Business Category:
Landscaping and Gardening
Our business designs and maintains gardens, landscapes and lawns using eco-friendly, non-toxic techniques and products to create gorgeous outside spaces that conserve water, maximize natural life (birds, butterflies, etc.). We design family spaces, public areas, and corporate gardens with an eye to creating tranquil places where people can experience nature.
Detailed list of services
- Landscaping & natural lawn care
- Garden & pool design
- Earth-smart water features that can be incorporated into existing cooling systems and household water supply.
- Xeriscaping
- Bee & butterfly gardens
- Japanese garden design
- Moonlight gardens
- Kid-friendly gardens
- Grow-it-yourself herb and vegetable gardens
- Fragrance gardens & roses
- Consulting for businesses
- Rock gardens
- All-season, low maintenance ground covers
- Specialized greenhouse design (orchids, for example)
- Natural pest prevention—ladybugs, non-toxic sprays, herbals, hand-weeding of invasives
Business Specialties
Getting your yard and garden off of water: eco-sensitive gardens.
You don’t have to use a lot of water to have a lovely, low-maintenance—even edible garden. Let us show you how!
Finding the best, most beautiful plants for your purposes.
We’re all drawn to different kinds of plants and for different reasons. We want to give you the kind of outdoor space that most appeals to you. As plant experts, we can help you choose the best herbs, flowers, succulents and lawn options for your space and your spirit.
Natural products and processes for eliminating pests, fungi and other garden problems.
There’s no reason to put poisons into the Earth-especially in the name of gardening! We have all the latest on fighting disease and garden pests using all-natural, non-toxic methods.
Company establishment & background
We’re a small, family run business. We got into the field because we loved our own garden so much, we wanted to expand! Part of the fun of gardening is using lots of different spaces to accomplish different goals. We’ve studied Zen gardens, rockeries, medicinal and herb gardens and flowers from all over the world. We love plants and the outdoors and want to share that love with others. There’s nothing better than doing work that you love and feel is important in the world, and that’s just what we’re doing!
What makes this business unique?
Our use of non-toxic methods and products designed for the health of the garden. We focus on strengthening the soil and working with what you have, which means gardens that are less expensive, require less maintenance and still look like a million. We believe in working with nature, not against her.
Our other focus is in incorporating the garden and lawn into the rest of your life. We can create household gray water systems for irrigating plants, saving you (and the planet) water. If you need a cooler space (and who doesn’t in Roseville!) we’ll plan your garden to provide pleasant outdoor spaces, take advantage of local breezes and add plants that stay lush even in the heat. In hot spots, we can use different materials to decrease the heat.
We build the garden to suit your needs. For play-space, pool space or specialties like moonlight gardens, we’ve got the experience and the interest to make your outdoor dreams come true.
What to expect on your first appointment
We’ll meet you in the place we’ll be redesigning to discuss your needs. At that time, we’ll stroll the property, take a few measurements, and note hot and cool, dry and damp spots on our specialized paper “plot”. The first appointment takes about an hour for most customers. After the first appointment, we’ll set up a second one to talk about our ideas and get your input. We’ll also bring photographs of plants, lawn systems and other information to show you what we’re talking about.
How customers are serviced on a regular basis
Customer service is our priority: without customers, we’d just be gardeners with no gardens! We stay in touch with customers who ask to be put on our monthly email list; we send out reminders to customers at times of the year when there should be some special gardening project, such as pruning time or fall clean-up. Our website has links to the weather service, so customers can stay abreast of important weather (hot spells, cold snaps and potentially hazardous fire risk). We’re happy to answer questions by phone, and we can also send advice by email.
Training and experience of business
We have degrees in horticulture and experience with botany and herbology. We have also attended professional training seminars in landscaping and xeriscaping (dry landscaping), working with water features and specialty gardens such as Zen and fragrance gardens. We are well up on the latest in non-toxic and organic methods, and have both trained at the Biodynamic Gardening Institute in Junction City, Oregon. Between the two of us, we have more than thirty years of experience, and our part-time assistants are fully trained and supervised by us in every project. Our three part-time employees have been with our company for 5-7 years.
Range of costs & time of service appointments
We will come to your house to assess your landscaping needs for an initial appointment cost of $50, which is applied to any other work we do for you. Costs vary drastically depending on the amount of work done, the types of plants, hardscaping and other components used as well as the labor involved. At a first appointment, we can usually give a ballpark range, and by the third appointment, a clear estimate of the cost of each project.
Company Certifications & Awards
Member, the Better Business Bureau; The Institute for Organic Lawn Care Ladybug Award; Award for Green Business; Bee-friendly business of 2005; Member, the Sierra Club; Member, Earth First; Member, Greenpeace;
Customer testimonials
“We wanted a kid-friendly place where the children could stay cool but be outdoors a lot. Jack’s designed a cool play area with an inexpensive arbor covered with vining roses and underneath, a ground cover of Roman chamomile. We don’t have to deal with cutting the grass anymore, the kids have a great time playing under the arbor, and they get the outdoor time we feel they need to stay healthy and active.” Joe and Sandy McLeod.
“Our corporate picnic area had all the charm of a parking lo; nobody wanted to use it! The folks at Jacks turned it into a fantasy garden with gorgeous, creamy-flowered yucca plants, bright flowering cacti, white sand and a water fountain that waters a jasmine vine and cools the area by wetting clay tiles that then evaporate the water. Redwood tables and benches under awnings make it pleasant and pretty: now, we even schedule meetings at the picnic area! It’s made a big difference in the way our employees use their breaks and the space around our building.” CAT Electronics.
“We’re retired, and I was sick of mowing the lawn, dealing with brown patches and weeds and watering. I called Jack’s Lawn & Garden, and they planted our lawn with herbs and a flowering ground cover, which take up less than a fifth of the water the grass needed. My wife is thrilled, because the flowering sages and lavenders give us year-round blooms for the house, and I never have to mow another lawn!” Sinclair Hewitt
“I have arthritis, and wanted to put in a swimming pool for stress-free exercise, but I was worried about increasing my water usage. I consulted with Jack’s, and they came up with a way for me to recycle the gray water from my washing machine, shower and sinks to irrigate my existing garden beds, so the use of water in the pool is somewhat balanced by the reduction in watering my garden. They also recommended I consider a pool system that doesn’t use chlorine, which is a known toxin and terrible for the body and the environment. Now I can swim every day, which has made a huge difference in my mobility and the level of arthritis pain I have.” Kathy Lessing.
“I didn’t think I could afford to change my tiny yard into something more beautiful, but the consultant from Jack’s waived the fee for the initial visit, made lots of suggestions for improvements I could make on my own (or with help from my son) and checked back in with me a week later to see if I needed anything. As an older person on a fixed income, I really appreciated the common sense advice I got from Julie, who even brought me some plants from her own garden to “get me started”. She also put me in touch with a seed exchange and a program from the local community college that provides plants to senior citizens. My cottage garden is coming along beautifully, and I’m spending less time in front of the TV and more time outside.” Susan Bowen
Additional information about this business
Our philosophy. Obviously, we care about the environment, and we also believe that with awareness, human beings can live harmoniously with the Earth. We try to apply this philosophy in everything we do, from the products we choose (for example, we will never use genetically engineered plants, or plants that have trademarks that prevent propagation), to the way we treat our employees and our customers. We love plants, rocks and the smell of damp mulch, and we want everyone to experience their outdoor spaces with the joy and appreciation we feel when we go to work every day! Jack & Julie Comeau
Tips and advice offered by this business
Advice & Tips for Choosing a Lawn Care & Garden Design (or Landscaping) Firm
- Tell the representative your budget right from the start. If they immediately say it’s too low, move on to another company.
- Think about what you want from your outdoor space. Do you want a place to relax or play, a place for flowers or vegetables, a “show place” or a spot that increases your peace of mind? The way you want to use a space will affect the things that go into it.
- Don’t let anyone put poisons on your lawn or garden! Poisons (like weed killer) leach into the water supply and poison the ground and water. They also move in the air, affecting the way we breathe and causing asthma, stomach problems and even cancer. If you don’t know what a product is made of, ask, and if you see a skull & crossbones on the label, don’t use it! And don’t let a professional talk you into putting anything toxic on your property. If s/he says it’s the only way, find yourself another professional: there’s ALWAYS a safe way to target problem like weeds, diseases and pests.
- Ask to see proposed garden or landscaped space in a drawing before giving the go-ahead. Specify anything you don’t want moved (like a fountain, a particular boulder or garden bed) and make sure it appears on the drawing before the work begins.
- Get your estimate in writing, and if your service goes more than 10% over, stop the work until you’ve had some clarification. If your budget is reached, don’t be afraid to stop the work to renegotiate the deal. If you feel you’re being taken advantage of, stop the work and find another company to work with.
- Before hiring anyone, call the Better Business Bureau to make sure there are no outstanding complaints and that any other earlier complaints were resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
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