Hiring gardeners and landscapers

Category Gardeners and Landscapers

Hiring Gardeners and Landscapers

HIRING GARDENERS AND LANDSCAPERS

A well-kept garden or yard is such an asset to your home. As well as providing your and your family with a green space for recreation and relaxation, it can increase the value of your property considerably. But sometimes, with your busy 21st century lifestyle, you don't have time to do all the gardening and yard work yourself. Whether you need to hire a gardener or a gardening service or you need the services of a landscaper to carry out your vision for your backyard, the resources here and the information in the BizPals reviews will guide you in your search for reliable gardening professionals to meet your needs.

USING BIZPALS REVIEWS TO HIRE GARDENERS AND LANDSCAPERS

The BizPals reviews are a resource for you to pick the right gardener or gardening service. Are there any special considerations you should use to narrow down your search? e.g. do you want to use only organic fertilizers in your garden? If you are looking for a landscape architect, do you need someone with special expertise in, for example, water features? BizPals connects you with reviews written by customers like you and the peer endorsements for the service providers they review. BizPals reviews will enable you to narrow down your search and find a gardening service you can rely on to do a great job that will keep your property healthy and looking beautiful.

CHECKLIST FOR HIRING GARDENERS AND LANDSCAPERS

Checklist for hiring a gardening or landscaping service:

1. Check if the gardener/landscaper has a landscaping license and if it is current.
2. If the gardener will be performing pest control, check whether they have a valid pest control maintenance license, if your state requires one.
3. If the gardening service will be performing a one-time spring or fall cleanup, will they take away all debris?
4. If trees need to be removed, does this require a license or a permit in your state?
5. If you prefer that your garden be maintained using only organic products, ask whether the gardening service can do this.
6. Ask if the service has references from other clients that you can see, and if possible talk to some of those clients.
7. If you want to use chemicals on your lawn and your state's Bureau of Agriculture requires a license to do so, check if the gardening service is licensed to do so.
8. If you are planning to landscape your garden, draw up a list of features you would like (rockeries, flower beds, waterfalls), a preferred theme if you have one (Victorian, cottage garden, formal, woodland) and a budget for the project. This will help the landscapers to assess your needs.
9. Maintenance is sometimes overlooked by homeowners when planning landscaping. Your landscapers should be able to advise you on choosing hardy plants and using water-wise techniques in your garden, if you won't be able to spend a lot of time looking after the garden yourself.

CHECKLIST FOR THE JOB

• If the gardening/landscaping service will be coming in working hours, do they have all the access they need? Landscapers doing a project that will be carried out over a number of days or weeks will have different needs than a crew who services your garden once a month. It's a good idea to discuss access, security, etc., with the gardening service before the project begins.
• Landscapers will need access to an outside water source; they may also need access to a power source in some cases.
• If you have pets that normally have the use of the garden, decide how they will be kept out of the way of the gardeners. It will be easier for them to work if they don't have to worry about letting Rex escape into the street.
• Good communication is important. A written list of tasks for the the gardening service to perform will make it easier for them to fulfill your needs.
• If garden debris such as leaves are left over at the end of the project or clean-up, discuss how they will be disposed of: composted, put in the trash or removed by the service.
• Discuss in advance whether the gardening service will need special equipment such as a ladder that you may be able to provide.

CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATION

• If your gardening service is used on a regular basis, do the gardeners arrive at the agreed-upon time?
• Do the gardeners perform the list of assigned tasks to your satisfaction?
• If the gardening or landscaping project was a one-time job, did the finished garden meet your expectations based on the plan you agreed upon at the beginning of the project?
• Was the project completed on time? If any difficulties occurred during the landscaping, was the landscaper flexible in dealing with them?