How to Work with a Landscaping Professional

Lush lawns and gardens don’t happen on their own. Here’s how to work with a landscaping professional to ensure a smooth process and satisfactory results.

Even if you can decorate your living space or decorate your bedroom with the best materials, landscape design presents unique challenges that can be frustrating. Not only does it require a completely different set of skills than interior design, it also changes and evolves over time. Flowers bloom, trees mature, and shrubs grow and spread. This is where a landscaping professional can prove invaluable. Follow our tips on how to find, hire and work with a gardener to create a garden your neighbors will envy.

Decide which type of landscaping professional fits your needs. Before you begin, you need to decide which skill set best suits the scope of work you have in mind.

Landscape architects, who typically hold advanced degrees in their field, are trained to develop comprehensive structural and aesthetic plans that include hardscape, water use and drainage, as well as plant selection and garden design. Planning may also include modifying the exterior of your home as part of the overall exterior design.

Landscape designers may or may not have advanced training. They often specialize in the aesthetic and horticultural aspects of gardens and garden planning, but they also often carry out structural work.

A landscaping contractor implements the plans presented by the landscape architect or designer. In some cases, landscape contractors also provide design services. Depending on your vision for your yard, you may want to utilize some or all of these types of professionals.

Set a budget. As with all interior design and remodeling projects, make sure you have an idea of how much you want to spend before contacting a professional. Not only will this give the landscaper a starting point and a useful set of parameters, it will save both of you frustration. You don’t want to get lost in sketches of colorful flowers and majestic trees only to realize they’re out of reach, nor do you want to waste time creating detailed plans that will have to be erased by a professional later.

Once your target costs are determined, a professional can help you stretch your budget and get the most mileage out of each dollar by suggesting creative solutions that might not have been implemented otherwise.

Find potential sources. Do you have a friend whose garden is colorful or who gets a garden of the month once a season? Ask if they have professional help, and if so, add them to your shortlist. Local botanical gardens and home building associations are also good places to look for names.

Check the license and references. Check your local certification requirements. This is especially true for elements that affect safety, such as decks and retaining walls. Check the licensing of any professional you are considering to see if certification is required in your profession and area. Once you’ve narrowed it down to two or three finalists, get recommendations from each and check them out diligently. If your past customers were satisfied, chances are you will be too.

Please provide helpful documentation. Your landscaping professional will conduct an initial site
visit and walkthrough at the beginning of the job, but he or she will likely need a copy of the
property drawings to begin design work, especially if building permits are involved. You may be
asked to complete a questionnaire or other information sheet to help the professional understand
your needs and requests as thoroughly as possible.

Find out how you want to look. It’s helpful to have at least a basic idea of your preferred style
and level of maintenance. Do you prefer a formal garden, or a wilder and more free-spirited look?
Do you want a plant that thrives on neglect, or are you willing to accept a specimen that needs a lot of attention and care? Do you need paths, pavers, or another hardscape? How do you prefer to water? With a little guidance, our experts will help you fine-tune your options.

At the same time, leave room for creativity. The landscaper’s imagination and professionalism are the reason why we hired him.

We are open to feedback and suggestions. And don’t automatically reject plants you think you don’t like. As part of the right overall plan, you can get a whole new appeal.

Develop a maintenance plan. Once your landscaping crew has packed all the shovels and spades, they are responsible for keeping your yard in tip-top shape. If you are responsible for maintaining your garden once it has been installed, your landscaping professional should provide you with an outline of what needs to be done to prepare, when and how often. If you want to hire a gardener for maintenance tasks, ask your landscaper for recommendations. Some companies offer both services. Please check if this is true.