Landscaper and Gardener recommendation - Exterior Design Gardens

[joe123]

I would like to recommend Nigel and Oli Hawkins (+team!) who I myself found via a recommendation on this forum. On here as 'Gardenman' or Exterior Design Gardens.

They have just finished a complete overhaul of our garden and it looks fantastic and like a different place. This includes redesign, new lawn, pergola, planters, decorative stones and plant/flower selection. They have been a pleasure to deal with from start to finish and clearly love the work they do.

[Gardenman]

Thank you so much Joe .

It was a pleasure to do & you were a pleasure to work for . I believe Oli has got back to you about doing the front hedge. You?re right we do love the work we do

If anyone else would like my son Oli, team & I to Design, build, maintain any aspects of your Gardens give us a call on

07549418219 for free surveys , Designs & ideas .

As I have said in my gardening tips this is the best time of year to get gardening work done , simply because you are not using your garden & it creates a beautiful garden for spring, when we are all up to our necks in work .

Remember. Only use the well recommended gardeners on this wonderful forum

[wilko]

Have sent a PM.

[joseph holly]

We would like to strongly recommend Oli Hawkins ? Exterior Design Gardens (Gardenman ? Nigel?s son) and Aaron, a member of his team. There are other wonderful reviews for them on this forum and we reiterate everything that has already been said.

They have done amazing fencing and architectural trellis work for us to cover up a neighbour?s ugly fence. The difference they have made to our own garden is astonishing! They had really imaginative suggestions and the standard of their work is excellent. They also create patios, pergolas, flower beds, lawns etc. and maintain gardens as well.

They are a pleasure to deal with and are prepared to go that extra mile as they really enjoy and care about the work they are doing. They are prepared to listen to your ideas and help you develop and visualise them, before creating the final design for you.

We couldn?t be more pleased and would not hesitate to recommend these extremely professional young men to you!

Contact number is - 07549418219

[yaya]

We would also like to recommend Oli and his team. He did a flawless job digging out, removing our old concrete patio base, laying a new base and porcelain paving. His attention to detail was second to none and he undertook all the tasks with good humour and care. He and the team were a pleasure to have around and we intend to use them for further work.

[ali_f]

I can very highly recommend Oli Hawkins and Exterior Design Gardens who have just finished a total makeover of my garden, including paving, terracing and fencing. Oli and team really do live up to the hype (other rave reviews here on the forum) and impressed me with their commitment to doing a top quality job, no cutting of corners and full attention given to the finishing touches. In addition, Oli is friendly and easy to communicate with and advised on materials and design, taking any additional requests in his stride. Pricing is clear and fair and gives excellent value for a quality job.

Ali, Herne Hill

[Gardenman]

That’s very kind of you Ali. It was really nice working with you . Loved the job , really challenging, a real transformation.

Oli & Nigel Hawkins

Exterior Design Gardens

07549418219

[jsaur]

I’m not normally one to leave bad reviews but we had such a shocking experience with Nigel from Exterior Design Gardens that I feel it’s important to share so that others can make an informed decision. The number we were messaging on was 07961888253 and he introduced himself as being from Exterior Design Gardens. 

We contact Nigel after seeing positive reviews to build a brick raised bed and lay a small (2x3m) patio in our garden. The quote he provided seemed reasonable so we went ahead and that’s when the problems started.

The guy he sent round to do the work took a couple of hours and several phone calls to find our flat (despite having been provided the address and postcode). He called my partner several times asking for directions and seemed incapable of reading a map. We maybe should have seen this as a warning at the time.

When he started the work he did not dig out a base or lay foundations as discussed with Nigel beforehand, but just lay a brick wall on top of the existing brick patio. It was such a horrendously bad job that when I saw it I was genuinely shocked. See photos via link below.

What made me even more frustrated was when raised the issue with Nigel, he replied (quote) ‘could do with a little more mortar between the soldier course’ but did not accept that it was a shoddy job. Feeling a bit gaslit I posted the work on a bricklayers forum. Comments ranged from ‘this has to be a wind up’ to ‘did he build it with a tennis racket’ to ‘looks like he kicked them in from the roadside.’ See here -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/853083295947331/?multi_permalinks=947326963189630&notif_id=1688897183016407&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

I asked Bradley to rebuild the wall to an acceptable standard. He attempted to do so then admitted that he ‘doesn’t normally work with brick.’ We made the decision to end the job there and get someone competent to do the work. We refused to let them do the work on the patio.

When I asked Nigel to refund some of the money we had paid for the work, he told me that he’d spent more on materials he’d quoted (without checking with me beforehand) so would only refund £90. It has been several weeks and I have chased him and I am still yet to receive this money. I’m absolutely livid that a ‘professional’ could have acted this way and hope others read this and take it into account before considering using the same service.

[Gardenman]

I take full responsibility for this job & would like to say , I do the smaller jobs nowadays & this in no way reflects on the work of Oli & his team at Exterior Design Gardens 

Bradley was trying to copy the wall on the other side of the path & having built a few walls before, I was confident he could do the job. The wall he built was not good enough & he built another one . It was an improvement but not enough to please Josh 

Upon request I refunded Josh the cost of the stock bricks, which were more expensive than the last time I bought them . They have gone up considerably recently. I had to pay Bradley £240 for 2 days work & for materials 

I am sorry Josh feels aggrieved, but we always try to do the best job possible. 
In this case the customer was not happy. 
I apologise & reiterate, this is not the work of Oli & his team at Exterior Design Gardens, but mine . 
I no longer work with Bradley & wish him well. 
I continue with the ethos of “ doing a good job”

Nigel Hawkins 

 

[ChristianLLewis]

Just to let you know Nigel that the bin store has fallen apart less than one month after you completed it. The materials used were poor, and without a central support the centre of the roof  collapsed and pulled away from the wood. All the stones put on top fell through the gaps and now the bolster has come loose from the concrete base and unstable so the  concrete that we paid for now needs to be redone too. The plastic sheeting that was meant to leep