Hi Graeme,
Thank you for making time to come by yesterday.
I know you are very busy and we really appreciate that you still make time to check on the garden and offer advice when we need it - that’s customer service you just don’t get these days...and your maintenance tips help to keep me on track!
We absolutely love our garden - thank goodness we got the best landscaper in NZ to design it for us.
Regards,
Robyn
I started off renovating my back yard in my mind. I had viewed a few photos on Graeme’s website and was keen to replicate some of the design elements that I had seen. I knew nothing about topiary or gardening, mind, so I was slightly wary about what I was getting myself into and how difficult that dream in my head might be. I couldn't have been in safer hands. Graeme visited my home on one of his regular trips up to Auckland. He listened to me describe the look I was after, and once he had taken in the challenges of my back yard (exposed to sea and wind) he suggested a number of plants and trees to help fulfill the look I wanted.
His design ideas were brilliant. He was considerate in listening to what I wanted and helpful in making suggestions when I was unsure. He worked up a design that focused on privacy (tall blue totaras that shielded me from the neighbours’ eyes), structure (topiary that holds a formal shape), co-ordination (baby pohutakawas that offset the trees along the coast) and resilience from the elements (rosemary and podocarpus macrophylla trees – hardy and a good looking combination). He also supplied and delivered, straight to my back yard, the large concrete planters that my trees sit in and spent a few hours planting everything with me.
You can have the best backyard in the world, but the landscaping is the photo frame that takes it to the next level. I was lucky to have had Graeme’s help with my photo frame. He made the process easy, cost effective and good fun to go through. The backyard is now the envy of my friends – all I could ever ask for!
Cherie
Auckland
Graeme has been fantastic helping us re-landscape three different areas around our small lifestyle block over the last couple of years. Lack of knowledge and poor advice from another landscaper had lead to us making bad planting choices which looked terrible and detracted from our property. Graeme advised us which plants to take out and which to keep in each area. He showed us different options for replacement plants and placed them for us so all we had to do was plant them! He told us what to do step by step and took into consideration how much time we have look after the garden when advising us. We liked the way he gave us “homework” – planting, spraying and pruning, which had to be done before he came back next time. He is very knowledgeable and gave us advice on how to look after other parts of the garden e.g. trees and hedges. We feel he has given us great value for money and our property looks so much better.
Chas & Liz Bickford-Smith
Hamilton
January 2015
We now have a really lovely garden which can only get better with time, thanks to the advice and experience provided for us, courtesy of Graeme. I approached Graeme to ask his opinion on how to plant out quite a large area on a windy site, which would be primarily low maintenance and drought tolerant, but also provide year round interest and fit into the flow of the landscape we had created.
From our first meeting on site Graeme was very clear on the service he could provide and the various stages to achieve this. Initially, he would listen to get a feel for what we were looking for and the area to be planted. He then drew up a rough area plan, went away for a couple of weeks, returning with a variety of suitable plant samples for us to look over with an explanation of the type, colour and area suitability of the respective plants. We then set about choosing, with input from Graeme, before deciding the final selection, from which, Graeme pencilled plant numbers and area position into his finalised plan.
A further two weeks passed and Graeme turned up with a truck load of plants, duly laid them out in the planned position, gave us a brief on how to plant, feed and water correctly and left us to merely plant away.
Now the key for us is that Graeme didn’t just disappear, he was genuinely interested in how the plants were looking and if we had any ongoing issues then contact him. We have since had a couple of issues and sought further advice on treatments, a couple of plant replacements for which Graeme gladly switched out. He has also been more than happy to provide ongoing maintenance advice to help us keep the garden in top condition.
The bottom line is we are absolutely delighted with the wow factor result achieved in our garden, and that is primarily down to us investing in the knowledge and experienced hand of Graeme to oversee our project. Anyone thinking of a similar project to ours, large or small, then why not give Graeme Burton a call, highly recommended.
Satisfied customers
Waipa
We had the pleasure of meeting Graeme Burton at last year’s Waikato Home Show and arranged a time for him to come to our property. The first thing we noticed was the way Graeme listened to first establish from us, what we wanted.
As busy professionals we wanted an “appealing looking garden that was maintenance free” and appreciated that Graeme understood that people are “time short” these days.
We were impressed that Rukuhia Homestead Landscaping’s initial consultation was complimentary and that Graeme freely offered constructive, common sense suggestions, ideas and innovative thinking.
Graeme returned with several plans (to cover several levels of budget) and with the plants too enabling us to gain an idea of what the layout would look like. This was fantastic for people who are not, by nature “visual” – and so being able to “see” how it would look like was really important. We both appreciated Graeme’s willingness to answer our questions and our request for the plantings to be completed within a certain timeframe was accommodated. Nothing was a problem and at all times we found Graeme to be professional, warm, open, friendly and happy to share his extensive knowledge.
Without hesitation we’d recommend Graeme and his services. We’re delighted with our new garden. The plants are healthy and robust and we finally have the exact “look” we’d envisaged but never received from previous landscaping attempts by so called “professionals”.
Our friends, family and neighbours all comment on how lovely our garden looks and we are delighted with how it gets better and better every day.
Jan & Neil Canton
Hamilton
My husband and I moved to our property in the Bay of Plenty approximately 11 years ago. Over that time we completely remodeled the gardens. However, one particular area we have struggled with. Every year we would redo the plantings and still we were not happy with the result. It was suggested to us that Graeme Burton from Rukuhia Homestead Landscaping in Hamilton may be able to help us.
He walked onto the property, looked at the area and instantly knew what needed to be done. So, once again we replanted and moved plants around and the results are amazing. In all the years we have been gardening we have never met anyone with the knowledge of plants like Graeme, or the capability to design a garden a garden with such flair and envisage the end results like him.
We would highly recommend Graeme to anyone considering getting an expert in - because as far as we are concerned he is THE BEST!!!
Jim & Gail Newland
Tauranga
We really enjoy working with Graeme and recommend him to anyone who is looking for a landscape solution or help with plant selection. We started from scratch and followed Graeme's advice. We are very happy with the outcome and have a unique garden which we could never have achieved without his skill and vision.
Thanks Graeme.
Doug & Linda Kemsley
Tamahere
We were in the process of establishing a new garden from scratch and while we had an idea of what we wanted the garden to consist of, didn’t really have much idea on how to achieve it. Graeme was able to interpret our ideas and with his extensive knowledge of plants was able to deliver 3 distinct gardens for our small site from a lush tropical garden to a low maintenance border and a colourful cottage garden. In the space of 3 years we now have an established garden with the cottage garden allowing me enough scope to fulfil my addiction to visiting garden centres and buying different plants that take my fancy! Graeme knows what will work and what won’t in various locations and was even able to incorporate a South African cabbage tree (my husband’s homeland) among the pungas and palms in the tropical garden. Graeme has always been willing to answer questions and share his knowledge with us and I would have no hesitation in working with him again. Thanks for all your help and advice.
Catherine & Vaughan Wetton
Hamilton
Hi Graeme
I have been meaning to do this for ages...I would like to thank you very much for all of your time,advice,inspiration, patience and passion for my garden you have given over the last 12months. Mike and I have enjoyed very much you working us through the steps to achieve what we are now enjoying...our completed beautiful garden! You made it so easy for us and listened to what we wanted etc and our end result is even better than what we expected! You have wonderful ideas and vision Graeme and took all the hard work of garden planning away and saved us a lot of money! Its now winter and my garden looks fabulous! IIt will just grow even more beautiful every season. I will recommend you to everyone, as you know I all ready have! Thank you so much once again Graeme and please come and have a cuppa or wine with us in our garden some day soon!
Kind Regards
Suzie Rutz
Hamilton
Hi Graeme
Thanks again for another job well done. The Landscaping looked great and the property sold right away. The new buyer has asked for your details, as she would like to expand on what you have already started. We love your plant choice and artistic ability, so are very appreciative of what you do, and realise how important your role has become to our success. We understand it must be difficult to achieve what you do, on the limited budget we give you.
Kind regards
Gordon & Marilyn Finlay
Inspired Properties Ltd
Dear Graeme
This is to let you know that we say another big thank you for all the new plants delivered this season. I must say that the plants look healthy and ready for planting in the places that you recommended.
For the last three years that we have been getting our plants from you our garden has been transformed into a good looking place. Remember when you first showed us how to keep our trees free from weeds and grass, they were struggling to grow, the same trees have just grown so fast and have been an attraction to all our visitors, thanks for all the encouragement you have given us, we can now reap the benefits.
I would also like to thank you for the knowledgeable advice that you have given us and for the reasonable prices of the plants, I certainly do not hesitate to recommend you to my friends and family and my colleagues at work'
Thank you once again, keep up the good service.
Karen and Robert
Whatawhata, Hamilton
Love it, love it, love it, it looks fantastic! These were my words in a text to Graeme after I finished planting my latest garden and could see the a "vision" that Graeme had created.
Graeme listened to what I wanted, to the ideas I had, he studied the websites I gave him, he talked to people for other ideas, he bought the plants to show me, leaving some with me to ‘look at and feel' allowing me time to see how they fitted with my garden, in creating "My Japanese Garden" - a wish I had from my years of living in Japan.
I have worked with Graeme over the last three years developing a number of different gardens and each time I have been thrilled with the process and the final result.
In listening to my ideas, and plant favourites, Graeme uses his extensive plant knowledge to suggest other plants which will work well with ‘my favourites,' to create something infinitely better than I could ever create. Graeme knows which plants work and where they will work, he spaces them well giving them room to grow and blend creating great gardens for the years to come.
Graeme's style enables the gardener who is keen to learn, the ability to feel included in the garden creation, leaving me with a true feeling of ‘it's a team effort and it's MY garden'. I look forward to the next project!
Vicki Dewdney
Matangi,Hamilton
Dear Graeme
I would like to thank you for your great knowledge and skill in helping to prepare a garden that I am delighted to maintain and proud to show guests. Without your help and expertise I dread to think what I could have ended up with, or more to the point what would have survived the climate here in Rotorua.
We began with a clean slate and you were terrific at suggesting a wide range of options and with low maintenance being a definite pre-requisite for this non-gardener you certainly hit the nail on the head with my native garden. I really appreciated the fact that you were so honest and easy to talk to as not everyone knows all the fancy names for plants. Your enthusiasm for gardening is infectious, heaven forbid I am even considering putting in another garden now as I receive so many nice comments! I wish I could take all of the credit, but of course I will be calling on your services again to ensure I get it right.
I would not hesitate in recommending you to any prospective customer, so feel free to put them in touch with me and thanks again for all your help.
Yours faithfully
Helen Van Beek
Rotorua
