Author Archives: Tobi Ulemek

About Tobi Ulemek

Hi! I've been an Orange County Landscaper since I was a kid when I got to use my first lawnmower. TRU Landscape has grown a lot since then, and now we do so much more than residential and commercial maintenance. We are a full service landscape construction company that builds hardscape, installs patio areas, and makes custom concrete products like outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.

Seal Beach Landscape Part 1 – Hardscape

(Click here to see Part 2 of this Seal Beach Landscaping project)

Orange County Landscapes

Are you living in Seal Beach and looking for a licensed landscaping contractor near you to get the job done right? See for yourself how TRU Landscape Services treats the yards and customers they serve. TRU Landscape Services just finished this outdoor landscape for a family in Seal Beach.

Concrete Walkway Seal Beach California

Finished Front Yard Landscape, Seal Beach

Landscaping companies sometimes neglect this city, but TRU services all of Orange County California.  Like many projects, this Seal Beach landscape project consisted of installing Hardscape (concrete, flagstones) and “soft scape” (plants and lawns).

Orange County Concrete Contractors

First the foundation: We began by removing all of the old plants and concrete because the owners had decided to have the front and backyards re-landscaped. For its longevity, look to TRU Landscape’s Orange County concrete services.  In the front yard, our landscape crews were to install a lawn, planter beds, a new concrete walkway and a concrete porch. In the backyard we added landscape concrete, flagstone, and planted new foliage.

Flagstone Patio by TRU Landscape Services

Concrete under the Jacuzzi and Flagstone Patio

After the entire backyard and portions of the front yard had been stripped clean, our crews set up the forms for the landscape concrete to be poured. In the front yard, our crews installed the new concrete walkway to the front door and a new concrete porch. The landscape concrete was finished in two days and the customers were happy to have a more accessible and safe front walkway.

Flagstone Patio

Orange County Flagstone is the right addition to your Landscaping. Seal Beach California.

Flagstone completes this landscape. Seal Beach, California

In the backyard, concrete was poured in preparation for the flagstone patio we would install near the homeowners Jacuzzi and pool. TRU Landscape Services has been installing flagstone in Orange County for over 20 years and we know that the best method for installing flagstone is to pour a concrete pad first. So many times, we have seen flagstone set in sand or a thin layer of concrete fail in a short time. A proper pad of concrete will ensure the longevity of this beautiful patio area. A concrete pad was also installed under the Jacuzzi to keep it level. Our Hardscape crew made fast work of this flagstone patio.

Click below to find out how TRU can do the same for YOU with a

Free Estimate!

After all of the Hardscape was finished, we moved onto the “soft scape” (plants and lawns) of the landscaping. See our next blog (Seal Beach Landscaping – Part 2) to hear how we properly fertilized and installed a tropical landscape and a sustainable lawn.

Seal Beach Landscape

Custom Patio Cover and Fire Pit

Off of a referral, TRU Landscape Services was called out to Cypress California for an estimate on a new landscape design. The main elements in this design were a new fire pit and a backyard patio cover. Because they had already seen our work at another project in the Cypress area, this customer knew what they wanted.  Whether you have a detailed idea for your landscape, or just a general notion, TRU Landscaping takes pride in crafting the perfect environment for you and your family.

Watch the video below for an overview of the project!

Cypress Outdoor Living

Our customer was looking for a custom designed wood patio cover to provide shade for their outdoor living area and the rest of the backyard. Shade from a patio cover not only benefits the backyard landscaping, but may also have an effect on the temperature indoors. After the custom patio cover was installed, our customer estimated that the temperature in the house went down by 10 degrees because of the addition! There are several types of patio covers a customer can choose from. Different models from open lattice to pergola and different woods and stains can give your yard a unique feel. Call our professional sales staff to help you design the right patio cover for your yard.

Quality Craftsmanship

A Beautifully Stained Custom Patio Cover

A properly balanced landscape is an important aspect of TRU Landscape Services landscape design. For example, we seek to soften hardscape and concrete installations with grass and plants, and structure your garden with pathways and other elements. Too large of a patio cover can make your yard feel small. These are some of the things that our professional landscapers take into consideration when helping our customer create a balanced landscape design.  In a city like Cypress, outdoor living is just a phone call away. If you live in Orange County and are looking for a new outdoor living space below for:

A Free Estimate on Patio Covers

Orange County Fire Pits

All concrete and softscape elements by TRU Landscape

Stacked Stone Fire Pit and Planter Wall

TRU Landscaping Services knows how important it is for families to spend quality time together, so when we are designing your landscape we always try to include spaces that encourage conversation. A fire element belongs in any backyard landscape as a focal point. There are several popular fire elements that could have been used on this particular landscaping project. Our customer really liked the fire pit their friends had in their back yard, so we designed a similar one for this space. Fire pits not only provide a unique elemental flare, but more practically, they provide warmth to those enjoying the backyard. Orange County can get a little cold during the winter months, but having one of our custom built fire pits will extend the use of your outdoor living space year round.

Planter Walls lead the eye toward the focal point

A fire pit and planter wall complete the yard!

Another fire element that is popular among home owners is a fire table. A fire table is an outdoor surface with a fire ring in the middle of the table! An unmissable and entertaining attraction. There are several types of these tables on the market; however, TRU Landscape Services builds a fire table that will last for several years to come unlike those sold by the big department stores. We have been building fire elements in Orange County for the last 20 years. Click this link to find out the difference between our custom fire tables and those sold in stores. This project took our crews 2 weeks to complete and the customer was already talking about having another part of their yard landscaped by us.

 Is TRU the right Landscaping Contractor for you?

Backyard Remodel in Cypress California

One project in Cypress California offered TRU Landscape Services a clean slate to remodel an entire backyard. In summary, we filled in a pool, installed a fire pit, and bordered the new lawn with block walls, lighting and plants to line the fence. Find out how the homeowners decided to take these drastic steps to reclaim their outdoor space!

Cypress Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services works in Cypress California as a landscape company on a regular basis. Our latest customer decided to have their backyard completely remodeled. The backyard had an old damaged swimming pool that was going to cost several thousand dollars to repair. On top of that, the family was not using the pool, and it was costing hundreds of dollars a month to keep it clean and filtered. After a discussion with TRU Landscape Services, they decided their best option was to fill in the pool and renovate the backyard. Our salesman had the estimate over the next day, and we began the project shortly afterward. Within a handful of days, our construction team had removed the old concrete and filled in the swimming pool. Now it was time to start the new landscape!

Orange County Fire Pit

Cypress Fire Pit

Fire Pit and Block Wall with Stack Stone

Proper fire pit construction requires experience and certification and isn’t a project for the average do-it-yourself er. Installing a gas line, properly constructing, and adding a veneer to a fire pit takes the experience that we can provide. TRU Landscape Services installed the gas line to the future fire pit on the first day. On the second day of the backyard remodel, our hardscape crew started the fire pit installation along with the planter wall. The basic materials we use to build fire pits and planter walls are concrete blocks and rebar. After a couple of days, the crew had the entire structure of the fire pit and planter walls built. Once the structure was completed, we installed stack stone on the sides of the wall to give an elegant and finished look. A basic fire pit only has stucco on the side, but there are several options for stack stone and other products that we can install to spruce up a wall or fire pit. Installation of complementary veneers can tie together your entire outdoor design! Our customer chose a panel stack stone from a local supplier. This part of the process takes a true professional. When the last touches to the stack stone siding were finished, the customer was extremely happy with their new outdoor fire pit.

Block Walls Orange County

LED Lighting Planter Walls

Stacked Stone Block Walls and LED Lighting

TRU Landscape Services takes pride in building block walls that will last. Over the last 20 years we have built several hundred block walls throughout Orange County. Our builders construct with attention to quality craftsmanship and use the best materials to build a solid wall. All of our planter walls and retaining walls are filled completely with concrete whereas other companies in Orange County may only fill up every other block. This compromises the structural integrity of the install. Another factor that sets TRU Landscape Services apart is that we use the right size rebar on every wall we build; never too small. We also build most of our footings bigger then what is needed because everything starts with a good foundation. All of these factors add up to an excellently constructed and long lasting block wall.

Orange County LED Lighting

TRU Landscape Services installs the best LED lighting products made in America. Although LED lights made outside of America may be cheaper in price, there are many benefits to using quality American LEDs. Cheaper lights don’t have a long warranty from the manufacturer like American lights. Most of these cheaper lights are made overseas and most of the companies don’t stay in business for very long. A warranty is important because most LED lights don’t actually burn out, they just go dim. If cheap LED lights without a warranty have problems, good luck finding a person to fix them.

Backyard Patio

Backyard Remodeled

The company that supplies TRU Landscape Services’ lights has been in business for the past 20 years in California. The LED lights we install only use 20 % of the electricity that a conventional halogen bulb consumes. The energy efficiency of these bulbs equals huge savings for our customers! The lights are predicted to last up to 14 years. They come with a 10 year manufacture warranty. The lights have a beautiful white color to them that accents any outdoor space.  We can also provide custom lights in different sizes depending on your landscaping needs.

These homeowners in Cypress California made the right choice going with TRU Landscaping Services for quality construction and reliable, long-lasting installations!

Lake Forrest Outdoor Living

Imagine a Saturday. You grill up a delicious backyard dinner on your barbeque island while the kids splash in the pool. Afterward, you laugh and warm up with friends and family around the fire pit. One Lake Forest customer had TRU Landscape Services provide that vision with various hardscape installs in their backyard.

Backyard Granite BBQ Island

Backyard Granite BBQ Island

TRU Landscape Services just completed this project in Lake Forest. Lake Forest is a small city surrounded by Mission Viejo and Irvine, nestled in the Saddleback Valley. The project in Lake Forest was a back yard remodel. The customer already had a beautiful pool and a nice BBQ, but the rest of the back yard was in need of a face lift. After meeting with the customer, our salesman sent over an estimate the next day. The customer called us back a few days later and hired us to remodel their back yard by installing a granite counter top on their barbeque and installing planter walls.

Orange County BBQ

TRU Landscape Services can build all types of BBQ islands. Our BBQ islands are made out of block and concrete and built to last. Our customer already had two BBQ islands, but the tile on the islands was outdated. The customer had already picked out a granite tile to replace the tile. On the first day we removed the tile and started installing the granite. It took our crew a few days to finish the new granite on the BBQ islands to ensure a long lasting outdoor experience. There are several accessory options that we can install on a BBQ island, besides the regular BBQ grill. We install meat smokers, side burners and warming drawers. Get outside and whip up some food on a well crafted barbeque island with all of the necessary features. Let our salesman design you a new BBQ island today.

Click here to get a free estimate on your very own BBQ Island

Lake Forest Poolside Retaining Wall by TRU Landscape

Lake Forest Poolside Planter Wall by TRU Landscape

Orange County Planter Walls

Our customer’s swimming pool was built right up to the wood fence. The bare concrete put off a very hard and uninviting appearance.  To make space and add elegance to the design, we saw cut out about a foot of concrete and installed a planter wall. This new wall added another sit down area as well as beauty and depth to the back yard.  This wall was built out of block with a custom concrete cap on top of the wall. After the cap was finished we installed stack stone on the side of the wall. There are several different styles of stack stone that we offer for the side of a wall or the side of your house. Just adding a four foot high veneer stack stone siding to your house increases the beauty and value of your property. TRU Landscape Services has been installing planter walls in Orange County and outdoor living spaces for over 20 years.

A fire pit by TRU Landscape Services with chairs

Enjoy Sitting Around a Fireplace with Friends!

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Orange County Landscape | Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo Landscape

TRU Landscape Services just finished installing a project in Mission Viejo. Mission Viejo is located in Orange County California. Our company installed 4 elements to this backyard. First, we built a planter wall along the back of the property. Then we installed an interlocking Paver walkway, which ran to a small sit down area. After completing the pavers we installed a new irrigation system. For the final part of this project, we installed a sod lawn. TRU Landscape Services has been servicing Orange County for over 25 years.

Block Walls

TRU Landscape Services can build several different types of block walls. We work throughout Orange County. On this project our customer wanted to match the existing block walls on their property. After removing the entire backyard we started digging the footing for the wall. Once we finished the footing our Hardscape crew took over to build the planter wall. This was a basic wall that we installed. We offered different designs to our customer, but they really just wanted to keep it simple. They did however add some bull nose bricks to a small part of the sitting area. Our customers really liked the way the wall was designed and installed.

Interlocking Pavers

TRU Landscape Services has offered a large variety of interlocking pavers in Orange County for the last 15 years. After completing the wall our crew started working on installing the interlocking pavers. It’s important to have a company that won’t skip a step when installing pavers. One of the most common problems we see with interlocking pavers is not installing enough road base. The problem when a company shorts you with road base is that the problem doesn’t show itself until awhile after, by then the company is long gone. TRU Landscape Services takes every precaution to make sure your pavers last for many years of enjoyment. Call today for a free estimate in Orange County 1-866-487-1359

Soft Scape Orange County

Once all of the hardscape was completed our crews started installing a sprinkler system. This sprinkler system was installed on a automatic timer. The system covered all of the grass and planters in the backyard. TRU Landscape Services installs the most efficient sprinkler systems in Orange County to help save our customers money on their water bills. Most people don’t put much thought into their sprinkler systems. They will hire their gardener to install the sprinkler system and it will end up watering the streets and everything else except the grass. With the western states already in a serious drought why pay a huge water bill and have all the water running down the street. Call our professionals and we’ll design an efficient sprinkler system.

About Us

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

 

 

Contact Us Now

Cypress Landscape

Cypress Landscape

TRU Landscape Services has been working on 2 projects in Cypress, California. These projects are a half a mile apart. The first project is a return customer; we installed his backyard last year. He was so pleased with it that he called us back out and told us to give him an estimate for the landscape in the front yard. Our office scheduled a free estimate for the following week. When our salesman had a meeting with the customer, the customer told hus to design the front yard however our company felt was best. The customer was so happy with the backyard design, that he figured the front would come out just as excellently. After sending him a estimate for the design that we thought would work best, the customer signed and returned the estimate right away.

The following day we received a call from a couple that lives in Cypress who wanted a free estimate to remodel their backyard. They shared with our office that they were at their friend’s house and we had landscaped the backyard last year. They liked the backyard so much that they wanted TRU Landscape Services to install their own backyard. We sent one of our salesmen over and he laid out a design that they felt comfortable with. We now have two projects going at the same time in Cypress. TRU Landscape Services can manage several landscape projects at once in an efficient manner. We have several crews that do different landscape projects. We hire only a few subcontractors for specialty jobs.

Concrete Driveway

TRU Landscape Services started by removing the old concrete driveway. After the driveway was removed, another crew installed all of the pipes and wires under the future concrete driveway and walkway. On the third day, we laid out the walkway and the driveway at the same time. After setting up the concrete forms, we called in the concrete truck and installed the concrete driveway and walkway at the same time. As one crew was finishing the concrete driveway at the first project, another crew was forming the backyard at the second project. The following day we poured the concrete in the backyard. This is a good example of how we can manage several landscape projects at once.

Grass Pavers

TRU Landscape Services can provide all of your outdoor needs. Grass pavers come in several different types of materials; the most common are plastic and concrete. The grass pavers go under the new sod and support the sod so that you can drive a vehicle over it. We have installed them in many front yards, where the customer doesn’t want to see a concrete driveway across their front yard. Most of the time we use these Grass Pavers for a RV access. The first thing we do is remove the top 8” inches of soil and then we install 6 to 8 inches of Road base. It’s important to get the road base to proper compaction, after getting the base compacted we install the grass pavers. The plastic pavers go under the sod and the concrete pavers go flush with the new sod. After installing the concrete pavers we install the sod in the holes located in the middle of the pavers. When you use concrete pavers you will see a concrete pattern in your grass. By using the plastic grass pavers you will not see a pattern in your lawn. The plastic grass pavers go under the sod and provide support for driving over the grass. When you plan on driving over your grass pavers, we always recommend shutting off the sprinklers a couple of days before driving over your grass pavers. We have found that driving your vehicle in a straight line is best. If you have to turn the wheels it’s best to make slight turns. Making a hard turn of the wheels will tear the grass apart. Call us today for a free estimate. 1-866-487-1359

About Us

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

Patio Cover

Patio Covers

TRU Landscape Services builds all types of outdoor structures. Whether you’re looking for a BBQ island or an outdoor kitchen, call us. The project pictured was located in Cypress, California. Our customer had a flat wood patio cover that was in need of a rebuild. Our customer wanted to rebuild the patio cover in the same design. We had different ideas, so we set up a meeting at one of our recent patio cover installs.  After meeting us and seeing the patio cover we wanted to build for them, they changed their mind. The new design we recommended would give them a higher patio cover. This provides a more open space. Plus we used a Tongue and groove wood for the roof. This wood provides a great ceiling to apply a wood stain to. Whenever it’s in the budget we love to use this wood. This wood really ties a patio cover together. TRU Landscape Services has been building patio covers for over 20 years in Orange County. Call us today for a free estimate. 1-866-487-1359

Outdoor Living Patio Covers

Southern California is a great area to have a outdoor living area and Orange County has the finest weather for entertaining outside. One of the most common questions is: should we install a open lattice patio cover or should we install a roof? It is true that installing a roof will cost more, But in the long run by installing a roof you protect your investment from the elements. TRU Landscape Services has installed hundreds of lattice patio covers in Orange County and we believe most people don’t even ask for a closed in patio cover because they hear it was too expensive. When you hire TRU Landscape Services to install your outdoor entertaining area we will do our best to provide a competitive estimate to install that roof on your patio cover.  If you would like to meet us at one of our current projects and see the detail that we put into our outdoor living areas, Please call today 1-866-487-1359

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

Laguna Hills Landscape

Laguna Hills Landscape

TRU Landscape Services completed a landscape in Laguna Hills. Laguna Hills is a small town in Orange County, California and is surrounded by Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel. We were called out for a free estimate and right away we could tell that this customer knew what they wanted. The customer did mention that 3 companies were giving estimates. After taking the measurements, we emailed the estimate over. Shortly after the customer called us back and hired us. They pointed out that out of the 3 estimates they received they chose us because ours was the most detailed.

Concrete Installation

On day one we set up our grades and started lying out the drain pipes. After installing the drains in the backyard, we started to install the concrete forms. This project was made up of several smaller squares of concrete. This requires a lot of set up. We had our customer close by at all times, to answer our questions. This design was all laid out on drawings, but the drawings were not to scale. After installing concrete in Orange County for the last 20+ years, we have learned it’s better to ask a lot of questions up front rather then have to remove the concrete and replace it. If you’re looking for a Landscape company that can install your custom concrete give us a call.

Flagstone Walkway

TRU Landscape Services can provide all of your outdoor needs. One of the services we provide is installing Flagstone. On this project we installed a stairway up to the front doors. These steps were bordered with a landscape timber. The landing of the steps had Flagstone installed on them. Flagstone is a natural stone and some of the stones may not be that strong of a stone, so when we install Flagstone we always install at least 3 1/2 inches of concrete first. This provides a strong foundation for the stones to lay on. We have seen other contractors set flagstone in a small layer of concrete or even install them over sand. If you want your flagstone to remain in place for several years it’s best to install a good foundation first.

Landscape Lighting

TRU Landscape Services has been installing landscape lighting for over 25 years in Orange County. There are several lighting manufactures to choose from. We have one company that we have worked with for at least the last 15 years. This company builds the lights here in California and has excellent customer service. On this project we installed LED lights. The customer has several steps on this property and it’s always a good idea to install path lights on these steps. Low voltage lighting not only provides a beautiful night scape but also provides security. The LED lights only use a small amount of electricity. The manufacture gives great warranties on the lights. If you would like to see how your yard would look like with lights installed in it, give us a call and we will do a night demo for you.

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

Orange County Landscape

Orange County Landscape

TRU Landscape Services installed a residential landscape this week. This project consists of several smaller projects. We installed a concrete patio, planter wall, putting green and low voltage lighting. The customer told us that he had received several estimates, but very few companies did all of the work themselves. The customer did not want several sub contractors working on this small project. Our customer was too busy to deal with several companies. Plus the customer felt really confident that TRU Landscape Services could complete the projects in a professional manner. When dealing with a smaller project we must carefully line up all of the jobs. If we sent over all of our crews at once  there would be a traffic jam.

Orange County Hardscape

On the first day of the project we removed all of the old landscape which included the concrete. The old concrete was raised in several areas and needed to be replaced. Our crew graded the yard so that all of the water ran away from the house. We then dug the footing for the planter wall. On the second day the block crew started installing the concrete footing and the first row of blocks. At the same time our concrete crew was setting forms for the new concrete. On the third day we installed the new concrete. The concrete pour went smoothly and we moved on to the putting green.

Laguna Niguel Landscape

Synthetic Putting Green

TRU Landscape Services installs several Synthetic turf projects a year. This project was too small to install by itself. But because we were doing the other small projects it allowed us to install this putting green. If you were to install a small putting green by itself  it would cost too much. We use all American made products. Most of the artificial turf has a 15 year warranty from the manufacture. The customers dog loved the new Synthetic turf.

Low Voltage Lighting

On our final day of work we installed the LED low voltage lights. These lights are made here in California and have a 10 year manufacture warranty. We have a close working relationship with our light supplier. They are always teaching us about the newest products on the market. Even though LED lights have been out for several years the new technology changes all the time. The new LED lights use 20% of the energy that the halogen bulbs used. With the price of electricity always on the rise these lights will pay for themselves in just a few years. Overall the project went smoothly and our customer was very happy.

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.


Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1-866-487-1359

Landscape Orange County

Orange County Landscape

TRU Landscape Services has several projects in progress in Orange County. We provide all of your outdoor needs. Here’s a list of some of the services we don’t talk about that often. TRU Landscape Services has Bobcat’s which range from the smallest tractor to the larger Bobcat’s. These tractors have several attachments from concrete breakers to large buckets for moving materials around. Our professional operators work throughout Orange County on a daily basis. Call toll free for a free estimate today 1-866-487-1359

Orange County Concrete

TRU Landscape Services has been providing concrete removal for the last 20 years. Along with our concrete breakers we have concrete saws for cutting concrete and asphalt. Some of the saw cutting we provide is cutting decorative joints in concrete or maybe you need concrete cutting to remove the curb & gutter in order to replace the approach to your driveway. After were done saw cutting and removing your concrete or asphalt we can replace it too. There are several types of concrete installs we provide. Call toll free for a free estimate today 1-866-487-1359 or visit us online at www.trulandscape.com.

Landscape Services

TRU Landscape Services has been providing all of your outdoor needs for the past 25 years in Orange County. We provide both commercial and residential landscape services. Customer service is our highest priority. The projects we do range from small residential landscape up to large commercial landscapes. Call us today for a free estimate 1-866-487-1359