Green Ape Landscape

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Introduction: Over thirty-five years experience. Won first-place award for Fortune 500 Company for landscape design. Seeing the finished job. After thirty some years, I still stand there and gawk at a beautiful job we have completed.

Overview

Hired 5 times

Background checked

3 employees

50 years in business

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Featured Projects

8 photos

Patent Pending FOAM Pools
In-Ground Swimming Pool Construction
Kenny Messmer is a very knowledgeable man with num

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, value, and responsiveness.

Good 3.8

9 reviews

56%

11%

22%

11%

Armando D.

Apr 22, 2015

Kenny, Came and pruned my orange tree and treated it for bugs (mites). He was very knowledgeable on the subject. I was so impress that I had him do some landscaping planning that I hope to execute this year and next. Kenny was good about communicating the timing of when he could get the job done. Also about following up on his work. He did quality work and I had no complaints.

Green Ape Landscape's reply

Thanks Armando. We did return to install a new design in your front yard. Congratulations on the profitable sale.

Nancy P.

Apr 22, 2015

Kenny oversees landscaping at our church. We have 40 acres so it's a big job. He is industrious, creative & dependable.

Green Ape Landscape's reply

Thanks Nancy, It is more the work of you and your husband Rich that we have beautiful garden grounds for thousands of different worshipers almost every weekend.

Joy J.

May 3, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

We needed reworking of existing flower beds in front and back, which required removal of several large bushes and plants, trimming/pruning everything, planting new bushes, and planting bedding plants for summer color. Mr. Messmer did a good job on his first visit with the trimming and removal. He spread mulch on most areas, but underestimated what would be needed to do all the beds and left large piles of mulch around the perimeter of some of the larger bushes. Since it was early in the year, bedding plants weren't yet available, so he came back at a later date to plant new bushes and bedding plants, fill in holes left after initial removal of bushes, do a touch-up trimming, and finish applying mulch to the bed left undone on first visit. We also requested that he spread topsoil over all the beds to level and fill in the holes before spreading. For some reason he was reluctant to bring topsoil, but since we were insistent, he did bring it. He also showed up with the knockout roses we wanted, but most were diseased and we refused to accept them. He returned them to the nursery and brought replacements the next day that were somewhat better - and he treated them for fungus after planting them. (The first day he was a couple hours late due to "having to drive slowly with a trailer full. The second day he was supposed to arrive around 9:00 am; however, it was almost noon before he arrived - he was not pulling a trailer on this trip). Now, after several weeks, and our application of additional treatments, the roses and about half the other plants, while still alive, are failing to thrive. Also, now that things have settled, we've discovered that the holes were not filled in sufficiently and there are now a bunch of deep depressions - some with bedding plants planted right in the middle of the depressions. When it was time to pay Mr. Messmer, he asked if we would consider paying more than his quote to cover the cost of his extra trip to the nursery to exchange the diseased roses. We refused. I would not deal with Mr. Messmer again, nor would I recommend his services to anyone.

Green Ape Landscape's reply

Joy, You were not home to see our work when you formed your opinion. Your husband tipped us generously.

Outdoor Landscape Design

Marshall H.

Nov 10, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

I hired Kenny to install a foundation watering system and then a 585-SF paver-laid back patio. The foundation watering system went pretty well (although I told him to place the watering system 6-in from the house to avoid erosion and he placed it right up agianst the house so I moved the hose and stakes but no big deal). The patio was a nightmare. This 585-SF patio install is a 3 day to 1 week job according to other patio contractors. Kenny took 32 days, increased his fee multiple times, and provided a product that I then had to spend my own time and money fixing. When I emailed him after paying him out, he didnt want anything to do with it, citing how much time he spent on the project. He spent a lot of time, but the product was flawed (read more below). He is a nice guy, but he really did not know what he was doing. Here is our text conversation from the beginning of the project. A little context...I contacted a few other contractors after this project was underway or complete because I was getting nervous and all of them said that paver joints are supposed to be nearly flush together with very small spaces in between them and filled with polymeric sand, which hardens and doesn't get beaten out of the joints. Kenny placed many of my pavers with wide spaces in between them and filled them with brown, play sand, which did indeed get beaten out. Read text conversation below. Saturday, September 12, 2015: Me: Hi Kenny, the pavers have been purchased! I told them to have them ready for a Monday pickup just in case you want to go get them then. I also put sample stones on our front porch Kenny: Thanks. I will pick up first load Monday morning. Thursday, September 17: Kenny: The fact that the foundation is poured higher than the proposed cut [on the house siding] should rule out the need for laminate seal. Drainage must be maintained at original cement patio height. Polymeric sand not recommended between pavers. Will use only sharp torpedo sand. Me: What color is sharp torpedo sand? We want the sand between the pavers to be grayish if possible. I thought the polymeric would be gray. If we maintain proper slope, we can do polymeric correct? Kenny: Gray can be top dressed once brown torpedo sand is placed for proper drainage. Polymeric is seal and will raise flood run off dangerously close to foundation pour. Could risk water in walls. As always, I will try to advise but do as you request. Me: My fear is: in houston we get such heavy rains that the torpedo sands will be "beaten" out of the cracks and have to be refilled often. Also, I don't want people's feet to get the sand and track sand into the house. I also want to be able to hose off the patio without washing out the sand between the pavers. If it's sloping the right way, wouldn't the water flow away from the house anyway? I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Kenny: [No Response] Wednesday, September 30: Me: Hi Kenny, we are having a party on Friday, October 16th (2 weeks from Friday) and we really want this whole project (patio and phase 3) done by then. Can you do that for us? Kenny: Glad you are having a party. I will apply myself to a timely completion of all landscaping after today. Thursday, October 15: Kenny: We are doing final cleanup. When can you inspect? *Project was not complete due to un-level pavers Friday, October 16: Project complete (32 days from Monday, September 14) Summary: Gray sand was never top dressed. Upon completion of the project, many of the paver joints had wide gaps filled with the brown torpedo sand (the area with the wide joints was mostly the area where Kenny had to create his own solid basethere was an existing concrete base from the old patio that was smaller than the new patio). A week after the project was finished, we had a hard rain and just like I feared (via text on September 17), a lot of the sand was beaten out of the joints leaving quite a few of the wide joints without any sand in between them. Just like I feared, sand was all over the patio and being tracked into the house every time someone went outside. I reached out to Kenny and asked him to buy gray polymeric and meet me at the house so he and I could jointly work together to fix the problem and he refused. I also had withheld $100 from his final payment because there was a little more work to be done and I wanted him to honor it, but once he left, I felt compassion and PayPald it to him. I told him I trusted that he would come back. He never came back. Once he refused to come back, I asked him to send me the $100 back. He did not respond to my email asking for the $100. As a result, I had to not only pay for the entire project, but then spend $171 of my own money buying polymeric sand to fix the beaten out areas, $41 on renting a pressure washer to clean out the brown sand, and will have to pay another $58 to rent a plate compactor to finish the job. I asked for $100! I just listed $270 worth of expenses I incurred after I paid him out. So here we areI had to write a review. I have plenty of picturesplease email me if you want to see more of them. This project has cost me additional money and more important, DAYS of my own time and effort to fix it.

Green Ape Landscape's reply

Really sorry. I'm not used to dissapointing my customers. That is why you found me with a 5 star rating. Guess I can't be perfect forever.... but I try.

Sprinkler and Irrigation System Installation

Barbara B.

Dec 2, 2014

Hired on Thumbtack

Kenny made the appointment and I was completely satisfied with the work he did for my husband and myself. He was prompt and did everything we agreed to; Kenny even called and came back to ensure that we were happy with his work and that the fountains he worked on were still operating properly. I would recommed him to anyone because he is trustworthy, reasonable, and honest.

Outdoor Landscape Design

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Kenny Messmer

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I do not like complicated pricing systems. The best work can be spoiled by confusing the money. I will write my price and actually stick with it even though things do change.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Today, there is little that surpasses the internet as far a continuing education for what I do... plants, ponds and pools. I pioneered digital landscape photography in the 1980's. I peruse information on each subject at hand when I embark on a project. I do not accept that my old-school college training is still the best for today.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
In 1973, a radio talk show host in Boise, Idaho named Bob S. argued that not all teenagers today are lazy. He invited his listeners to call him personally to get the name of his yard boy. The next day, I had 16 customers and a company that is still going.

Green Ape Landscape

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