As a landscaper and consultant, people often come to me with numerous questions about their garden problems and what they can do to solve them.
Since I tend to be a people person, I usually take some time to try to answer your questions on the spot, but more often than not it’s best that I visit your home and see for myself what the underlying issues really are. are.
I often hear about the hard work they put into gardening, and the problems that seem to add up each year, and how discouraged they are to see their lawn develop areas that darken, or how their rhododendrons suffer so much that they die during the winter , or When should you cut back your deciduous shrubs because they are growing at a rapid rate and becoming unsightly?
These are questions that have numerous causes for why they develop in the first place, and are often difficult to answer in a few minutes of time in a grocery store parking lot.
I usually suggest an on-site consultation so I can see for myself the circumstances they are facing and come to some conclusion as to what the problem is, why it happened in the first place, and how they can remedy the situation themselves. .
This is where my story begins.
Countless times, I find that people are intrigued by free information and think that gardening and planting should be easy to accomplish. But it’s not that simple. It involves a lot of hard work and a lot of research in planning and executing the end results.
I try to convince people that a quick consultation will save them time, effort and money in the long run, however, when it comes to talking about money, suddenly the garden is not such a great project after all.
I shake my head in amazement at how they can be so concerned about their gardens and property, but when there is a price tag attached to the information, they become apprehensive and avoid making any kind of commitment to solving their problems.
So, they continue on their way and who knows what will happen.
At that time, I have given them about half an hour of free time and leave without any compensation for my experience and knowledge as a horticulturist.
What do people think when they walk up to an expert and start overwhelming them with questions, then walk away free as a bird without offering any compensation for the time I’ve spent with them? Don’t people understand that as an expert in my field, this is my life’s work and what I depend on for my income?
Folks, landscaping is a science, an art form, and a tangible end product that results from experience and sensitivity to the special surroundings of your particular home.
Every homeowner has different issues that can pose future problems if not addressed properly. Every form of land and property changes from one yard to the next. It’s not a wise decision to make, that any plant will do, or I can grow what I want and hope it grows. not so…
You must make proper decisions about what will grow in your garden. Are there any soil formations that could cause drainage problems and cause my birch to die unless I rectify the problem?
These are questions that can be answered and should be answered by an expert, one who knows for sure if your garden will accommodate plantings and design.
I talk to people all the time about consulting a professional, either myself or someone else in the field, who can solve problems before they happen.
When considering spending a large amount of money, anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to a much larger amount of money on your garden, does a couple of hundred dollars for a design and consultation seem that outrageous to make sure the job is done right? planned and planted correctly to begin with?
Think of it like an insurance policy that, unlike most policies, ends at the end of the year and you’ve spent hundreds of dollars just to make sure your home or life is protected.
This is an insurance policy that comes with expert advice and an ongoing relationship with an expert who can and will sacrifice time to answer your questions, simply because you made a wise decision to hire them in the first place.
That said, you now have a landscape you can be proud of and it will grow proportionately over the years. In 3 to 5 years you won’t be pulling your hair out because your caretaker planted a 40-foot tree of life in front of your bay window.
I urge you, as a professional and someone who cares about your home landscape, to consider consulting a professional consultant before hiring or deciding to have someone plant your garden for you.
