Must-Ask Questions for Your Landscape Project – Part 1
Every year when the Philadelphia Flower Show is ready to open, the phones in landscape offices begin to ring. The Flower Show inspires everyone in the Delaware Valley to start thinking about their landscapes. If you need work from a Landscape Service Professional, what are the important questions to ask? How do you know you are getting the best value?
There are two different categories for this: Property Management and Installation Services. We’ll divide this blog into two parts corresponding to these. We’ll begin with Property Management.
A full-service company usually, but not always, provides Property Management Service. What does this mean? It means, for the busy home-owner, that all the outdoor care is managed by one company. Once place to call to schedule services or report concerns.
The first question would be, “What services are offered?” Some companies do not offer mowing services, others do not offer plant health care services like fertilizers applications for improving plant growth and to help combat or prevent pests or diseases.
The next question: “How do your crews work?” Crews have different areas of expertise as well as specific equipment that helps to keep things efficient. At Darlington Designs, we have specific teams designated for mowing, another for detail pruning to help ensure timing needs are met for specific plants. We have a team that is dedicated to annual spring clean-ups, planting seasonal color, and at the end of the season, this crew installs our holiday lighting.
“What things do I have a choice to do?” Some companies offer certain types of packages, other companies have a more all-inclusive type of property management service arrangement. We have found that our Landscape Program combined with the Mowing/Weeding Service, our Plant Health Care and our Turf Health Care are our most popular choices. And we do offer more.
“Do you help with other aspects of property management?” This is an important question. Gutter and drain cleaning should be done at least once annually to ensure rain flows away from the home properly to help prevent leaks. Other property care items include cleaning and sealing paver patios and walkways, leaf removals in the fall, power washing and window cleaning.
Coming next…Part 2: Must-Ask Questions for your Landscape Project for Installations