How To Landscape On A Budget With A Landscape Contractor

How To Landscape On A Budget With A Landscape Contractor

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It really doesn't matter if you are extremely wealthy or middle class. When you have a landscape contractor install your landscaping, a budget must be considered. We all have our dream list of things we desire and feel we need in our landscape, but can we afford them? Landscaping can be expensive, especially if you are considering adding any hardscape elements. Hardscapes include retaining walls, flagstone or paver patios, seat walls, water features, brick work, boulders or simply put, anything hard and permanent.

Hardscaping can cost many dollars a square foot. So, the landscape budget is a must.
Much of the time, my clients want the whole dream list, but when they get the estimate, they are quite discouraged. I try to ask for a budget, but usually they hesitate.They don't realize landscaping costs that much and they don't have any idea of what they are getting into.. I've done many estimates for my clients in which landscape designers, have designed the landscape. Many landscape designers neglect the budget process with their clients. The plans were exceptional. Paver patios, walls, and water features, beautiful plantings and the list goes on and on. The budget however wasn't ever considered. The design, the bidding process was a waste of time. The potential client just couldn't afford the package as designed. If only a budget was considered from the beginning, the design could of been scaled down, to a landscape they could afford and attain.

Don't be afraid to talk budget with your designer or landscaper. Once you develop a good relationship with them, please talk about what you can afford as well as what you want. The shock will go out from the estimating process.


The landscape budget process also makes the estimating easier for all. Howver you nust make sure all bids are apples to apples. Make sure quanities and sizes for each landscape proposal are the same. If one landscape contractor is installing a 200′ sq. foot patio and the other a 180 sq. foot patio there may be a difference of $300.00 in costs. Keep it apples to apples. The quanities and sizes should compare all through the landscape estimate. A smaller lawn is less money. Less soil mix is less money. Smaller sizes in plant material means less money. However, as you lmay of noticed each bid item is getting less product. It is up to you the homeowner to make sure you are in fact getting the best price, product and service.

Woody's Custom Landscaping, Inc. has been serving the Pacific Northwest with exceptional landscape services for over twenty years, we are here to help our clients realize your landscape dreams.

Landscape Architect and Garden Designs, Princeton NJ

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/how-to-landscape-on-a-budget-with-a-landscape-contractor-5415298.html

Fall Yard Cleanup

Fall Yard Cleanup

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Fall cleanup can be a sad time for many gardeners. Why? It marks an end to the growing season and all the spectacular bursts of color they've enjoyed since that first sprig of green peeked into their gardens last spring. Yet for other gardeners though, fall cleanup signals a time of preparation and anticipation. That's right. Garden preparation in anticipation of the growing season to come NEXT year!

Fall is the time to cut back, almost to the ground, most of your perennials. Do remember to leave some of those tall ornamental grass stalks or maybe some of that sedum 'Autum Joy' standing though to give your garden a little winter appeal.

Think back. Remember how some of those flowers and plants seemed out of place or didn't look quite right where you planted them. And what about your garden items that were just plain unproductive this year? Fall is the time to move or remove those particular flowers and plants in preparation for next spring.

As most of your flowers and plants are dying back and will soon become decaying matter themselves, now is the time to supplement your garden with some good organic nourishment in preparation for the growing season next year. Fall is a good time to treat your garden to a nice 1-2" layer of compost all over it. Next spring your flowers and plants will surely thank you for it! Have you been thinking of adding a new bed to your garden area? Fall is the perfect time to set up an easy in-ground bed that will be ready for you to fill with flowers and plants next spring.

Also, remember those garden workhorses ... your tools. Fall garden cleanup includes caring for those handy helpers that assist you with your gardening chores all season long. Give them a little extra attention before putting them to rest until next year. Wipe off any residual soil or dirt, sharpen any items that have become dull with use, and oil or lube any that may need it. Hang them up or put them in a dry place so they'll be easy to find when you need them next year.

Now grab those gardening catalogs from off the shelf where you set them after the planting was all done this year. There are so many gorgeous blooms out there just waiting to be chosen to be planted next season by some gardener. Use this gardening "down time" that's available in the fall and winter to decide which beautiful flowers and plants will be among those you plant in your garden areas next spring.

If you keep these things in mind, rather than being one of those gardeners who is sad that another growing season has ended, you'll be one of the gardeners who make fall garden cleanup a time of anticipation. Use this time to prepare for those spectacular areas of bloom that await you in the coming spring!

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