It’s no secret that landscaping is hard work and a job most people simply don’t want to do or don’t have time for. In fact, a recent study found that 40% of Americans hire a landscaper to perform weekly lawn maintenance.
Since lawns are often the first impression of a home, hiring a qualified and experienced landscaper is beneficial. But how do you find the right landscaper who has the services you need?
Don’t worry! We’ve reviewed common landscape services and how to find the right company, plus more tips and tricks below. That way, you have all that you need to determine the right landscaper for your home.
Now, are you ready to get started? Here’s an in-depth look at home landscaping:
What Does a Landscaper Do?
As a landscaper, one oversees expensive and timely projects like leveling and designing lawns, sod, and outdoor lights. Some landscapers even design and install in-ground features and irrigation.
Now, a common misconception is that a landscaper is a gardener; however, that is false. Landscapers are different from gardeners. Landscapers deal with the lawn as a whole, whereas a gardener specifically handles plants and flowers.
A landscaper can help you transform your front and back yard into spaces you can use and enjoy. With the help of their team, a landscaping company can also maintain your lawn to your specific needs.
Common Landscape Services
Landscape services can mean quite a lot of things. To get you familiar with what landscape services are, we provided a few of the most asked-for and commonly provided services:
Home Landscaping Design
Landscape design often combines nature and culture to create individual outdoor spaces one can use. For instance, if a person wants an outdoor meditation area, a landscaper will lay out design plans, perhaps including a fountain, flowers, and a designated area for meditation.
That way, a person not only has an area for what they want but peaceful and serene surroundings that can help them use the space how it was intended.
You see, a landscaper makes an outdoor space come to life by incorporating nature and landscape architecture features. Landscape design is often broken down into seven principles: unity, simplicity, balance, variety, emphasis, scale, and sequence. Any good landscape designer will not only focus on your landscape ideas but also build onto your ideas using those seven principles to create a positive, powerful, and innovative space for you and your family.
For instance, if you wanted to add a pool to your backyard, a landscape designer wouldn’t just design the pool area but the atmosphere that would surround it. Meaning that a landscape designer may add a firepit, a pizza oven, or a comfortable sitting area to the outskirts of the area. This ensures that the space will be used for family activities and lounging due to its fun and relaxing atmosphere.
If you don’t know how you want to redesign your landscape, look at some of the popular landscape trends. As of 2023, mixing materials, open sheds, and air plants are quite in.
Irrigation Installation
Irrigation installation can be difficult and time-consuming, which is why having an irrigation specialist is not only needed but recommended. An irrigation specialist will install a new irrigation system or even repair one, so you don’t have to.
Irrigation installation is a service most landscape companies offer. However, if you don’t have this service, hire a company now. Summer is coming in the sunshine state of Florida, which means high humidity and scorching temperatures, which make maintaining plants difficult.
It’s important that your irrigation system is properly maintained so it can adequately distribute water to your grass and other plants. If your irrigation system isn’t properly repaired, your beautiful yard of lush green grass will start to wither and die. So don’t wait, get your irrigation looked at by our expert technicians.
Pest Control and Fertilization
Another common service is pest control and fertilization; however, unlike the other mentioned services, these need to be completed every three to four months. While this is a landscaping service, not all companies include it, as design and irrigation are their primary focus.
Now, pest control and fertilization aren’t just one or two services; it includes at least three to four individual services. Often pest control and fertilization is a category that includes pest control application, regularly scheduled fertilizer treatment, weed whacking, and irritation inspection.
These maintenance services ensure that your lawn stays in tip-top shape and lasts throughout the years. If you don’t have a pest control and fertilization service, it’s recommended that you hire a company today.
Thankfully our sister company, Green Box Fertilization and Pest Control, specializes in this area of landscaping. Feel free to contact them with any questions about the application process or to receive a free quote.
How to Find the Right Landscaper For You
Finding a landscaper isn’t as easy as one, two, or three. You’ll have to dig deeper, looking at relevant experience and comparing landscaping costs to find a landscaper near you. So to make your search go smoother, we’ve added some tips to help you find the right landscaper for you:
Evaluate Your Landscape Needs
Before finding a landscaper, you must evaluate your landscaping wants and needs. For instance, do you want to transform your yard with a new design? Do you need regular lawn maintenance services?
Think about what you want to achieve; it’s okay if you only have a general idea. A landscaper can help you fill in the blanks with expert recommendations.
However, having an idea of your landscaping needs will help you find professional landscapers with relevant experience. For example, if you want to redesign your front lawn, look for landscapers with knowledge and past experience designing a front lawn. That way, you know what to expect and the general talents of a landscaper.
Consider How Frequently You’ll Need Landscaping
Next, you’ll want to consider how frequently you’ll need landscaping services. All companies charge for time and labor, but some even charge for travel time. Travel time is often thought of as the time it takes a person to drive to and from your location in comparison to other clients.
So, if you hire a landscaping company an hour away, you may be charged for travel time. After all, it will take them longer to get to you, preventing the timely service of other clients.
As a result, always hire a landscaping company that’s in your area. If you’re located in Tampa, hire landscape services in Tampa rather than in St.Petersburg. Not only will you be charged less, but you’ll receive timely and reliable services since the landscaping company is near you.
Find a Landscaper That Bundles Tasks
Not all, but many landscaping companies allow you to bundle services to save money. So if you want to redesign your yard, add outdoor lighting, and purchase lawn maintenance, you can do so for one flat fee. That way, you don’t pay full price for multiple individual services but instead one large sum that covers it all.
Bundles are a polite and generous way of rewarding a customer for providing more work.
So, if you want to receive multiple landscaping services, look for and hire a company that offers bundle pricing.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Landscaper
Once you’ve narrowed down your candidate pool, ask the remaining landscaping companies a few questions about their skills, services, and qualifications. Asking questions can give you further insight into the operations and talents of a landscaping company. For example, you can ask:
- What design ideas do you have for my yard?
- Can you show me pictures of work you’ve done that’s similar to what I want?
- Do you guarantee the quality of your work? If not, why?
- What sets your company apart from others?
- Why should I choose your company?
Once you ask these questions, look for in-depth and thoughtful answers. If a landscaper can only provide one to two-sentence answers, they are not the landscaper for you. Any good landscaper will give you serious answers so that you can thoroughly assess them and their skills.
Hire Oasis Landscape and Irrigation Today
Home landscaping isn’t as easy as it looks, so hiring a professional who knows what they’re doing is important. Finding a professional landscaper isn’t easier either, but we’ve detailed some tips to make the process quick and efficient.
If you have any questions about our landscape services or irrigation, we can help you. Give us a call or contact us today by submitting the form on our contact page, and we will be in touch shortly!
