Harken's Landscape Supply & Garden Center — Attraction in East Windsor

My response to JP from Harken's Landscaping, can be found on the yelp review site under Harken's Landscape Supply & Garden Center.

For the past several years we have ordered our mulch ( 7-8 yards) from Harken's and had it delivered to our home in South Windsor. When calling to order this year, I was told that the color we have been getting for the last 2-3 years, was no longer called "midnight" (as it is not truly black), but now called dark brown. I was assured however, that it would be the same color. A few days later it was delivered and it was quite obviously NOT the same color as we had ordered. When I called to express my concern, the manager told me that the color can vary "slightly" from year to year as a result of the variations in the bark of the tree from year to year and was not interested in discussing the matter further. He was certain that could be the only explanation. As both my husband and myself were quite sure, as we are not new to mulching or gardening, that this was no slight variation but rather a significant variation, I took a couple of pictures of what was delivered, and went to Harken's the following day. I first observed their display case outside of the landscaping building. Clearly the dark brown was not what was delivered. Again I spoke to the manager who literally shrugged his shoulders at me and totally blew me off. I don't know if that is how they would treat any customer, or perhaps it was because I was "just" a woman? Hard to know for sure. Next, I went out back to the bins to compare colors from where the mulch is loaded from. Seeing the mulch in large quantities made it even clearer to me that what was delivered, was definitely not the dark brown. Next, I spoke to the owner who also appeared less than concerned with the fact that I had received the incorrect mulch. I suggested that as we lived just a town away, perhaps he should drive by to see the color himself. That idea was quickly shrugged off. He too, was unwilling to acknowledge that possibly somewhere in the order/delivery process, a mistake could possibly have been made. In the end he offered me an additional couple of yards which he referred to as the color mulch "I liked", not the color of mulch that I had ordered. First of all, why would anyone want to place another couple of yards of mulch? It is a lot of work and very time consuming for my husband to edge and then mulch 7 yards of gardens throughout our yard. Two more? No thanks! Furthermore, how much of a difference could 2 yards of the dark brown mulch possibly make, placed on top of a span of 7 yards of a significantly lighter brown mulch? I can only end this by saying that Harken's has just lost some loyal customers of several years. A very, very...

DYI / father and son project - 1000 sq ft including (paver patio, fire pit, retaining wall, retaining wall lights, cobblestones for driveway edging, and top soil)...all purchased through Harkens.

I’m a father and working professional with no prior masonry experience. The above project would have never been completed without the help and guidance from Harkens Staff, especially the owner Jamie.

Prior to doing business with Harkens, I visited a handful of other masonry / landscaping yards and the customer service that I received at Harkens is what won my business.

I’m not a contractor nor a business owner, getting into this size of a project was a little overwhelming but Jamie took the time to not just push product my way but validate many of my pending questions and quote me accordingly with products that would stay within my budget.

After several visits to Harkens, Jamie took time out of his busy schedule and in between of helping other customers to reviewed my project design and answered many questions.

Prior to starting this project, my research consisted YouTube and reading. During the project, I encountered many unforeseen questions where my research didn’t provide answers too. I had the privilege to be able to contact Jamie directly and obtain quick tips and guidance.

Overall, it was a true pleasure doing business with Harkens. Customer Service, quality of product, and delivery exceeded my expectations and hope that any DYI person that has the willingness to take on any size DYI project, please consider visiting Harkens for your business needs. You will not be disappointed.

Finally, it’s important to shout out the Harkens staff and delivery folks. Very friendly and accommodating!

Feel free to contact me with any...

Harkens just delivered 10 yards of topsoil to my home. Great product, great experience. The driver was friendly and in full control of his vehicle. He dumped the load exactly where I asked him to. I mean EXACTLY. This sounds like a simple task but in my experience (and probably yours as well) contractors can manage to screw up even the most simple of tasks. It was a pleasure to not have to say, "Stop, let me show you how to do that" or more commonly, "Stop, let me do that for you". He backed up a long twisty driveway and maneuvered into a tight spot. He didn't run over my mailbox, lawn, plantings, landscaping, hose guides, kids, pets, tree house, etc. His tires never touched a blade of grass. He actually drove the truck on the asphalt where it belongs (gasp!). I wish that everyone was as good with their skills and conscientious with...