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Prior to starting a new landscape project, there are many factors to consider in order to assure that you get the final product you desire, in the required time frame and budget, and as efficiently as possible.
What’s Your Goal?
The first thing to think about is, “What do I want to accomplish?” Many people re-landscape their homes or businesses due to construction or for simply updating or upgrading their existing landscape.
Others are trying to create a more useable space or entertainment area.
Your answer to that question will determine how you move forward in the rest of your project.
What’s Your Budget?
Secondly, you should set a budget for the new project. Setting a budget will allow your professional landscape company to maximize the amount of materials i.e. plants, landscape lights, or pavers you may purchase.
After setting a budget, ask your landscape provider to create a design for you to preview to ensure your needs and desires are being met. Sometimes they may also be able to create a 3D rendering, or an overlay of your existing landscape, to help you better visualize the finished product.
Also consult with your landscape contractor during the design process with any desires relating to sizes, shapes and colors you are looking for, so they can be worked into the design.
What’s Your Time Frame?
Another factor to consider is the time of year this project is going to happen. If you have an event planned or future visitors, it’s a good idea to communicate this information to your contractor so they may properly schedule the work to complete the project in a timely manner.
Time of year affects the types of plants that may be planted. For example, tropical plants being planted in the fall may be at risk to frost damage in the winter due to not being established in the landscape long enough to give them a better chance of survival.
Re-sodding your Florida panhandle lawn is best done in the winter as most turf grasses are dormant and less susceptible to stresses like heat or drought. This is not to say you can’t lay sod in the summer, just that extra care should be taken to prevent the turf from getting stressed. The only drawback to re-sodding during the winter months is the turf is dormant and typically yellow in color, preventing you from getting that instant new green lawn.
How Big Will You Go?
Lastly you should consider the size of the project you want to undertake. Larger projects will take longer to complete, but give you the opportunity to start over with fresh landscape and can potentially save you a little bit of money due to your landscaper already being there and working , thus saving time and labor of coming back and starting a new area at a later date. Smaller projects are significantly cheaper in the beginning but can cost more in the long run as multiple trips back out to you may cause the labor cost to increase. So in summation, when you start a project on your landscape make sure your landscape contractor is able to handle all aspects of the job so you don’t have to hire multiple contractors, know what it is you want to accomplish, do some research, know what you want to spend, get a design to verify your vision, and decide how big or small you want to go.
Need Professional Guidance?
GreenEarth Landscape services has experienced project managers and crews that can assist you with your new landscape. Please contact us today for help planning your new landscape.
Call our Panama City Beach office at (850) 236-1959 or our Santa Rosa Beach office at (850) 267-0010. Or fill out our simple web form to have a GreenEarth landscape professional call you!