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Typical your area range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Spring Lake Garden Design Inc. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$50 – $70
Typical landscaping service around $60
On its Houzz profile, Spring Lake Garden Design says its gardens are designed and planted by principal owners Ian Gribble and Catharine Cooke, on properties in the Connecticut/New York areas. A local paper has described Gribble and Cooke as a Sherman husband-and-wife team who own the firm, and its website says it has been in business 50 years. It holds a 5.0 rating from 11 Houzz ratings. A 2015 Houzz customer said Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when they essentially rebuilt their house, including earthmoving, plant selection, irrigation, and stone patios, walls and pathways. That 2015 customer also said the firm coordinated all subcontractors, had maintained the plantings since installation and replaced underperforming or dead plantings with no quarrels. A 2016 customer wrote that the firm created an entry for a home that had no walkway to the front door, with heated walkways and a sculpture garden in pea gravel made from old farm tools found on the property. A 2015 reviewer described 12 years of design, installation and ongoing maintenance on their property, plus design and construction plans for a back deck, front porch, horse/car barn, circular driveway and stone wall. A 2015 reviewer said they had worked with the firm every year for over 14 years on two Connecticut properties, on projects from raised gardens to a "ha-ha" to relieve water from a steep hill behind the property. That 2015 reviewer also said they had always found the pricing fair. A 2016 customer said several other landscaping firms had failed to address their request for a redesign of an over-planted garden, and that Spring Lake's redesign significantly reduced the time and expense of maintaining it. A 2016 reviewer wrote that Catharine and Ian gave a schedule and stuck to it. Connecticut lists its home improvement contractor registration, HIC.0581453, as active, held by Spring Lake Garden Design Inc.
“Spring Lake Garden Design Incorporated”
“Sherman husband-and-wife team Ian Gribble and Catherine Cooke, who own Spring Lake Garden Design, are working closely with Hall on the restoration project.”
“Sherman husband-and-wife team Ian Gribble and Catherine Cooke, who own Spring Lake Garden Design, are working closely with Hall on the restoration project.”
“Cooke and her partner, Ian Gribble, both principals of Spring Lake Garden Design Inc. in nearby Sherman, CT, came up with a solution – a deck off the master bedroom to balance the right side.”
Working with Catharine and Ian is the way it should be on every project. They give you a schedule and they stick to it. If there are going to be delays as there are with most projects, they don't make excuses, they work to get it resolved as soon as possible. From the design stage right through to the installation this is a first class company.
We brought in SLGD to assist us with the redesign of our garden which was over- planted, poorly laid out and expensive to maintain. Prior to bring SLGD we had dealt with several other landscaping firms that had failed to address our request for a redesign of our property. They seemed more interested in maintaining the existing layout. Our relationship and experience with Catharine & Ian at SLGD was immediately different from our prior experiences with landscape design firms. Catharine and Ian took the time to understand our needs and the challenges of the land that they would be working with. They delivered and executed a thoughtful redesign of our property that met our needs and surpassed our imagination in terms of how good our property could look. Their design: - Brought out natural beauty in our property that was previously hidden (at least to us) - Improved the flow of our garden and created new sight lines for us to enjoy from the house - Created multiple spaces within the garden for recreation and family gatherings - Replanted areas around the house to balance privacy and sight- lines - Significantly reduced the time and expense associated with maintaining our garden Catharine and Ian were professional and thoughtful throughout the design and execution of the project. They are extremely pleasant to work with and they ensured that everything was done to the highest standard whether it was their own team's work, or the work of one of the network of highly professional contractors that they collaborate with. Catharine and Ian always took personal responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the project were well managed and coordinated to minimize any inconvenience to us. We are delighted with the work that SLGD performed for us and we have recommended SLGD to friends and family without reservation.
Spring Lake Garden Design created a beautiful entry for my home--before they began, there wasn't even a walkway to the front door. The new plantings are easy to tend, and I love that they created a sculpture garden in the pea gravel from the old farm tools we found around the property. It is gracious and relaxed, but formal. The heated walkways required careful design work that was beautifully done, and now I have no snow shoveling in winter, too! It is a pleasure to work with Spring Lake. Outstanding professionals--great design and implementation, and supportive staff and follow-up.
I had the great pleasure of working with Catharine and Ian from Spring Lake Garden Design for over a year before I left the client company. The site is on a historic farm and we were developing a farm-to-table restaurant with outdoor dining, picnic areas and several public areas for people to enjoy the beautiful property. The project is slated to become a sizable tourism destination in the Hudson Valley expecting thousands of visitors each year. The construction on the property developed and transformed throughout the year and Catharine and Ian were always very responsive, patient, and helpful in making the necessary adjustments in landscaping plans. They were flexible, thoughtful, and extremely knowledgeable taking in all aesthetic and practical considerations with each suggestion to ensure cohesive design and function. Catharine and Ian are great listeners and they immediately understood the general look and feel we hoped to accomplish and the requirements and parameters that needed to be met for each section. They were also forward-thinking in imagining how the site might further develop and how to lay groundwork that would be more conducive to this growth later on, saving us both time and money. I would highly recommend Spring Lake Design for all types of landscaping projects. It is clear they have the experience, technical expertise, vision and creative eye to handle any area no matter how big or small. They were also lovely people to work with!
Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when we essentially rebuilt our house. This included all earthmoving, plant selection, irrigation, major stone work including stone patios, walls and pathways. They also were responsible for designing and subcontracting the water feature in front. They have also maintained the plantings and gardens since installation. This was a major undertaking with great complexity due to grade changes. Spring Lake coordinated all subcontractors and all work was very high quality. They have replaced underperforming/dead plantings with no quarrels. They have been very responsive to suggestions and their selection of plantings that rotate color and texture all year around was excellent.
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1 change recorded — last scanned Oct 14, 2026.