American Plant

We just completed a landscape project with Basem Saah of American Plant and couldn’t be happier. Our yard had been in need of some major help due to factors such as dogs, shade and a sloped back yard. Basem came up with some amazing ideas for plantings and hardscapes in the back that would stand up to those issues. We never used our patio before and now we can’t leave it because we are enjoying the back yard so much. And…the front yard is even better. They completely transformed a worn and dated yard into an English garden that is perfect for our cottage styled home. Pulling up every day when we get home brings new blooming’s and color that looks simply amazing. Then entire process from initial conception, to planning, to execution couldn’t have gone better. After looking at the detailed plans that Basem drew up for nearly a month, it was amazing to see them come to life. We can’t wait for the next things we’d like to do to our yard and will definitely be calling Basem and American Plant again. Thanks!

Excellent experience with American Plant from start to finish! My goal was to bring back the butterflies and natural beauty of my back yard. American Plant exceeded my expectations and I am excited to work with them again in the future! Every time I walk in their store I am greeted by an experienced staff member and inspired to bring my home and garden to the next level.

We want to thank Basem and American Landscape for implementing a smart landscape design for our front, side, and back yard. As you know, there was also hard-scaping as we added a paving stone walkway to access the trash area. You should get a landscape award for this project. We are very satisfied with the results and anybody that visits our home marvels at the new look. In May, I spoke to a different landscape company who told me we had plenty of time to implement a landscape plan for our home. That landscaper proceeded to ignore me and run out the calendar. By September 24, I was completely frustrated by the lack of response from the other landscaper and I saw the planting window would soon close and I was no closer than in May. I drove to American Plant on River Road in Bethesda to look at plant options. Z showed me around and was very knowledgeable ("this plant is eye candy for deer", "that plant only works for shade", "that plant is very slow growing.") I made a list of what I liked and brought it back laid out in a plan, hoping to speed things along. I figured there was a landscape division at American Plant and was told to meet Basem Saah. Basem took my plan and confirmed what he liked and suggested alternatives and improvements. He priced it up within a week. Suddenly, my husband changed his mind about a few things and the original landscaper called me to say my plant choices were bad ones (thanks). Basem sweetly made the changes and another version of the contract. By October 20th, less than a month after walking into American Plant, I had a signed contract and an install date of early November. Basem was so available and responsive, even setting up an evening phone conference so we could chat when my work days were too hectic. As for budget, my initial plan was 33% more than I wanted to pay but Basem managed to cut it back to be within budget. There were so many good suggestions that gave us 100% of what we wanted for less. If I suggested something expensive (such as a dry stacked stone wall) Basem was quick to tell me it would detract from my look and cost more. He said he is a cheapskate for the client's benefit! Basem also had a sense of my house and our style. We like super neat and organized, whereas the house is an Arts & Crafts style informal home. He kept saying things like, "I want to curve the front planting bed because your home is informal and a straight bed wouldn't fit as well." And, "I prefer the plant to overflow the bed a bit but I know that will cause you and your husband distress so I will have them widen the bed to accommodate the full plant diameter." He also referenced that the design was formal to give a sense of organization that meets our style yet has fun, free-form plants to provide whimsy to create interest and go with the house. Plus, Basem has a way of phrasing things that stick with me... "This is where the evergreen forest will be" helped me visualize this informal tree grouping. He said when the butterfly magnolia's are in bloom they are "jaw-droppingly breathtaking". Basem made me so excited for the landscaping! On install day, the plants that arrived were so fresh and healthy looking--I was amazed! Oscar led a crew of very friendly, able workers. Basem was there to lay out the shape of the new beds and where all the plants would go and made sure I liked it. I tried to let Basem place everything as I knew that whatever he did would be the best look. I expressed my thoughts as well and it was really a fun few days. Basem was on site almost the whole time of the install, which I really didn't expect but was pleased about. The only thing not in the original contract was new plants for the front bed. We had thought we could rework using existing plants but after I saw the gorgeousness on the other 3 sides of the house I felt sad that the front looked sub-par. On the third day of install, when only the mulch needed to be laid, I called Basem from American Plant on River Road to say I was planning to buy new plants for the front as I want it to look good. I mentioned the plants I had picked and asked for his thoughts. I thought he might flip out, but knowing his calm, friendly nature, I really expected him to understand and respond well--which he did. He made his suggestions and said I should buy it all and meet him at my home. He proceeded to lay it all out so it looks amazing. He also added a large area of sod to cut back the shape of my front planting bed saying I shouldn't need to manage such a large bed. The larger bed was more work for me and narrowed the access to the side yard. That was out of the box thinking that saved me money, improved the look and will save me time weeding and mulching in the future. Through this process, I worked with many people at American Plant. Z was so nice, patiently showing me the entire line of plants from trees to shrubs to shade to sun. The "office" let me change my payment from check to credit card. Also they made calls to try to locate unique plants I had found on line. Oscar's team worked to make the plantings look great, happily rotating and switching as required. They really seemed to want it all to look great too. And Basem of course is the best! He was always receptive to minor adjustments in the implementation process to suit our needs. We wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the design, workmanship and finished product you and your staff provided to our Bethesda home. We would recommend American Plant to anyone seeking a professional landscape contractor. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season and thank you again. Sincerely, Jennifer & Howard Weitzner

After our first meeting with Susy, we knew that American Plant was the best option for us. Her design was absolutely stunning and she took into consideration all of our requests. We especially appreciate that she worked with us to ensure the flowers were non-toxic to dogs in case our dog decides to have a garden snack. The crew did an exceptional job on installation day and were very professional. We couldn't be happier with their work. Susy and her crew were able to transform our yard into a beautiful sanctuary that we will enjoy for years to come. Thanks again! Mike & Laura Auer

I recently finished a Rainscape and landscaping project with Ms. Susy Altmann and American Plant. She had to work closely with the Rainscape staff from Montgomery county to address the erosion problem and to meet my requests as a demanding gardner with particular preferences. She was a pleasure to work with and I was very pleased by her sensitiivity to certain problems such as access to garbage and to one side of my house. that presented real challenges which she creatively addressed. She was patient and took time.

Mike Matrinko:. One of the most talented carpenters/designers I have ever met. He answered my request for a proposal, gave a reasonable offer and finished the job very quickly. His work was terrific and he was a most pleasant person to have working on my house.

American Plant Food, and their Landscape Designer Basem did a fabulous job helping me landscape my front yard following the loss of a huge tree. He carefully listened to what I wanted, made suggestions, drew up a fabulous design, made great tree and plant suggestions, and then executed the implementation of the Plan. Furthermore, they stood behind their work, and their trees, and were quick to honor their two year guarantee, when we had a problem due to weather damage. All in all a perfect experience! I heartily recommend Basem and American Plant Food! Use them with Confidence!

We hired American Plant to landscape the front and side yards of a 1971-build contemporary home on a wooded lot adjoining forested land. The yard had not been improved since the home was built and showed serious neglect. Designer Susy Altmann developed a superb plan to highlight the contemporary feel of the home while remaining true to the very natural setting. Her selection of deer-resistant plants with color year-round opened the yard and provided visual highlights. Her hardscaping plan called for a flagstone-covered porch and a gracefully curving walk. She designed a river stone drainage swale to replace the silted-in grass swale along the property line drainage. The American Plant installation team perfectly realized Susy's vision. These gentlemen were as much artisan and engineer as they were landscapers. The team, led by Gabriel and consisting of Alexis, Rony, Erasmo and Domenic, were hard-working, precise, meticulous, and respectful. Each day, they left the site as tidy as if the work had never been undertaken. The result of American Plant's work far exceeded our expectations. We strongly recommend this company. Ask for Susy by name and see if you can get Gabriel's team. You won't be disappointed.

We had the pleasure of working with Basem at American Plant. We had an incredibly positive experience. Basem had an incredible amount of knowledge and expertise about landscape architecture, which came through in every meeting through his explanations and ability to talk us through all the different steps for the project. We felt like Basem really listened to what we wanted – we wanted our backyard to look young and modern, and Basem took that into consideration and met our expectations perfectly. We had a firm budget for our project and were disappointed by two other landscape architecture companies that we consulted with because they went way above our budget. Basem was able to put together a proposal that was not only within our budget but achieved many of the key goals we had for the space, including adding stone pathways and a stone wall. Basem was really trustworthy, too, and we never felt like we were being taken advantage of. The team from American Plant was extremely professional, reliable, and respectful of the space. They always arrived on time, completed the project as planned and within budget, and we felt like we really got a great combination of expertise and value. The consultation was not very expensive, around $100-$150, and that cost was credited toward our final project once we decided to go with them. Even better still, we got a rebate card in the mail worth $500 toward purchases at the American Plant stores, which I guess is a sort of dividend for working them. A nice added bonus.

Working with Susy Altmann at American Plant was a pleasure. She is truly an artist. She took a backyard that was only grass and overgrown ivy and implemented a vision that aligned beautifully with my objectives. She created an overall stunning space with several different areas of interest so that the eye never tires. The crew was dedicated and meticulous and took great pride in their work. Not only is the landscaping transformative it is a joy to look at it every day. And I now have an outdoor environment that is a soothing and welcoming space for my home.

American Plant's landscaper designer, Susy Altmann, was fantastic. We decided to renovate our backyard in time for our neighbor's son's wedding, which was taking place in our shared yard space. We had a beautiful slate patio and wall installed (we chose the type of wall after riding around the neighborhood and taking pictures of sample walls. Turns out that our favorite of the 20 or so we looked at was done by American Plant! We had a time pressure to get the job completed, and Susy made sure that the crew was on the job early in the morning so that everything would be completed with at least 3 days to spare. And, she made it happen. The crew also cleaned up at the end of each day and made sure that everything was in place before leaving. Her choice of plants is also exceptional. I gave her general guidance and she picked plants that would bloom at various times of the year and in different colors. She recommended removing the forsythia and taking out all of the ivy, and I'm so glad that she did. We now have a landscape that looks trim, neat and modern. And, our backyard looks twice as big as it did, thanks to her skillful eye for plants. We had used American Plant for an overhaul about a decade ago and would definitely use them again. They are still replacing plants that are under warranty --- that is service worth paying for!

Tony Lightborne is both knowledgeable and easy to work with. That makes working with American Plant a real pleasure. They did not leave the job until we were completely satisfied. In our case, that meant that he and his crew had to come back a second day. They did so with no complaint, They even did a few extra things that we requested and that were not in the contract. While doing the work, Tony took the time to answer our many questions in a most helpful way. Our experience with American Plant in other dealing (their retail store) has also always been pleasant and informative. They are not cheap but they are well worth the price you pay.