Congratulations Chris Roebuck!

Chris Roebuck of Hortex Trees and Shrubs is the May winner of an Auckland Awesome Service Award.

Chris was nominated by happy customer Sheree Gray:

About 9 yrs ago I came across a nursery, Hortex Trees and Shrubs which was close to where my husband and I had bought our first home.

We needed to do some landscaping and it is fair to say we had not a single clue where to start. Neither of us had any gardening knowledge and I could only describe what I wanted by saying I wanted it to look 'pretty!'

So in we walked to Hortex and met a busy man named Chris Roebuck, the owner. I asked if they sold to the public and he explained they were a supplier but if we were buying a few he would be happy to help.

Considering we were only small customers to him you might expect he would rush us through. Quite the opposite, I explained we were complete 'landscaping virgins' and he took me around the entire nursery showing me all the different options.

He took the time to listen to what I wanted to achieve and even sat me down and taught me how to tip the plants to make them grow in the desired way.

He could have sold me into plants already looking the way I wanted for ten times the price but instead showed me how to do it myself and sold me the seedlings.

Our garden looked absolutely gorgeous when it all grew in... and now here we are doing the same time again but on a much larger scale at a new property.

I went back probably 8 yrs since the last time I had gone, and took photographs of the new property. Again Chris walked me through the huge nursery looking at all the options.

He is so thoughtful of budget, what we can manage work wise, what it will grow to in the future... everything. Yet again he sorted us out with everything we needed and then to top it off....another gardening lesson for these particular plants.

I swear they would all be dead if it weren't for the advise he has given me. He saved us a FORTUNE.

 That wasn't the most amazing part though. Half of our order was for an area we were still completing work on. The earth works were delayed and it meant we were going to end up having the plants sitting in the heat waiting to be planted.

Chris offered to keep them at the nursery until we were ready (we had paid for them already). It took over 3 months for us to sort out the earth works so I was a little sheepish when I phoned to say we were wanting the plants finally.

They got delivered this week and I cannot tell you how stunned we were. I thought they would have on sold the ones we paid for which were about 25cm high and then replaced them with the same when we were ready, I mean it has been 3 months.

But no, they are absolutely beautiful, stand about 1 metre high and would have cost us a fortune to buy as they stand now. The nursery was flattened in the tornado, and it has been one of the longest hottest summers on record and they kept our plants - they didn't just keep them, they grew them and tended to them and did it without question.

 We are blown away and cannot tell enough people about how impressed we are with Chris's service.

Even if you weren't buying something he would more than happily give me advise, actually I don't doubt he would even get one of his staff to pop by and have a look for me if I were struggling.

You just don't come across that these days."

Congratulations Chris Roebuck, Hortex Trees and Shrubs, 11 Scott Road, Hobsonville, Auckland. Ph: 09 416 8004