it no longer. Who to get to do the work though? We were gun shy after having a couple of less than pleasant experiences with various contractors, we needed this wall done right, we needed to trust the company we hired. Then I remembered Happy Gardens… “Hum, I wonder if they do retaining walls?” Well they do and they do it right!
Anna and her engineer designed both a functional and beautiful wall. They both took a lot of time to understand our needs and the engineer was especially conscious to understand what we might want to do with the area to “future proof” the wall to ensure that it will function properly for many years to come. Anna’s team was great -- professional and very considerate.
We are very happy with the finished product (and just as importantly, so are the neighbors), it’s beautiful, but more importantly it was done right – what a relief! Thank you Happy Gardens!"
Kate Kilmurray
North Richland Hills, TX
" My vegetable garden was poorly laid out and invaded by bermuda grass when I went to Happy Gardens for help. The first consultation was very efficient and focused on what I wanted out of the space. I told them I was totally overwhelmed by the upkeep because of the grass and that I wanted a bigger planting area. The result of their work was a cleaner, much larger area with a well-defined border that can easily be maintained with a quick pass of the string trimmer. They also helped me get my grapevines under control by training them along my fence with twine. This year my garden is beautiful and lush with many large clusters of grapes, and I am easily able to keep the bermuda grass out. I would recommend Happy Gardens to anyone because they are professional, practical in their designs, and they really know what they're doing. I am grateful for their work each time I see my transformed vegetable garden! "
Meredith Chacin
Fort Worth, TX
" We love all the work Anna and her crew have done in our yard. She started by tidying up our backyard which was kind of a mess. We liked what she did so much that we asked her to give us some ideas on how to fix up our overgrown front flower beds. She quickly came up with a great plan in which she was able to incorporate all my favorite plants. She also added a beautiful pea-stone path with concrete stepping stones that looks lovely. Our house now looks a million times nicer and I can't wait to see all our new irises, roses and sages grow up in the spring. The best part about Anna is that she plans years into the future so you know that what she plants is a practical choice that will look beautiful for many years. We highly recommend Happy Gardens to anyone looking for a talented team that is committed to using organic gardening methods."
Amy McNutt & James Johnston
Fort Worth, TX
"Anna, I am so pleased and excited with my landscape design. When you said it would be luscious you were absolutely right!
The design is beautiful, the work was done timely and to perfection. I couldn't be happier. I really have a happy garden at last. Thank you so much."
Donna Bonenberger
Arlington, TX
"We recently contacted Happy Gardens to help us with a few “problem” areas in our yard:
30+ year old oak trees shading our yard to such a degree that the grass would no longer grow; a drainage problem in a bed on one side of our house allowing water to seep into our house and the recent harsh weather killing a lot of my flowering plants.
At our first meeting, it was obvious we had made a good decision – the first thing we were asked was “how do you use our yard”. Once that was established, we were given options for correcting each problem and creating a look we could enjoy and be proud of. Anna and her associates are trustworthy, courteous, friendly and efficient. We’re both very pleased with the work that was done for us by Happy Gardens and there is no doubt if we need more landscaping in the future, we will not hesitate to use their services again."
The Stephens
Grand Prairie, TX