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Maintaining a beautiful, healthy landscape takes time and expertise. It is hard, dirty work that must be performed consistently (and constantly!) for your landscape to looks its best. Even if you enjoy getting your hands dirty, do you really have the time to dedicate to this everlasting project?
You are probably like so many homeowners, busy with kids, your professional life and the hope of a personal life! And, I’ll bet, you are chasing multiple contractors who “take care” of your landscape for you. You know, the weed spray guy in the cut-off shorts, the lawn mowing guy in the sleeveless tee shirt, and the guys in shorts with no shirts that mulch and shear your shrubs once a year. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have ONE professional handle all your landscape maintenance needs?
You CAN have this! Professional landscape maintenance, sometimes called personal gardening or contracted maintenance, is a way to wrap many services into one contract to ease your mind. But there are so many “landscapers,” how do you know who to choose? Look for these simple indicators that can set the pros and the pretenders apart.
- A professional landscape contractor will have a consultant or representative with horticultural knowledge visit your property for an initial evaluation. You might be surprised to learn how many “landscapers” don’t have much knowledge of plant material or pruning technique.
- During this visit, existing plant material should be inventoried and any existing or potential problems noted and possible solutions discussed with you. A soil sample should be taken to ensure that any fertilization or soil amendments are recommended appropriately.
- The consultant should have questions about how you want things to look and they should have suggestions for how to improve the overall health and appearance of your landscape with some simple tips that they are willing to share. For instance, we see improper pruning of shrubs and trees on about 90 percent of properties we visit. Simple changes to the timing or style of pruning can yield more blooms and a healthier plant in as little as one season!
- A professionally-marked fleet vehicle and staff uniform are great indicators of professionalism, but these don’t always tell the whole story. If a landscape contractor is licensed to apply herbicides and pesticides in PA and MD, they must display a BU or AG number on their vehicle. In both PA and MD, contractors who build patios and decks or perform other types of construction must have a contractor number displayed as well.
- In the end, one of the easiest ways to spot a true professional is by looking for the one who wants to learn about you and your lifestyle and how you use your landscape.
When we ask our clients what they like most about the landscape maintenance services we provide, the answer we hear most frequently is “…the time and peace of mind I have now that you are taking care of everything.” What’s so special about what we do at Hively Landscapes? Nothing really, except our focus on proactive communication, corporate accountability, and only hiring individuals who think and act professionally.
So as spring draws closer, consider what you would do with extra time and peace of mind and contact your local professional landscape contractor today!
