Posts Tagged Landscape Maintenance
5 Steps to Choose the Best Landscape Maintenance Services
If you are looking for the best landscape maintenance service, finding it will take more effort than merely looking in the phone book. The unique nuances and needs of your property, as well as the niche of each company will go a long way in determining which landscape maintenance provider to choose.
Don’t Get Hooked by a Landscape Maintenance Low Price
Some landscape maintenance services will submit a very low bid in an effort to win your job. However, these bids are often accompanied by low quality project results. Look for bid contractors who will use high quality materials and safe equipment at all times. The quality of the landscape maintenance service provider’s craftsmanship is always worth the higher cost.
Check Track Records
Do not hesitate to contact the prior customers, reviews and references of various maintenance services. Each should be willing to provide you with a reference list who can testify to the quality of the work. Try to find a customer who had a job performed within the past year at an equal or a greater value than your current job. This way, you will be able to make an informed comparison when deciding on which landscape maintenance service is the best for your property.
The Type of Landscape Maintenance Work
Each landscaping company has a specialty area. Some are good at any number of projects. The key is to find the one that has a history of installing or maintaining the area of your yard that needs attention. Communicate exactly the type of work that you want done and your budget limitations. This will help you narrow your search to find candidates who can handle the specific challenges involved in your nuanced yard. Keep in mind that some landscapers offer maintenance services only, so vet each company thoroughly before progressing to more detailed matters.
Qualifications
Make sure that each landscape maintenance service is properly insured so that you are not liable for accidents that occur on your property. Ask for valid proof of the insurance before work commences. Find out the professional affiliations that the companies belong to as well. If they are active in professional associations, they are more likely to stay abreast of industry trends. Then, find out of they are licensed. Those that are certified by the state will provide proper employee training and will be held to the highest legal standards.
Build a Criteria List
Contact each potential landscape maintenance service and ask them a series of questions. You can mark off whether each meets your specific criteria. The one with the lowest bids and the most check marks will be awarded the project. Your checklist should contain key requirements like a company that is properly certified, licensed and insured. Get a written contract that accounts for a project price, material list and quality guarantees before work starts. Also, be sure to ask each candidate’s references whether the companies were able to complete the projects within the originally estimated timeline. Once you have gathered all of the pertinent information, you can make an informed decision about which landscaping company to choose.
Landscape Service Niches
Each landscape maintenance service company tends to do at least one thing very well. Some do it so well that they develop a niche in the field. If you are looking for a company that handles yard maintenance, repair, irrigation and water saving landscapes, give us a call today.
Picking the Best Landscape Maintenance Services
Landscape maintenance goes well beyond regular lawn care in ways that might surprise you. For starters, if you’ve ever wondered why local parks and upscale homes look so great year round, the reason is probably regular landscaping.
From pruning and lawn care to a reliable irrigation schedule and weed-reduction services, a landscape maintenance company remains an affordable way to turn heads and quickly increase your home’s curb appeal.
Myriad Benefits of Landscape Maintenance
Contracting out your landscape maintenance services, for instance, can increase your home’s resale value by over ten percent virtually overnight. A landscape maintenance company can also assist property managers lease space and offer a more professional face to the public.
A landscape maintenance company can work to expand on what’s already great about your home’s lawn and garden as well. Services like lawn edging, mulching and irrigation significantly enhance your home’s curb appeal and can give you more reasons to take daily pride in your home.
Pruning your home’s bushes and snipping overhanging branches are additional ways that a landscape maintenance company gives value back to homeowners. In short, a landscape maintenance company that can help you get your lawn, garden and walkway in shape is a win-win for you and your neighbors.
Unique Services Available to Homeowners
If you’re somewhat fuzzy on the nuts and bolts of irrigation, mulching and the right watering schedule for your home’s soil and climate, then you’re just like millions of homeowners from around the country.
A landscape maintenance company, fortunately, has decades of experience testing for proper pH levels, installing and/or maintaining sprinkler systems, and removing weeds or unsightly overgrowth from your yard.
If a landscape maintenance company determines, for example, that your pH levels are out of whack, then a lime treatment can be used to get your lawn back on its feet.
This is all a huge boon for homeowners looking for a little extra time on the weekends as well as property managers who want to spend less time worrying and more time leasing space.
Interestingly, some studies even show that properly placed trees and plants can lower your HVAC costs by as much as one-fifth. This might seem shocking until you consider the heat gain during the hottest months – or the heating costs squandered to poor ventilation – due to a lack of shade around your home or commercial property.
From relatively simple jobs like mowing and mulching to larger projects like aeration and irrigation, a full-service landscape maintenance company is truly a one-stop-shop for all of your home’s landscaping needs.
Hiring a Landscape Maintenance Company
Although you can probably find dozens of companies with mowers and leaf blowers in your area willing to provide simple services, a landscape maintenance company can provide more sophisticated services (e.g., irrigation) that bring experience and professional know-how to bear.
Many states even require that landscape maintenance companies have licenses before offering their services to the public. This coupled with the fact that a full-service landscape maintenance company can help with pest and weed control, sprinkler systems and pH detection makes this an easy call.
To reiterate, a landscape maintenance company can help homeowners and property managers in crucial ways – improving curb appeal, enhancing your home’s energy efficiency, and eliminating pests and weeds.
If you’ve always wanted a lusher lawn, contact the professionals at Xeriscape today for more information about a host of maintenance, repair and irrigation services.
DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Landscaper
Every homeowner wants to have a beautiful, pristine and well-manicured landscape. Oftentimes, homeowners decide to design and maintain it themselves to save money. But the reality is, keeping your lawn well-maintained and healthy is a time-consuming job – fighting weeds, heat, debris and pests and trying to keep everything green and lovely. If you spend a lot of time at work, you may not want to commit your off days to yard work. So before deciding whether to continue do it yourself or hiring a professional landscape maintenance company, here are a few more things to consider may sway your decision:
Professional grade work – While DIY can be fun, unless you have some experience with these types of projects, this can end up consuming more of your time and can potentially end up to be disastrous. If you’re going for curb appeal or a professionally manicured lawn, a professional lawn maintenance company is the answer. With the right equipment and experience, professionals can get the job done quickly, efficiently, and beautifully while you focus on other things.
Knowledge –A skilled landscaper has knowledge that your average person doesn’t have concerning grasses, trees, shrubs, and plants. They know when to prune, what grows best where, and how to care for difficult plants. Having someone who knows the ins and outs of botany can be the difference in a mediocre backyard and one that all your neighbors are talking about.
Economical – Hiring a professional can sometimes be more economical. For a certain weekly fee, homeowners receive the benefit of professional knowledge and execution. Also, homeowners will not have the expense of purchasing the various tools and equipment necessary for lawn and garden maintenance, tools and equipment that include lawnmowers, weeders, edgers, fertilizer, grass seed, leaf blowers, and shovels.
Convenience – Lawn care will take you away from other activities like work, family time, entertaining friends and relaxation. Although you will pay for professional landscape maintenance, the convenience may justify the cost.
We at DK Landscaping also offer a spring-cleaning service that will help prepare your lawn and garden for the spring and summer months. It’s a time to prune the old and plant the new. We know exactly what needs to be taken care of this time of year and are ready to tackle even the most difficult home landscaping job.
Handing the reigns over to someone who landscapes for a living gives you freedom to enjoy your spring and summer without worrying about your projects going undone. Call Kathy or David Lee at DK Landscaping (707) 280-3632.
Fall Lawn Care Tips
Many people have this false belief that as fall and winter approach, they need to spend less time on their lawn because grass grows more slowly in these months. The truth is, this is the time of year grass is busily absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients in preparation for a long, dormant winter. Give your lawn the attention it deserves now, and you’ll be rewarded with a lush, healthy lawn in the springtime. DK Landscaping provides you with these simple tips:
1. Aerate: Aeration is important because it gives your lawn a chance to breath in autumn and provides room for new grass to spread. Aeration pulls up plugs of grass which help to loosen compacted soil. This improves water, nutrient and oxygen infiltration to reach your grass roots and gives seeds room to sprout.
2. Fertilize: Fertilizing in the fall, before the first frost, helps your grass survive a harsh winter. It provides nutrients to reach roots for your grass to grow a stronger root system over the winter. This will result in a healthier and stronger lawn next spring. We recommend choosing a product high (10% to 15%) in phosphorous, which is critical for root growth.
3. Weed Control: If broadleaf weeds like dandelions have taken over your lawn, now’s the time to fight back. Weeds are germinating like crazy in the fall, so make sure you apply a pre-emergent as soon as possible. The best time to apply a pre-emergent to combat winter weeds is in August or September.
4. Rake: While those leaves can look pretty on the lawn, the leaves decay which negatively affects the grass. When there is a blanket of leaves on the lawn, sunlight cannot get through to the grass. Rake up the leaves at least once a week.
5. Mowing: Mowing your law is the single most important thing you can do to manage the vigor of your grass and its ability to compete against weeds. In the fall, the best results are obtained by mowing at the highest setting on your mower. In no case should the mowing leave the grass less than 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) tall. This will help insulate the grass during the winter.
Lastly, if you are not certain how to proceed or do not want to deal with the hassle, contact a professional lawn company in Sonoma County that provides year-round lawn care.
