Читать книгу Landscaping For Dummies - Lance Walheim - Страница 82

Should you decide to holler for help, holler in the right direction. When you're ready to call in a pro, talk to trusted friends and neighbors first. Track down a local Master Gardener or Master Gardeners group, or ask at your favorite local garden center or nursery, and see whom they suggest. Ask for recommendations for companies that have done satisfying work; don't hire Jimmy-down-the-street's cousin just because he's the only name on your list. Ask for references, and check them. A drive-by around a former client's property may be all you need to see if the work is up to snuff. You can also check online reviews, but bear in mind that only the happiest and the most-disgruntled people tend to write online reviews.

Work quality isn't the only consideration, though. Ask whether the work was done on schedule, at a fair price, and whether clean-up afterward was satisfactory. Would the client hire the contractor again? When you've narrowed down your list, check with the Better Business Bureau, your state Attorney General’s office, and/or professional associations.

If you feel at all shaky about your skills as a designer, call in a landscape designer to give you advice or even draw up a plan for you. You can also show the pro your own plan and ask for suggestions or confirmation of your good common sense — all for a fee, of course. The help of a genuine landscape architect is warranted if you have a large property, are starting from scratch, and/or can afford their more-expensive expertise.

For more on various sorts of landscape professionals, including information on professional associations that can lead you to them, turn to Appendix A.