Artisan Tree Trimmers owner Gary Gilliam takes pride in being “an expert in the art of creating beautiful and healthy trees.” As a certified arborist with more than 30 years of experience, he can train his skilled eye on a garden or treescape and see its native potential.

Mr. Gilliam describes his method as “soaking up the atmosphere” of a house or garden, then incorporating what he learns into his professional recommendations. It may be a willowy or free-form approach, a more formal type of pruning, or anything in between. He also tries to create a look and feel that matches the general personality of the client.

Drawing on years of experience and a natural sense of artistry, Mr. Gilliam and the professionals at Artisan Tree Trimmer manage clients’ trees, gardens and treescapes. Their passion is beautifying high-profile trees for customers who demand perfection. They also enjoy the challenge of shaping and repairing wildly overgrown or badly pruned trees.

Artisan Tree Trimmers’ crew members are easygoing and friendly, says Mr. Gilliam. They show up on time and work quickly, and they take conscientious care to protect any flowers, plants and wildlife on a client’s property. Tree and stump removal and 24-hour emergency service is available as well.

Artisan Tree Trimmers performs all its own trimming, keeping overhead costs low and passing the savings on to its customers, says Mr. Gilliam. The company can also diagnose sick trees, determine whether they’re treatable and recommend a course of care.

Remember, tree surgery is forever.
Many tree services advertise themselves as “certified arborists,” but that’s not necessarily sufficient if the arborist doesn’t actually perform the pruning, says Gary Gilliam of Artisan Tree Trimmers.

The distinction is important. Mr. Gilliam warns that although a badly pruned tree will usually grow back, there’s always the possibility of irreversible damage. “You never know,” says Gilliam. “Often, they’re just ruined forever.”

Some other advice:

• Beware of companies that solicit business door-to door, offer a special deal for fast decisions, or show up unannounced in the aftermath of a storm that downs trees.

• Good tree service professionals will rarely recommend topping a tree. Tree topping is only necessary in extreme circumstances, such as irreversible physical damage.

• Proper pruning should never remove more than 25 percent of a tree’s branches or limbs in a given year. All cuts should avoid leaving stubs or ripping cuts in the bark.

Other harmful or unethical tree care practices include the use of climbing spikes or spurs while working on live trees, and tree removal without clear evidence of its necessity.

Q: Who does the actual work at Artisan Tree Trimmers?
A: Often, other tree service companies will come out, do the estimate and go over the nuances of what the client wants. Then they send an entirely different person to do the job—someone who has no idea what the initial conversation was about—and it doesn’t get done correctly. With my company, I do the estimating and the pruning, so you get exactly what you want.

Q: Will my house and plants be safe?
A: Yes. I’m on site for the entire job, and I make sure everything is very conscientiously done.

Q: Do you have a particular specialty?
A: Our forte is pruning and tree beautification; that’s what we’re most known for. We also diagnose sick trees and perform treatments and tree removal.

Q: Do you hire outside trimmers?
A: No. Honestly, I can’t find people good enough. I’m the artist in-house, so I do it myself.

Q: Can you give me advice on landscaping?
A: I have a real knack for landscaping, and I’ve done a great deal of it. I can counsel you.