i need a honest, quality, landscaper
my whole property needs help.

i need drainage problems solved too

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Eleni-This is a great question and one I wish many would have asked before having their landscaping done. Most important you want a qualified company that will work closely with you understanding your needs and objectives in order to come up with a complete master plan that encompasses all your needs and desires. You want a full service business that not only does landscape design but one that will acquire all materials and has personnel to accomplish all facets of the landscape planting, hardscape installation, irrigation, drainage, lighting, and other work needed to complete your project. You may have specific people in mind to do some specific portions of your overall work or not but contracting a company that can do it all will have a better perspective of the overal plan you want to accomplish and will do it in a more timely mannor. Unless you feel you want to control or coordinate several facets of your project I think it wise not to use several contractors in hopes of completing a well designed landscape with very little or no problems. Some landscape companies may sub out some of the work but are responssible for their quality of work and you are still only dealing with one company responsible to you the customer. Using one company that can handle all phases of your dream landscape has many advantages. A reputable company will guarantee all work that was done including plant life for a period of time. Any work or repairs that may have to be done in the future can be handled by one company not several others that may have to guess at how something was done by another company.

Before you hire any landscape contractor there are a few things you want to know or keep in mind when consulting with them.

Be aware of your specific landscape needs and desires having a good idea of the landscapes look and feel you want. Don't hesitate asking questions and asking for ideas to help accomplish your perfect landscape. Make sure you feel comfortable when meeting with companies knowing they understand your needs and objectives and are excited about incorporating your ideas and some good ideas of their own to accomplish the landscape you have in mind. Landscapers that are willing to use your ideas with very little imput of their own to finalize a plan would make me wonder how knowledgable they really are. Make sure they understand your budget and are accurately planning a landscape design that meets that budget with an accurate bid with no surprises at the projects end.

Ask questions regarding the plant life they are using in their plans. Quality landscape companies will be knowlegable of the plants they are using and and should be more than willing to give you tips on their care in maintaining their health. They should not only be able to give you tips on maintaining these plants but show you pictures and information on the plants they are planning to use in your landscape so there are no surprises once they are installed. You might want to ask about maintanence of your landscaping. Many companies have maintanence services you may want to use after your landscape is completed.

It is always a good idea to research the company you are considering. Always choose a landscaper that is licensed. This license will assure you that the contractor is operating legally, and most likely employs people demonstrating experience, knowledge, and a level of professionalism. Ask for recommendations of past customers and work you can view that they have done in the past. Before searching out companies in the phone book or on the internet you can visit your local quality nursery or garden center (not the box store nursery) as they many times have a landscaper they would recommend. They may also have a landscape designer and are a landscape contractor also. You may want to drive around your location searching out homes that have landscaping that is pleasing to you. Most of the time the owners are more than willing to give you a recommendation of the company they used. Both these ways of finding a landscaper can also save time in researching information on companies you know nothing about.

Hopefully these few tips will help.

John)