Why Hire a Professional Landscaper?
The decision to hire a professional landscaper can leave homeowners dazed and confused. Perhaps, you need to increase curb appeal, or maybe you're having problems with a certain tree or shrub. Sometimes, an entire landscape remodel is in order. In any case, a professional landscaper can help with anything from simple advice to complete installation of a new landscape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Training and Education
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Most landscape contractors have had formal education and training; they may have interned with a professional. Most landscape associations offer many opportunities for continuing education and some even have their own professional standards and rigorous certification programs.
Knowledge of Plants that Work Locally
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A professional chooses the appropriate plants. A professional will know what plants are most suitable for certain locations, and will be able to design based on specific criteria. He will know how to design around existing landscape features, and which plants are illegal in his state.
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Tools and Resources
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Landscapers have the proper tools for the job. Landscape contractors have an array of professional tools for different tasks. They also have the connections with affiliate businesses like nurseries or hard goods providers. They know how to pull the appropriate resources together to complete the job at hand.
Beauty and Function
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A professional considers beauty and function together. A professional landscaper asks questions about how the traffic flows around the landscape. She will consider how the outdoor spaces will be utilized before designing a landscape. For example, an area that will be used as a playground would be designed differently than a formal front yard. She will also consider curb appeal, which has the potential to increase property values.
Laws and Regulations
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Landscape contractors know what permits are needed and what insurance they are required to carry. They'll know what trees and shrubs can't be planted at certain locations, like under power lines. They know what licenses are needed for certain activities, such as applying insecticide.
The Riight Professional
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There are professional landscapers who work with existing landscapes, and those who work with changing the landscape. Landscape maintenance professionals can be licensed or unlicensed depending on the state in which they work. They maintain an already existing landscape. In most states they have limited ability to do very small installations of trees, shrubs or lawns.
Landscape contractors are licensed and bonded in most states, and perform a variety of services. Some may specialize in certain areas like irrigation or low maintenance landscapes. They can plan, prepare soils, improve or install irrigation, build or install landscape features like decks and waterfalls, apply pesticides, plant or remove trees and shrubs, or install new lawns.
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References
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