TLC Gardens

Due to a flawed design, construction errors, endless rework, poor communication, abysmal service, and a ridiculous amount of TLC Gardens gaslighting, we were forced to walk away after ten months of headache and pain. We forfeit a lot of money to have Cheri Stringer transform our backyard into a mud pit of regret. We are starting from the beginning with a new, honest landscape company.

We are still recovering from the nightmare that was TLC Gardens. Cheri Stringer’s design was based on the profit she gained by using expensive materials sold at ridiculous markups. The pedestals she convinced us to use at ground level are meant only for rooftops — these now form a mountain of waste destined for a landfill. The wrong tile she ordered was fully unboxed (and many of them broken) and so could not be returned. The narrow posts she prescribed could not possibly support the heavy ipe fence she so ineptly tried to install. We paid dearly for Cheri’s charlatan games. TLC is mercifully gone, but the sick feeling of violation is impossible to rinse.

When we started working with TLC, we were fairly confident we would get the yard we wanted, quickly, and on budget. That didn't happen. Cheri and her team do a great job of "guiding" you through their design process, but the process took months. When we were finally presented with our design, we fell in love with it. It was everything we hoped for and more. It was also THREE times our MAXIMUM budget. After agreeing on the design scope and contract, we paid a hefty deposit to hold a spot in the TLC construction queue. Three months later construction finally started. We expected construction to take 3 months, but it took nearly 6 months. We are now experiencing issues with key aspects of the installation and are constantly being ignored or having subcontractors come over to "fix" the issues

We hired TLC Gardens in the fall of 2015 to redesign and landscape our back and front yards. During the initial design period we gave them a specific budget which was then broken down into estimates for the phases of work. After each bout of work, all of which was very very poorly managed, Cheri came back to us with exorbitant costs that far exceeded her bids as well as our budget. After coming to us for more money time and time again, in the manner that she did, we had to come to the conclusion that she was taking us for a ride and immediately cut ties with her company. This was a very frustrating, disappointing and expensive process. And by posting this I hope to prevent others from being swindled as we were.

Cheri and her team are amazing to work with. I’m a professor of landscape design and horticulture and see her practice from a little different perspective. She has mentored my students, collaborated and interacted with my side of the industry many times. We always learn something form Cheri and her professional approach. Visiting her jobs and watching the progress of such high end detailing is always a pleasure.