Wednesday 22 April 2009

How to choose a Landscape Gardener


Faced with hiring a landscape gardener, many people don’t know where to turn. There are many to choose from, and lots of them claim to be ‘garden experts’. But how can you be sure you are choosing the right company?

I’ve put together some advice on choosing a good quality landscape gardener that won’t let you down or charge you too much and will go the extra mile to help make your new garden the only place you’ll want to be.

Ask them:

What services to do you offer?
Some landscape gardeners cover a variety of services including turf laying, fencing, decking, patio laying and planting. Others however only specialise in one area. If you are looking for an all-round garden landscaper then you must quiz your prospective provider as to what they can actually do – properly and professionally.

Can I see and check testimonials from past customers?
If you have not been recommended to this garden landscaper by someone you know has been satisfied with their service, then ask them for testimonials that you can verify. There is no substitute for hearing from other satisfied customers that this garden landscaping company can be trusted to do a good job, on time and for a reasonable price.

Can I see photographs of previous work?
Ask for photographs or even video coverage of recent garden landscaping jobs so that you can check the quality of the work.

Do you provide written, no-obligation quotations?
Make sure the garden landscaper puts their quote in writing on official headed paper showing a postal address and full contact details. Verify these details and look the company up by searching for them on the internet. Listings in directories and a strong presence stand for a lot.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions, any garden landscaper worth their salt will answer them without hesitation. Whatever you do, take your time and ask around for recommendations. All of this will ensure your garden project runs to schedule, is not overpriced and the resulting garden is something to cherish.

Free Advice on How to Lay Turf


It strikes me that if my garden centre customers want to lay their own turf, then it is up to us as experts to help them do it properly so that they get the best out of their lawn, recommend us as quality turf suppliers in Essex, come back to us to buy other garden and fencing products in the future and feel that they have been given value for money.

I’ve put two free turf laying guides together:

A Guide to Preparing & Laying Turf
A Guide to Choosing and Preparing to Lay Turf

I have also posted a video on You Tube showing how Graham and I laid a lawn in Essex:

Free Guide: How to Lay Turf



Anyone embarking on laying their own turf will really benefit from some expert advice. Choosing the right turf, preparing the topsoil properly and laying the turf in a certain way are vital. My customers in Essex laying their own turf are also welcome to my personal advice which will be offered when they call in to our Upminster shop in Sunnyside Gardens, Upminster, Essex.