We hired Vogel Landscape Design and Consulting Group to take control of our pool project...in a few days, Rob was able to get the project on track and ensure everything was seamless.   Had it not been for Rob we most likely would not have been swimming in our pool last summer.  As well, Vogel Landscape created the best design for our space, we truly could not be happier with the quality of the work and service.

Michelle Archer, May 2011

Dear Rob,

I have been very slow in preparing and forwarding this note to you, but I want you to know how very happy Stephen and I are with the work that you have done.

Our back garden is an oasis of calm, and you reflected and improved upon Stephen's vision perfectly.  You worked extremely well with Byron, of Paradise Pools as well as Landmark for the installation, and we are delighted with the outcome.

Your use of trees and flowering plants is excellent; and where they have not flourished, you have been vigilant in having them rejuvenated or replaced.

We are very grateful for your work, we look forward to spring, and we hope to do more work with you in the future.

Kind regards,
Jane Beatty

Dear Vogel Design,

Vogel Landscape Design and Consulting Group Ltd. was referred to my husband and I as the firm to retain to obtain a landscape design.

Fran Moore of Vogel guided us through the many details of this project from design to completion and we could not be more pleased with the results.  The contractors that Fran hired to complete the work did a superb job including a stone retaining wall, a cedar deck, planting and much more.

All in all we were very happy with the results.  Very impressed with the quality of the work and extremely pleased with the fact that the entire project was kept to our budget. 

We can highly recommend Vogel Landscape Design and Fran Moore to anyone wishing a first class landscaping job.

Sincerely
Scarlette Jurgeit

Dear Rob,
Gillian and I have been reflecting through the holiday season – it’s now over 12 months since we first found “Great Gable” and so much has happened since we decided to make this our dream home.

The vision that we had is now becoming a reality – as you know our initial focus has been on integrating the house into the landscape, providing safe access and the foundation from which to complete our design objectives.

We were fortunate to have friends who provided your name to us at the outset of the project, and we quickly became aware of the other projects which you had designed. From our first meeting I think it is correct to say that we were both really comfortable working with you and we have no doubt whatsoever that we made the correct choice, in selecting Vogel Landscape Group to design and ultimately build our landscape.

If I think back to the key ingredients to the experience, there are a number of stand-out elements which I would particularly commend:

Initial Meeting
I’m not sure how many hours we spent walking the “building site”with you, but the time was well spent – you listened as much as you spoke and you reflected back our thoughts and vision. The “client checklist” was a really helpful tool – your questioning encouraged us to really think about our priorities and what we were truly seeking to achieve. The vision of the ‘ideal vacation resort” becoming our home, was developed at the first meeting.  This has been a guiding light throughout the remainder of the project.

Design
The quality and detail of your initial design was compelling – your patience in honing this, both to meet our budgetary and functional requirements was excellent. We were particularly pleased with the CAD imagery – I know that this was a “first” for you, but I think it really did help us to better visualize the final outcome. I think it also served a really useful purpose in helping to establish sight lines and the layout of some of the critical stone work linking the outdoor kitchen to the rest of the landscape.
We recognise that this was quite a difficult property to work with, with the ravine, elevation changes and the golf course to accommodate, but the design has successfully integrated all of these elements and given us the ideal blend of landscape vista and privacy.

Build
I think this is where we (as clients) were forced to make a judgment call – we could have taken your design and worked with a named/established landscaper. Instead, based partially on instinct as well as trust in your technical abilities we decided to turn over the build to you. I think without exception you brought really good people to the project – the quality of the work was superb and the obvious care in selecting materials as well as working them to best advantage shines though in the finished product. We really enjoyed the creative touches – especially the “claw” that leads into the pool! We enjoyed meeting with all of the folks that worked on the project and we would be happy to recommend any of them.

Project Management
We established a pretty good working model from the beginning – with regular progress and cost review meetings. Having these face to face sessions helped to provide confidence – the cost plus model worked well for me and having full visibility into the underlying material and labour cost elements was critical. I understand that other clients may prefer alternative models, but for me this helped to provide the flexibility I needed to manage the overall cost.
Perhaps somewhat naively, I underestimated the difficulty of dealing with the various planning bodies and other stakeholders who had influence over the design and build process – your fortitude and ability to “manage” these groups was tremendous, and you certainly showed more patience than I would have!

The Result
We are delighted with the final outcome – we have everything we could possibly have hoped for in our landscape – this truly is our own private “vacation resort”. You’ve successfully integrated all of our requirements into the unique elements of the property and we have a stunning result. We would be very pleased to welcome your potential clients to see for themselves the outcome of your efforts.

Thank you once again.

Best Wishes,
Michael and Gillian