20 things you need to know before hiring a landscaper

8/7/2019 20 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Landscaper

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20 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Landscaper

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BeAwareEarly.com 20 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Landscaper

Table of Contents

Description Page No.

Introduction …………………………………………………………………… 4 – 5

What services do landscape contractors provide …………… 5 – 7

Tips to where do you start your landscape project ………… 7 – 10The Low maintenance landscape……………………………………. 10

Developing a landscape plan…………………………………………... 11

Eight simple tips to create an easy-care yard………………….. 12 – 21

Expert advice for best landscape…………………………………….. 21 - 26



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Introduction……..

Landscape contractors help to build your dream landscape. A landscape

contractor is a specialty contractor who provides the materials and

services needed to construct landscapes; or provides the management

and maintenance needed to keep projects in prime condition after

implementation. Presently, there are approximately 70,000 landscape

companies that employ educated, motivated, and qualified people with

a diversity of interests and goals. The landscape industry is evolving by

utilizing the newest computer technologies, modern business practices,

and by employing educated personnel with the skills to increase the

breadth of the industry.



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Landscape contractors usually have experience and knowledge of local

conditions, such as weather and soil that can affect the outcome of

landscape projects. They also often have knowledge of specialchallenges presented by a locale where they are working.

In this e-Book you will find more than 20 things you need to know

before getting the services of a Landscaper. They come from different

stages on where to start, how to develop and maintain your landscape.

What Services do Landscape Contractors Provide?

Landscape contractors are licensed within their state to assist clients

with:

The construction or installation of all hardscape landscape elements

(built materials such as walkways, plazas, gazebos, retaining walls,



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trellises, fences, irrigation pipes, sculptures, arbors, lighting, and

fountains).

The installation of all softscape landscape elements (natural

materials including all plants, soils, mulches, compost).

Provide maintenance to installed landscapes such as weed control,plantings, pruning, fertilizing, mowing, mulching, watering, and pest

control.

Submit bids for contracting work and providing estimates.

Hiring or managing subcontractors (such as painting, electricians,

etc.)



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Obtain necessary building permits.

Landscape management and maintenance plans

Solve site drainage or hydrology problems.

Tips to Where Do You Start your Landscaping Project:

You will want to determine the scope of services that are requiredbefore you engage a landscape contractor. Here are a few items to

consider before you proceed:



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What is My Scope of Work?

Determine exactly the services needed for your property and make a

list of all items. For maintenance issues, define what duties are to be

performed in what areas. How often does the grass need to be

mowed? How often should the shrubs be pruned? When should

annuals be replaced and how often?

Create or Obtain a Map of the Property.

It is helpful to have a plan of the property so that areas may be readily

identified. Often, a copy of the property plat that you received when

you purchased your house is sufficient to give to the contractor.

What is My Budget?

For new landscape construction, determine your total budget for the

project. For maintenance, establish what the monthly or yearly fees

you can afford.



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How Do I Find a Landscape Contractor?

Recommendations from friends, local nurseries, garden centers or by

local landscape architects are a good way to find a landscape

contractor. Also, many landscape contractors belong to their national

landscape professional network.

It is recommended to interview several companies to review their

pricing structure, experience, training, suitability, and time availability.Ask if you can visit sites they have worked with to review their work,

or for a list of references. Check to make sure they are licensed in the

state, and if they have workers compensation and liability insurance.

Also be sure to ask how they guarantee their work and for how long.

Once you have decided upon a contractor, get a written contract. Thecontract should specify what you wish to have done, the estimated

costs, and the date of completion. Sometimes changes or additions



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may be made during the work, so be clear what the additional costs

may be.

The Low Maintenance Landscape

With today's busy lifestyles, homeowners are seeking ways to reduce

maintenance in the home landscape. The creation of a low maintenance

landscape requires proper planning and making wise choices. Thisincludes the identification of areas that require a more manicured look

and noting areas that are not as important to heavily maintain. There

are a number of alternative choices of landscape building materials,

plant types, design strategies, and ways to reduce effort and expense.

The best place to begin the low maintenance landscape is to develop aplan for your property.



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Developing a landscape plan

By creating a landscape plan, you can identify the areas of the yard that

best serve as public, private or service uses. The easiest way to develop

a plan is to obtain a copy of your property plan. With the use of a copy

machine, you can enlarge the plan to a size that you can work with in

detail. Make several copies of the enlarged plan for alternative designs.

If you do not have an existing property plan, you may consider hiring a

surveyor to locate the boundaries, building and pavement, and tree

locations on your property.

On a copy of your enlarged property plan, you can designate areas or

zones of landscape use. Prioritize areas of importance, such as the front

door entry, street views, and courtyard or patio areas as places to focusyour landscape efforts. Areas that are not heavily utilized, such as

storage areas, back property edges, fence lines and work areas can be

designed for low maintenance options.



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Eight simple tips to create an easy-care yard:

Although there is no such thing as a no-maintenance landscape, here

are a few suggestions to minimize excessive landscape care.

1. Reduce the total amount of unused lawn area.

Beautiful lawns are expensive and high-maintenance landscape items. Inaddition to the mowing, rolling, watering, fertilizing, liming, pesticides

and fungicides, thatching, and herbicides that are used to maintain a

healthy lawn, lawn edging and raking can consume an extraordinary

amount of time and expense. Maintaining proper play and open lawn

space are important criteria for many homeowners, yet reducingunused lawn portions can save much on required care and

maintenance. Easy to care for trees, shrubs and groundcovers are

excellent alternatives to excessive open lawn space. This may be



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achieved by herbiciding the unwanted existing lawn area, planting in

low care woody plant species, and placing a thick groundcover layer of

mulch. The first few years may require extra weeding and care, but asthe trees and shrubs establish themselves a once a year cleanup will be

all that is required.

2. Use quality, long-lasting landscape materials.

As you select or replace the types of structural features in yourlandscape, choose materials that do not require frequent replacement.

Sidewalks, patios, decks, fences, steps, driveways, seating structures,

trellis and gazebos, and furniture items should be selected for

durability. A concrete or brick patio will last between 20-30 years,

whereas a wooden or brick on sand patio may need replacing every 5-8years. Recycled plastic lumber has a much longer life span and reduced

painting or staining need than traditional treated wood for fences,

decks and steps. Concrete, brick or stone edging blocks will last much



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longer than landscape timbers or railroad ties for bed edgings. Also, the

use of mowing strips (concrete or brick pavers placed at the ground

level) may be used for bed edges adjacent turf areas to reduce the needfor edging treatments. Consider the initial cost and maintenance to long

term cost and durability when selecting landscape materials.

3. Select perennial plants over annuals for landscape color.

To reduce replacement costs for annual plants (plants that last oneseason) consider the use of perennial plants (plants that come back

every year). Depending upon your plant hardiness zone, impatiens,

begonias, petunias and marigolds must be planted every year. Choose

daylilies, stokes aster, lantana, black-eyed susan, coneflowers, evening

primrose or perennial phlox for long-lasting color.



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4. Avoid problem or high-maintenance plants.

Hybrid tea roses, gardenias, and fruit trees are examples of high

maintenance plants. These require regular insect spraying, watering, or

fungicides in order to successfully grow in Mississippi. Select varieties of

plants that are more resistant to insect, disease and fungal problems,

tolerance to wet or dry periods, extreme temperatures, and adaptability

to poor soil conditions.

Examples of tough plants include, but are not limited to the following:

Tough groundcovers:

Liriope

Monkey grassAsian jasmine

Ardisia

Aspidistra



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Dwarf bamboo

Holly leaf fern

Indigo bushSword fern

Sedum

Setcreasea

Tough perennials:

Daylily

Stokes aster

Lantana

VerbenaBlack-eye susan

Purple coneflower

Evening primrose



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Louisiana phlox

Narrow leaf

sunflowerRain lily

Louisiana iris

Wild petunia

Tough shrubs:

Butterfly bush

American beautyberry

Flowering quince

ForsythiaHolly

Virginia willow

Summersweet



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Spirea

Vitex

OleanderElaeagnus

Wax myrtle

Yaupon holly

Tough trees:

Ironwood

Parsley hawthorne

Live oak

Southern magnoliaAmerican holly

Red maple

Sweetgum



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Black gum

Willow oak

Winged sumacBald cypress

5. Use geotextiles for weed control

Geotextiles, commonly known as landscape or weed fabrics, can reduceweeding efforts in sunny planting beds. By placing the fabric on the

ground around existing shrubs and covering with a thick layer of mulch,

this will effectively reduce the growth of many weed species. Pre-

existing problem weeds should be controlled with an herbicide before

covering. Geotextiles have the benefit of allowing water and fertilizersthrough the cloth and allowing plant roots to breathe. Groundcovers

may also be planted in open bed space to compete against weed

occurrence.



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6. Put the right size plant in the right place

Constant pruning to reduce the height of plants can be avoided by

selecting plants that will not exceed the desired height for the area they

are placed. Problem places for large plants often occur underneath

home windows, electrical and other utility lines, roof eaves, view sheds,

and doorway entries. These problems can be avoided by asking the

nursery owner for recommended plants that do not grow taller than the

maximum height for the area required.

7. Place plants in masses, not individually.

Planting combinations are often more effective when planted in massesrather than individual specimens. Creating a dense shrub border in large

island beds allows mowing to occur around the outside edge, and

reduces the need for edging and weeding in scattered plantings.



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8. Keep your landscape simple

A wealth of landscape plants and garden places often requires more

specialized care. A simple effective design and palette of easy to care for

plants can create a beautiful care free landscape.

Expert Advice For Best Landscapes

1. Risk on Hiring the Landscaper.

Knowing that proper landscaping can add as much as 15 percent to a

house's value makes it easier to avoid the temptation to hire someone

to do the work just because they are cheap.



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It's risky to hire somebody off the street who has no references and

you have no way to get hold of them. What happens three months

down the road if they over-fertilized or you have some type of

problem with your landscaping?

2. Hire the right Professional Landscaper.

Established businesses have a vested interest in keeping their

customers happy. They offer continuity of services and are able to

respond whenever something happens with a landscape.



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The thing professionals need, whether they have a college degree or

not, is a good working knowledge of horticulture. This includes

planting and maintenance practices, insect and disease control, turf

grass, irrigation, flower beds and more.

Check the references of a landscape professional before hiring them

to do work. It is essential to know what kind of work they have done

in the past. Ask for the credentials, professionals have certain

affiliations and accreditations and don't mind giving proof of their

position.

Hire professional landscaper to ensure the plants installed in the

landscape are well-cared for with a disease and insect free.



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Landscaping takes time to learn and do correctly. Hiring someone to

do landscaping without knowing their credentials or references can be

a big mistake.

3. It is must to have a full knowledge about the plant.

If you don't know the history of the plants then it is the time to do

your work before considering having a landscape in your house. You

may consider also having some advice from the horticulturist or theservices of such expertise to ensure that your money will go in the

right way.



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Plants included in the landscaping should be categorized according to

the weather condition of your place. Good selection of plants to

adopt the changes of the weather condition is an advantage to keep

your landscape intact and beautiful all season.

It is a big cost, but it will pay off in the long run to install a landscape

that will perform well over time. Plants are not a short-term

investment, and it may take several years for a landscape to look

established. Having an instant landscape may not be the best thing for

the yard or the home.



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4. Contributions of a good Landscape

Installing and maintaining a good landscape is a long and somewhat

expensive process, but worth the investment. Not only does an

established landscape add to a home's value, but it also can cut

heating and cooling costs.

Make sure you check the other "Must Know" before hiring a Landscaper

here

20 things you need to know before hiring a landscaper

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