We would highly recommend Black Rock to anyone wanting any type of landscaping work done. They have great, creative ideas and are a joy to work with. Don himself is, in our opinion, an extremely honest and highly professional individual who is very particular about his work.
We did receive a few quotes from other landscaping companies that were in alignment with Don's quote, however, we really liked Don's ideas as well as his personal demeanour and willingness to listen to our needs. The job did come in as quoted in the estimate. There were no delays and not only did we get the results we had hoped for, they exceeded our expectations.
We had this work done a number of years ago now and, in spite of many, very cold and unusual weather conditions these past winters, the retaining wall has not shown any signs whatsoever of wear. We hope that this helps you in your decision making.
Again, we would highly recommend Black Rock and their services to anyone!
John and Barb Desjardins
Moore Lake
We first met Don Woudstra in 2008, shortly after buying our cottage on Miskwabi Lake. The area around the cottage itself was basically gravel, sand and cut earth. Don created a plan that transformed the property into beautiful landscape that used the natural fall of the land. Don is imaginative and creative, yet open to ideas and owner input. The actual work was completed on time, on budget and the crew was very professional and friendly. Black Rock quality of work is of the highest standard and they take pride in their projects.
We have no hesitation in recommending Black Rock and have used them on several subsequent occasions for additional work. Don Woudstra is dependable and trustworthy.
Brian Whibbs and Doris Stamml
Miskwabi Lake
We employed Black Rock to provide landscaping on the south side and road side of our cottage. The quality of the stone, design of the garden and paths, integration with the rest of the property and final result is fantastic. Our fire-pit is lovely and exactly what we wanted. We were happy that the Black Rock team worked with and preserved our existing plants. The timing was exactly what was promised. Don has artistry in what he does and I am confident that he would do a great job for anyone. What his team did was even better than what we expected! I strongly endorse Black Rock!
Kay Hubbard
Miskwabi Lake
Don and his team of professionals have completed several large landscaping and design projects for me with amazing results. Don has a great eye for design and executes flawlessly with first class quality.
Steve Smith
Canning Lake
We are so very pleased that we selected Black Rock for the large and challenging landscaping project at our cottage. From the time of the quotation we knew we had the right team. Don's ideas and vision during the first site visit put us at ease with regard to the scope and feasibility of the project.
We were originally considering an elevator to deal with steep incline to the lake! Black Rock turned our challengeing road to the waterfront into a tour in the woods complete with one wooden bridge, two stone bridges and a waterfall!
We use much more of the property now. The project completely opened up the waterfront space with the beautiful stone fire-pit area, retaining walls and deck. The amount of work involved moving so much gravel and stone down the hill must have been monumental. We love how the natural features are incorporated; the boulders at the back of the fire pit and the enhancement of the small stream running through the property to a waterfall are really stunning. Your experience and design insight adapting to location specific challenges gave us an end product that was so much more than what we had originally envisioned.
The Black Rock team was experienced, hardworking, pleasant and left a clean work site. My parents also enjoyed the experience despite the construction and were impressed with the skills of your team with the heavy machinery. We are thrilled with the end results!
Tom and Kelly Chesser
Redstone Lake
Under Don Woudstra's leadership and amazing design skills the Black Rock team is professionalism at its best. Our lakefront property was creatively transformed into a beautiful garden including 150 feet of winding dry stack wall, rock steps and a large fire pit.
Our concern was how to deal with a 12 foot drop in elevation from the front of the property to the lakeside. The thing that impressed us the most about Don was that he listened to our ideas and responded with a design plan that reflected exactly what was needed to deal with our elevation issue. The plan included a limestone entrance sidewalk, followed by rock steps around the side of the house, leading to large limestone patio sitting areas, surrounded by strategically placed shrubs, trees, rocks, a huge selection of perennials and a 2 foot dry stack retaining wall, completed by another winding rock stairway leading to the fire pit and lawn. The results far exceeded our expectations.
Don presented us with a budget, stayed within it and completed the project in a timely fashion. The team of experienced landscapers were hard working, respectful, and friendly.
We have had many wonderful comments on how beautiful our property is and we owe it all to Black Rock.
Brenda and John Heeringa
Rice Lake
We were fortunate enough to have chosen Black Rock to do some stone work at our cottage. Don is a true artist and his crews were able to translate his artistic concepts into reality. The workmanship, design and material were perfect for our cottage in the Haliburton Highlands. Black Rock's crew were timely, and the site was always left clean. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a unique design and a quality product.
Randy and Marlene Griffin
Koshlong Lake
What can we say about Black Rock? They accommodated our vision in every way, even when it meant more work for them. The entire team is courteous, professional and extremely dedicated to excellence and they delivered well beyond anything we could have hoped for or expected.
Don has become a family friend.
Jim and Debbie Pesce
Kushog Lake
Black Rock did extensive rock landscaping for us a number of years ago. We hired Don because of the comfort level that we had when we talked with him. We were confident that we were dealing with a person who was committed to quality and customer satisfaction, and that's what we received. He has continued to do other things for us and we have never been unhappy. We have never shopped around for other prices. It might be possible to get things done for less, but with Don, you know we will be comfortable with the end result.
Mike Tambosso
Kashagawigamog Lake
After completing our turn-key cottage project in 2009, Black Rock was one of the vendors we called in for a quote. We clicked immediately and decided to go with Don. He had many ideas and suggestions and his no-pressure approach maintained our comfort level.
The work was completed on time, on budget, and in a professional manner. We were getting pictures sent via email at different stages which helped in our decisions for the final outcome of the project. It has been 6 years later and nothing has shifted and looks as beautiful as the day the job was finished.
Just this past fall (2015) we had Don complete a fire pit by the lake. A very beautiful addition to our overall landscape (to be enjoyed all winter too!).
The ending is the best part with Black Rock. They leave the property clean, all plant life intact and new grass seeded. Almost as if the job was completed a long while ago.
Iwona and Mark Joczys
Loon Lake