In Boothbay Harbor, mid-coast Maine, and anyplace else, it’s been shown over and over again: landscaping is one of the most beneficial expenditures a property owner can make. Particularly if done well, property landscaping immediately increases the value of a place in a way that few building or remodeling projects can – and in contrast many of those projects, which mostly lose value as they age, the value of landscape investment increases as time goes on and your plants grow toward maturity!

White spires to rear are Cimicifuga - great plant!

But the benefit of landscaping goes way beyond economics – the added value is nice, but unless you’re prepping a property for right-away sale, the chief benefit is aesthetic. Whether it’s large-scale planting project, or the installation of an evergreen row to screen that unsightly area on your neighbor’s property, or something as simple as the addition of a couple of plants to add color to a conspicuous spot, landscaping enhances the attractiveness of your property and, by doing so, your enjoyment.

For over 60 years Conley's has been a leading landscape contractor for customers in Mid-Coast Maine, including not only the Boothbay Region communities of Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, East Boothbay, Southport, and Edgecomb, but also neighboring communities including Wiscasset, Newcastle, Damariscotta, Bristol/South Bristol, Walpole, New Harbor, Round Pond, Pemaquid, and Westport Island. We’re extremely experienced in all phases of landscaping and can help you whatever your needs:

Daylilies and Hosta lining a path

Landscape Maintenance – not only in the Boothbay region, but all over the Mid-Coast, our landscape crews clean-up and re-open gardens in the Spring, rake and shut them down in the Fall, and in between maintain the appearance of many gardens in our service area. We can do this on a scheduled basis or when you call us. Either way, pruning, fertilizing, mulching, mowing, or whatever - we know what it takes to keep a property looking its best and we'd be pleased to do it for you.

Landscape Design and Planning – Drawings and plant lists are fine, but it takes a lot more than that to get the job done right. Conley's does a great deal of planting every year, so when we come out to look at your property, we have the knowledge and experience to do an effective job in helping you decide what will meet your needs and look good - on your property, under your conditions. And our nursery and greenhouse have plants for you to come in and actually see, to help you get a surer sense of where you're going with your landscape design and planning.

Mixed planting on a stone wall

Landscape Plants – we’ve got them: trees and shrubs at various sizes, perennials and grasses, vines, fruit, and so on. Top quality and best nursery selection in the Boothbay Harbor area - competitive pricing, too. If we don't have it, we can probably get it for you. Come have a look!

Landscape Planting and Installation - we’re plant people, and to our way of thinking, there’s pleasure in the doing. But if you’d rather not – or are too busy or the job is too large – we’ll be happy to do it for you with our experienced landscaping crew. Every year we plant in all manner of locations and under all manner of conditions, so we’ve got the know-how to get it right for you.

Thoughts for property owners evaluating landscaping quotes:

Conley's is highly experienced, and most of what we plant is successful. However, plants do occasionally fail, and we faithfully replace them in accordance with our Guarantee (to see it, click on the link below). This Guarantee is valuable to the customer, and we urge you to take it into account in evaluating alternative proposals. Many landscapers do not offer a guarantee - and as to those who purport to do so, the customer would do well to consider that a guarantee is no better than the party giving it. Conley's has been performing landscaping services in Mid-Coast Maine for over 60 years, and our Guarantee is meaningful.

I'd like to see the Guarantee

It is also worth noting that Conley's pays use tax on the cost of plants and other landscape materials we install, so there is no sales tax to the customer on these materials. Many landscapers pay sales tax on materials and pass the same on to their customers, over and above their quoted price, thereby increasing the effective total cost to the customer. Anyone comparing landscaping proposals would do well to inquire about this, to make sure the price comparison is not "apples to oranges".

A few additional thoughts regarding landscape design and planning - each project is individual, but there are some concepts that apply pretty much accross the board:

PeeGee Hydrangea makes a great hedge!

Plants grow – allow room for this. It can require a bit of patience – or, alternatively, may sometimes involve temporary plantings that you’ll later move elsewhere as your principal plantings grow. Resist the temptation, at times encouraged by unethical landscapers, to cram as many plants as possible into your site. It’s a shame to have to tear up a recently landscaped area because the landscape design and planting did not adequately take into account the inevitable growth of the plants.

Stone wall with dwarf Conifers

Plant with a view to maintenance – landscaping that may be perfect for the avid gardener, who expects to be out working on it several days a week, is probably not the thing at all for homeowners who want their property to look good, but mostly want to be out on the golf course or their boat. Naturally the latter approach can be managed by having the maintenance done by a landscaper. But whether you “do it yourself” or have it done for you, what you plant and how you plant it can have a large bearing on how much maintenance you need to do or pay for. At Conley's we believe it’s a good idea to consider this during the landscape design and planning stage.

We love the "small" bulbs - here Scilla siberica (with Daffodils - and Daylilies just starting)

Don’t undertake more than you can manage – “reach exceeds grasp” is always unattractive. We love a big project as much as the next guy, but at the end of the day it's better to accomplish your objectives in stages than to bite off more than you can chew and leave yourself with something that looks incomplete and unsuccessful.

We could go on with many thoughts based on Conley's extensive experience in landscape design, planting, and maintenance – but better to do it in the specific context of your property and your landscaping objectives. So come in and take a look at our offerings. Talk with us about what you’d like to accomplish. Or ask us to send a Conley's representative over to “your place”. We’ll walk the property with you, and you can show us what you need and what you're thinking. Either way, we’ll be glad to give you our thoughts and suggestions – and an estimate, if you wish.

There's no cost or obligation - so give Conley's a try!

Look for the Conley's sign in the field!

17 Ocean Point Road (Route 96), Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538