Home Services reviews in Decatur, Georgia

Update a year later. We just experienced Hurricane Helene and had a much better outcome than expected. Daniel's suggestions worked!! Even without a rain garden, the berms and plantings slowed the 12 inches of rain to a very manageable flow. Continuing to thank Daniel for his expertise.

See below for original review:
Daniel Ballard of Convivial Landscapes consulted with The Friends of Springbrook Park regarding an erosion issue at our park. He met with us on Sept. 9, 2023. We were amazed and pleased at his original ideas for solving our problem. He began by telling us about the importance of using water to benefit the park rather than allowing it to run through and erode the natural habitat. He clearly explained the reasons for erosion and demonstrated how we could use “water hugs” (u-shaped berms) and a rain garden to slow, spread and sink water. His explanation of the reasons for the erosion was clear and his solution was not only feasible but cheap, especially if we use volunteer labor.

He suggested ways we could educate the community about the benefits of “planting water” and how microhabitats (essentially brush piles) support animal life at the park, create carbon sinks and establish bird cover.

Daniel’s approach is very different from that of most landscape architects. For one, he sees the process of handling erosion as taking place over time rather than in a single day. For another, he focused on what is best for the environment demonstrating how replacing grass (which requires chemicals, water, mowing and blowing) with carbon sinks and leaf litter will not only look nicer, but would benefit the natural composition of the park and encourage animal life.

Daniel also showed his playful nature when he told us before we cut a limb from our elderberry trees we must ask the elderberry fairies for permission.

We were most grateful for Daniel Ballard’s expertise and gentle instructional manner.

Daniel and his crew did such an amazing job to our yard that had a lot of overgrowth. We knew there was lots of good, mature plants but had no clue how to prune them and make our yard look and feel more inviting. During our initial consultation, Daniel walked us through our space naming every single plant and telling us what would help it to flourish and grow. Once he and his team began work, we were so impressed to see how attentive and intentional they were. Almost everything was hand pruned. Our yard looks and feels so lovely and everything is growing nicely! We have used the space so much more now. Thank you so much to Convivial Landscapes!!

It was great working with Daniel as we installed plantings to combat erosion along a bend in a stream bank. We did this for my Boy Scouts Eagle Project with Troop 77. He has impressive expertise about every plant we were working with and took time to teach our group about plants in the area during the installation. His emphasis on installing native plants and trees that benefit wildlife and aesthetics of the area were on target and greatly appreciated.

For over 8 years, Daniel Ballard has been our go to for landscape advice, and installing lasting plantings appropriate for our garden. Recently, we asked him to take on a big project with us to prepare for an outdoor family event. As he has on many occasions, he carefully listened to what we wanted and through his expertise and creativity, he brought our vision to life in ways we hadn't imagined. He is a landscape architect artist. We are thrilled with the results and would highly recommend their services to anyone seeking a talented and dedicated landscape architect.

Daniel Ballard did a great job of designing a low maintenance landscape plan for my backyard. Daniel listened to my concerns about my yard’s drainage issues and designed a plan to mitigate runoff using berms and a French drain. With his extensive knowledge of native plants, Daniel transformed my overgrown backyard into a woodland habitat to attract birds and other pollinators. Daniel and his team worked hard pulling ivy and removing invasive plants. Convivial’s philosophy of ecological landscaping is unique. I recommend them to anyone looking to create a natural, sustainable and beautiful habitat.

Update: In the year since the yard was landscaped I've had the front landscaped by Convivial Landscapes as well and it looks fantastic. Neighbors have stopped me to say how nice it looks. It serves as a kind of bird corridor with plants with berries, drawing more birds to the backyard. All the plants have proven to be hardy even through the summer drought. Daniel has always responded to my questions, even a year later, about the care for some specific plants, and he's offered advice for other landscape-related questions. Can't recommend Convivial Landscapes enough.

Original review"
I reached out to Daniel to explore transforming my backyard into a bird sanctuary as a memorial to my wife. Daniel took my rough idea and somewhat limited budget and created a bird paradise of berry bushes and trees that will, in time, provide plenty of cover from predators. He had my property registered as an official wildlife sanctuary, provided plenty of resources for learning more about birds, and taught me to "think like a bird" when placing water sources, bird feeders, and bird houses. All of the work was of the highest professionalism and I could not be more happy with the result.

We were thrilled to find Daniel Ballard and his team. Daniel was recommended to us by a friend and turned out to have exactly the combination of skills and talents we were looking for. We’ve been planning to shift our yard toward natives for several years and needed to find the right person to help us. Daniel completely understands the rationale behind going with native plants and has a deep knowledge of our local native ecosystem and which plants thrive here and how they benefit wildlife and pollinators. He complements that with extensive experience and training in horticultural design. That combination leads to creation of native installations with a beautiful design aesthetic. Further, he is a good listener and teacher, and his passion is contagious. His team is efficient in executing the plans, and they even did some extra touches elsewhere in our yard while they were here. The end result is exactly what we’d been hoping for in this first phase of our yard’s transition. We look forward to continuing to work with Daniel on the rest of the yard. We highly recommend Daniel -- he’s a gem!

We have a great relationship with Convivial. Daniel Ballard came highly recommended by our landscape architect who provided a great design for our yard. But, Daniel is not simply a landscape installer, nor did he just "paint by the numbers" from the design. He has his own artist's eye for light, shading, time of day, colors, angles, materials, views, textures, space, usability, elevation, functionality, design, drainage, ecological landscaping, cost, you name it. It was a pleasure watching him bring the plan to fruition and make our yard a pleasure to live in.

Daniel and his amazing team have nurtured our yard and gardens for several years. We have relied on his expertise in horticulture and environmentally responsible practices. I would highly recommend Convivial Landscapes as a trustworthy and conscientious caretaker.

Convivial Landscapes is a fantastic company. Daniel is helping me get my front yard in order. I tried to do it myself a few years ago and it is now a complete disaster. With Daniel’s knowledge and landscape ideas my front yard will become a source of pride. I highly recommend Convivial for your landscape needs.

Daniel at Convivial is seriously the best of the best! Ultra professional and really knows his trade. He helped me with some gardening services and I could not be more pleased. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend!! They are so great!! He came out to help me determine why I was getting water in my basement. He did a thorough landscape inspection and knew where to look and what to look for. He was able to see the big picture and all the facets that went into my issue. It was a stormwater issue that had several entry points. He offered several different solutions. Some of the solutions I could implement myself and some they would do. They were extremely professional and clearly knew what they were doing. I followed their suggestions and haven’t had a single drop of water in my basement in over three months!

I have 40 years experience as an arborist. We primarily prune trees and remove trees but also plant larger trees in the winter. When I’m not sure about a species or need to broaden my understanding of selection or planting I call Daniel. His knowledge and understanding of plants and trees is excellent.
Mark Collins,
Appleseed Tree Service

I was having a major water issue in my backyard. Daniel was incredibly knowledgeable about both what the source of the problem was and how to address it. He created a beautiful dry river bed with a lot of native plantings that have completely resolved the problem and have added beauty to my yard to boot! Daniel is easy to work with and communicate with. He listened well to what I wanted and added in great ideas that were both aligned with what I had already created and ecologically friendly which was important to me. It felt like we were a creative team working together. It was actually fun! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Daniel to anyone.

Good hard worker that will get the job done.

The team did a great job with our install and was very responsive for any questions/issues we had. I would recommend them highly!

The best of the best! Detailed, expert, boutique. Highly recommend

We have been working with Beto for over 8 years. We love his work. He is reliable, honest and fair. Highest possible recommendation!

Beto and his team were outstanding. Beto took the time to understand our issue and to explain possible solutions to us. The pricing was extremely reasonable and the team performed the work on schedule. They communicated with us about every step of the project. I would hire them again in a heartbeat.

Beto’s knowledge of plants, local suppliers for not just plants but materials, and his subcontractors make a project design and execution go quickly and smoothly. He has creative solutions for problems and he keeps his commitments. I recommend him without hesitation.

Beto and his team were so wonderful to work with from the beginning of the planning process until the very end. Everything was done professionally and with clear communication and expectations fulfilled! I highly recommend Designed Landscapes!