[Pelican]

I've got a bit of a problem that's really bothering me.

I'm landscaping one of my lawn account's property, the hardscape was done by another contractor. I'm discovering the workmanship of the contractor is beyond belief, the SRW planters have no footings under them and are already moving. This isn't the immediate problem but is a concern.

The blocks used are of an unknown brand and are similar in color to Unilock's Rustic Red. The house is beige, not the color I'd have used. The customer is insisting on stone mulch, so I had selected what is known as TimberLite around here, it is some kind of fired by product that is different shades of red and beige.

At first the customer liked it, but yesterday informed me that his wife wanted something that would make more of an impact. She selected white marble chips for the lower level of planter, and gold buff stone for the upper level! This will certainly make more visual impact, but I can't say it would be positive.

The customer is foreign and there may be a difference in cultures at work here. The neighborhood is new, full of 2 story colonial homes. He wants me to make his home "beautiful", but is still holding the reigns.

I tried to explain my concerns to him today, and may have made a few valid points that he understood. I told him the focus should be on his plantings and not the mulch and that the mulch he had selected would jump out at you as the focal point of the project.

I still feel the TimberLite would be the best selection outside root mulch, but have convinced him to consider Conn. river stone which has more earthy colors.

Any other suggestions on how to handle this? I'd like my work to be admired by his neighbors rather than disparaged!