Anonymous

Avant Gardens - Inept Gardener Review

Loi Ricket is a thief and a liar.

She did the same thing to us .

Started work, disappeared, said she couldn't continue without additional funds. We even disputed a credit card charge and she won because she is adept at lying and misrepresentation. Almost everything she planted has died , had to be removed or replaced.

She stole thousands from us.

And every summer I am reminded of it when I look around my yard

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hateloi B
map-marker Wasilla, Alaska

GOOD RIDDANCE is the nicest thing I can say

Looking at original plan and what I got is not even close. She took part of the prints that I paid for to change out plants. I never got those back or the references I required that were "out of town" and never became available. We finally did get to see another person's yard but were instructed not to talk to them. I think I will head over there to see what became of their yard because it looked a lot like the plan I DID with the rocks and she incorporated over there.

She was scary, a blatant liar, and her workers were thieves bragging about their bounties from vendors and benies they got from the state by being paid under the table. That costs us tax payers as well! Rohan, her husband that lost this same business in Eagle River, then moved it to Wasilla under her name (so I learned) is no better. They just learned to be sneakier and took things out of their name to avoid losing in lawsuits. CRAZY LIKE A FOX and they taught their son. He does the shabby brick retaining walls.

The retaining walls collapsed and the plants did not come back which is part of her repeated plan for you to rehire her. NO! IF you see the FLOWERED SMALL SCHOOL BUS DO NOT STOP!! She is parking in lots on Knik and at the RR Depot on weekends when she is less likely to be told to move.

Warning you and moving on.

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11 comments
Guest

Nothing has changed with her MO and she makes clients pay her hourly laborers to avoid employee taxes and benefits, even though you have no control over their work or hours. She even verbally threatened a day laborer who was working for us.

Does well with small jobs but does not have the planning ability or manpower for a complete renovation.

Her greenhouse annuals are nice plants and that is what she pushes even if it’s not what you want. If money isn’t a problem, she will love working with you!

Guest

"no name":

It seems you are lumping my post in with my mothers... Two different people.

Public records indeed do not lie, it's a shame that only the accused is having their name exposed. I'm sure that by reading a general court case statement you have gathered all of the facts needed to make a judgement (kind of like reading a complaint about a business and treating it like gospel). I am merely defending my family, which I am naturally compelled to do. If you guys are so hard up to convince strangers that my dad is a bad person, then go ahead.

I hope you feel good about yourselves. The reality is you don't even know the guy.

Guest

As a member of the community and a realtor, I find this quite disturbing. If you pay for a service, you should get it.

You should not feel threatened by someone that you have paid for services from. In fact, word of mouth is the strongest source of advertising, I will certainly make this post available to all of

my clients and advise them to avoid this provider of flower bus services.

Guest

First off, its pretty obvious why this person did not post under their real name. Seeing as you have threatened them.

Also interesting to me is the fact that this is only one of MANY complaints about Loi ricker and avente gardens. There are more on this site! As well as tons of others on other sites. Yet why you have chosen to attack this person and not respond to other complaints is beyond me.

Obviously you are a bully as well as a bad business owner. After reading these threats I can say for sure that you have certainly shown you should not be hired for fear of a "chat" as you put it. Second of all if this business is so "successful" why are you living in a trailer? And a "successsful" business does not go around scamming people and threatening them.

As for your "honorable" comment the public court records don't lie. And thanks to your nasty comments you can be sure I will be telling everyone who will listen to avoid you and your threats at all costs.

Guest

First off, its pretty obvious why this person did not post under their real name. Seeing as you have threatened them.

Also interesting to me is the fact that this is only one of MANY complaints about Loi ricker and avente gardens. There are more on this site! As well as tons of others on other sites. Yet why you have chosen to attack this person and not respond to other complaints is beyond me.

Obviously you are a bully as well as a bad business owner. After reading these threats I can say for sure that you have certainly shown you should not be hired for fear of a "chat" as you put it. Second of all if this business is so "successful" why are you living in a trailer? And a "successsful" business does not go around scamming people and threatening them.

As for your "honorable" comment the public court records don't lie. And thanks to your nasty comments you can be sure I will be telling everyone who will listen to avoid you and your threats at all costs.

Guest

I feel your arguments would be a little more compelling if you had the nerve to post under your actual name.

I wanted to point out a few simple truths here...

1. I has never engaged in any conversation involving the benefits of working "under the table", and I am unaware of any "bounties" involved in such an arrangement.

2. I believe you are the person who lives behind Larson elementary. I did about 20% of your block work, and I don't appreciate your slandering my name when I had virtually nothing to do with your landscape. If need be, I can get some pictures this spring of the block work I did last year. I'm sure you, and other people who read this would be very impressed with their design as well as their rigidity.

3. My father's name is spelled Rouhan, and he is one of the most honorable, respectful people I have ever known, you have no right or reason to speak about him in that manner. You simply don't know the half of what my parents have been through trying to run a successful business, yet you jump on the Internet spewing your vitriole like you know everything there is to know about them.

I wish you could realize how vindictive you must be to spend your time trying to hurt other people. Posting with the moniker "HateLoi", seriously? I'm sorry that your landscape didn't work out for you... but my parents have been doing this up here for my entire life.... For every one of you, there are another 10 people who's yards look amazing, and are very pleased with my mother's work. As far as being crafty thieves goes... I'm pretty sure if they were making out like bandits they would live in a house that looked more like yours, rather than a trailer.

Try and make somebody's life better rather than worse.

I wish you the best.

Guest

to HateLoi.....

I wish you would come over and talk to me about the yard, I would love to compare notes.

Guest

Hate Loi,

Loi's response to your comments sounded like a threat.

Be very careful.

Guest

Yes typically when people cannot afford the entire plan, some pretend to misunderstand or choose to forget that they could not afford the entire plan, therefore I install the portion they say they can. The result is not to look like the proposed plan.

Is your balance paid in full? I do not think so. Because of this, I would not forward or offer in anyway the critical spring maintenance instructions to insure the return. Based on the pre existing conditions of your yard, this does not surprise me that this has happened.

To my knowledge, none of my block work has fallen down except for 1 that had a spring behind it.

I am also not in favor of removing dog *** as part of my service. This request is growing in popularity, common sense tells me that the home owner would see it and deal with it. The bus has done nothing wrong and I only grow top quality flowers as most of my customers appreciate. Good riddance is a perfect way to put it, I would rather take the financial loss than work for the likes of you again.

I have all the permission, permits etc to sell flowers in the city limits as required. So the comment regarding weekends is a bunch of ***. You cannot say anything nice ever! Summer is coming :cry should I lay down and die for you?

I am scared of your good riddance as it is a threat.

How dare you insult my son, looks like its on! hateloi, what a joke, keep running your mouth and I will need to come over to chat :(

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-432672

20 people have taken you to court under the business name:

AVANT GARDENS

And 15 people have taken you to court under the business name:

GARDEN & TURF WORKS

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Anonymous
map-marker Boston, Massachusetts

Loi Ricker, Avant Gardens, falsely represented herself

I've seen Loi Ricker's of Avante Gardens display at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer for a couple years. Her picture album shows some great work.

It wasn't until I paid her $20,000 last year to landscape my back yard and put in a small pond that I found out what a fraud she is. I was not able to give suggestions without her jumping down my throat and she insisted a friend of mine stay off my property as long as she was there.

She made subtle threats that she could not complete the work if she didn't get money up front because she had a couple accounts that had not paid her. She had a deadline to finish the project by June 15th.

She never finished the project. The soil she brought in was no good and full of weeds. Her plants were full of bugs. A friend brought some Master Gardeners including one from the AK Botanical Gardens over who showed me all the things that would be a problem.

We spent 2 weeks fixing her mess for a wedding. Another company just gave me an estimate of $13,000 to redo the pond that has fallen apart. I am still planting and changing out soil this year to fix her mess.

I also found out that there are several court cases against her for fraud. Check the Public Files.

There are many people in Anchorage, Eagle River, and Palmer that have had problems with her work. I've also heard that she has been banned from entering some businesses and trade shows in town. I've recently heard from other landscaping companies that she has a bad business reputation. I wish I had checked her out before hiring her, but thought that since she had a display at the Fair for several years she was reputable.

My mistake. She's a good talker, don't trust her, don't fall into her trap.

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12 comments
Guest

Had same experience with them

Guest

loi you silly twit. you are just burning your bridges.

You really are pathetic. Who do you think you are fooling. You took our money and destroyed our yard. I'm trying to warn everyone to stay away from you.

Hope to never see you at another Home show.

Noticed that the State Fair folks finally figured out you are a fraud and you no longer have a booth there. Good on them!

Guest

I've replaced all plants that Avante Gardens (Loi) put in my yard 3 years ago. They were all *** and bug infested.

Now there are none of the original plants left and the garden looks better and better each year. Wish I'd done a little research on her before wasting my money.

Guest

I think these folks at Avant Gardens try to dominate by scaring people into not talking, given Loi has 46 files ranging from small claims to criminal charges in the Alaska Court System and Avant has over 20 including fraud and there were other businesses before Avant Gardens... These folks are bad news, I don't have to hire them to know this.

Thanks for all the useful information. On top of this I have recently learned a friend of mine was also duped by Loi and her fradulent ways... Shame to know folks with such fractured value systems and poor temperments are bring children into this world and raising them with the same principles... Shame on Loi her husband and her son for not being better people and standing up for what;s right rather than hiding behind the false idea that just because someone has a nice house and makes good money they deserve to be ripped off!

I have a nice 1500 square foot home and make plenty of money which I work very hard for. It is my opinion that everyone deserves to get a good service for their money regardless of income level, size of home...

Guest

just a quick reply, I am the one that wrote the original msg. I am definitely not a spoiled rich homeowner and the house is a 1800ft split level, pretty typical for the Muldoon area.

I'm a working secretary and my husband is in the National Guard.

He just got a little money after his mother died and wanted to do something special for our wedding we had planned in our yard. So, sorry Loi, "The truth" to disappoint you.

Guest

Loi, you are only proving that you have serious issues with your nasty comments. "I hope you and everyone like you finds their way into a nuclear blast you spoiled piece of ***!

Please, oh please retort."

I am retorting. What are you going to do?

Guest

Loi is a scam artist. She lures you in with her picture album and her display at the fair.

She was hired to landscape my mothers yard. She was paid some money up front and was to recieve the rest when the job was completed. She made threats that she could not finish the job until she had more money claiming that she was owed money by other people. She had a deadline to finish the job, which she never completed.

The soil and plants are moldy and full of bugs, everything died. As I was digging up the moldy plants I discovered that she had planted the plants plastic planter, tag and all. The "landscaping" caved in and had to be completely redone. A complete waste of money.

Loi completely took advantage of my mother and in my opinion owes her a refund.

Loi has even threatened my mother.I want everyone to know what a fraud she is. She does not deserve to continue to scam others with her so called business.

Guest

To "The Whole Truth" I mistakenly included you with "The Truth" when responding to your comment.

I am sorry. I meant only to address "The Truth"

Guest

My husband and I are working class people.

After 20 years in the military and living in govt housing we finally settled down, got a house of our own and decided to set aside a portion of our budget for landscaping.

We saw some of Avant Gardens work and were impressed. We spoke with Loi and hired her to landscape our yard.

Well, our experience was almost exactly as described by anonymous.

She was a liar and in my opinion a thief.

When you say you are going to do a job- you do it.

And to the "Truth" and to the "Whole Truth". You sound like classist bigots.

Just because someone puts aside the $ to hire a supposed expert doesn't mean that they are either lazy or entitled. If I wanted my roof done I would hire a roofer! If I wanted new wiring I'd hire an electrician.

I hired a landscaper, Loi Ricker - a thief and a liar , in my estimation and one who takes advantage of hardworking people.

Guest

I know it so well I can hear her voice in "the truth" . I've seen her in action and she's her own worst enemy.

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