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Residential Landscaping |
| Questions |
| Q: |
How can I know if the company I hire to care for my landscape is competent?
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| A: |
Gauge competence by experience, accomplishment and professional knowledge. Look for professional credentials such as certified tree expert (issued by New Jersey Board of Tree Experts) or certified arborist (issued by International Society of Arboriculture). In either case the professional has passed an exam given by the certifying authority. Certification offers a level of protection to the consumer, and as a consumer you deserve to be served by the best. |
| Q: |
What kind of warranty do I get when you install a landscape?
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| A: |
Our one-year warranty does not cover plant mortality due to circumstances beyond our control, including fire, flood, drought, pestilence, storm, vandalism, abuse, neglect, catastrophe, construction damage and soil alteration.
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| Q: |
How often do I run the system (how do I program it)?
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| A: |
Irrigation systems frequently (to our dismay) pump excessive water onto sensitive planting beds, oversaturate roots and create boggy soil. The result is damage. We'll help you figure it out. Think about it: is an irrigation technician who knows nothing about plants and soils qualified to tell you how much to water your plants?
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| Q: |
Do I need an irrigation system?
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| A: |
Few homeowners educate themselves about the what kind of system they should have and how they should use it. Installations differ dramatically in technology, quality and coverage (just like plant material). Beware: cheap systems malfunction easily and frequently. Is it wise to buy a system from the lowest bidder and trust his advice? We see many irrigation casualties so we suggest you consult us before you install a system. |
| Q: |
How large a planting area should I leave around my pool?
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| A: |
Be generous, then add 30% more area. No one ever complains they want less of a good thing. Leave enough room for at least 10-15’ planting bed between the paved pool area and the yard
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| Q: |
How do I determine what grows best and where?
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| A: |
Don't worry about it. As a professional design/build company this is our job. What kind of maintenance will my landscape require? Generalizations don’t work well here. No planting is maintenance-free. What passes for pruning is nowadays performed with electric shears, and the nutritional needs of plants are tended to by dumping harsh chemical fertilizers on them. If periodic maintenance is your concern be sure to raise this issue before your landscape is installed so you can understand what will be required from season to season. The rewards of water gardening & English perennial gardens greatly outweigh the periodic attention they need. "Intelligent landscapes" are designed not to need major maintenance and allow ample space for plants to mature. For jet-setters, nouveau suburbanites, the naive and the lazy, stonescapes work better than landscapes. |
| Q: |
Should I install the entire landscape at once?
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| A: |
It's more economical to do it all at once, but many choose to install their landscapes in phases over several seasons. Do what works best for you. |
| Q: |
How much should I budget for landscape installation?
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| A: |
Architects have determined that 10% of the cost of a new home should be devoted to plant/renovate the outdoor environment. This guideline does not include the cost of hardscape features such as terraces, pools, decks, etc. |
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| Q: |
Is it necessary to start with a landscape plan? |
| A: |
Yes. Would you build a house without a plan? Look around you. Observe how many landscapes in prestige neighborhoods have been installed with no thought as to planning. And they look it. |
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