Garden maintenance can be an overwhelming task, especially when you are not a fine gardener and do not have help.
We all know how it goes. You made a big investment in your brand new landscape and it looks great…for now! Before you know it, your weekends are filled with beach days, pool parties and soccer games and the annuals you planted in the spring are being choked out in a sea of weeds.
At this point, your landscape is a source of stress and embarrassment instead of the peaceful haven you envisioned. Landscape maintenance is an ongoing chore especially if you have a large and/or complex gardenscape.
So when do you need to consider hiring a specialized garden management company to help you care for your gardens? If answering the following questions is a challenge, that may be a good sign to give us a call and chat with our garden management team.
Questions to ask yourself…
Do I have a vision for my landscape I would like to achieve?
Achieving a specific look in a garden requires care and time to create and maintain. Keeping it looking neat and orderly just like it did when it was installed, is a full-time commitment to gardening. Specific garden styles can be even more of a challenge to maintain.
A typical English garden looks lovely and vibrant when first installed, but if not cared for properly, it can become an overwhelming mess of plant material. If you are looking for your garden to have four seasons of colour, attract pollinators or have specialty planting you will need someone with a deep knowledge of plant material.
Most companies can handle the standard maintenance tasks of weeding, mowing and trimming but do they consider your vision? A company with staff that specializes in plant material will help protect the investment you have put into your garden and offer suggestions to continually improve it.
If you are struggling with a vision for your garden, a specialized garden management company can help you understand what you want and help you bring those ideas to life.
Do I understand all the aspects of garden care?
Often, one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the look you desire is improper care. Whether you know about certain aspects of gardening or whether you are a garden novice, it takes a certain expertise to execute these tasks properly. This expertise comes with years of experience caring for plant material and education on the right techniques.
Consider the following tasks and whether you or your maintenance company are accomplishing your goals:
- Identification of all plant and tree species
- Separate and specific care for annuals vs. perennials
- Identifying what needs to be deadheaded or cut back
- Differential care of woody shrubs vs. small trees
- Acknowledging the importance of mulch and selecting the right kind
- Understanding specialty pruning requirements and how flowering time effects pruning methods
- Dividing and transplanting based on specific plant requirements
If these are tasks that you don’t care about or have the knowledge to accomplish yourself, a specialized gardening company may not be the right fit for you. However, if you are concerned and excited about any of these tasks, a specialized garden management company will be able to take care of all your needs.
What is the future plan for my garden?
As gardens age, they can require some editing and adjustment as the landscape continually changes or out-grows your tastes and lifestyle. Whether you just moved into a home or you have been there a while, planning for the future of your landscape can help ensure it looks great even as it ages.
A landscape gardener can help you at any age or phase of your landscape. A good gardening company will help you create a plan identifying what needs to be replaced to get that WOW factor back or when the garden needs specialized care to bring it back to full health.
This knowledge saves both time and money as a lack of knowledge can cause people to remove material that may not need to be removed. Do you know what you need to do this year to make your gardens look great in 5 years? If not, it might be time to start thinking about a garden management company that can help you with these needs.
What value do I place on my landscape?
Whether you answered yes to one or all of these questions, choosing to hire a specialized garden management company means you decided that you highly value the look and feel of your space. Landscape maintenance is not just about the aesthetics of your property but also heavily influences how you, your family and your friends experience the space.
With carefully curated blooms creating beautiful backdrops and outdoor living spaces that are clean to the tiniest corner, you can truly enjoy your landscape. You’ve invested time and expertise into your garden, you’ve grown with it and if you take the time care for it, your garden will continue to provide the appeal it had on day one.
So can you look after your garden by yourself? If you have answered all these questions and have confidence you can achieve the results you are looking for, then yes. However, if these questions have got you thinking that you may need some extra help, give us a call.
