If you’re not one of those green-fingered types who loves mowing their own lawn, you have probably considered a lawn-care service. The best way to find a reputable service is to ask your neighbors for a recommendation. The proof is in the pudding as the saying goes so if the folks in your neighbourhood have had a positive experience with a firm, that’s usually enough to justify the price. That being said, you may have been tempted by low-prices in advertisements or an offer too good to be true.

Here are the 3 most outrageous lawn-care scams to look out for!

#1: Charges To Bag Grass Clippings

Unless there is a specific reason why you want grass trimmings removed from your lawn and you request this service, this is the most common way that homeowners are overcharged. These days, it is in fact accepted, standard practice to let cutting lay on the lawn. The correct term for this technique is called ‘grass-cycling’ which is a play on the word ‘recycling’, but it’s no gimmick. Grass cuttings actually help prevent weeds in spring and reduce and slow evaporation (promoting water conservation) during the summer months. Grass-cycling is an important part of moving towards an organic, low-maintenance lawn as it provides important organic material for your soil throughout the year. If you are being charged for having these cuttings bagged and removed without having ordered it, not only are you wasting your money and affecting the health of your lawn, the lawn care firm is essentially getting extra money for free.

#2: Unnecessary Treatments

You should always be aware that lawn companies might be offering you unnecessary treatments that your lawn doesn’t really need. This scam works with a wide variety of lawn-care treatments from aeration to fertilizing. Let’s take the example of aeration where lawn firms use a special machine to dig out hundred of ‘plugs’ of soil from your garden. This is a valuable and essential part of keeping a beautiful lawn but for most homeowners, once a year in the Fall is all the garden needs. If you are being offered this service more than twice per year, there’s a strong chance that it’s unnecessary. Put it this way; a golf course putting green with thousands of players walking across it will only need, at most, two aerations per year in the Spring and Fall. Think twice before accepting a deluge of treatments and ask a knowledgeable friend or garden center expert for their opinion.

#3: The No-Service-Service

This is probably the most common landscaping scam and yet also the hardest to avoid. Unless your lawn starts turning brown and wilting, you probably trust that your lawn-care firm is actually doing what they bill you for. This scam is where the technician bills you for things they never did and usually relies on you being out of your home when they visit. You can try to protect yourself by requesting a detailed bill of all the work carried out but the only sure-fire way to catch rogue lawn-care firms in the act of doing nothing is to monitor your garden with CCTV or stay at home and pretend to be out when they visit.

For ethical lawn-care service you can trust, contact us.  We provide landscaping in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and the Vancouver area.

Families have different reasons for landscaping; while some do it just for personal pleasures, others are wishing to demand an attractive amount of money from the prospective buyers. Whatever reason, the fact remains that landscaping adds to both value and elegance of your home and truly everyone will admire it. It is a fact that a well landscaped home can sell five times faster than other homes.

Below are some great tips on how to get started with landscaping your yard:

Planning the layout

You cannot go out there and start planting just anything. Ideally, you can take help from a neighbor or simply call us; we will help you out in your plan. Since you are looking for a professional touch, our advice will get you there because we have a team of experts with all the necessary skills. But if you are blessed and have some landscaping ideas, then you will need to sit down and make a plan on a piece of paper.

Setting the borders and garden beds

Before you plant the shrubs and saplings, it is prudent to set up your garden borders well and some rounded stones or old bricks can help you do that. It would also be a good idea to use large sized conches or shells as your garden beds borders, if your home happens to be close to the beach. We can use stones from your garden to make artificial waterfalls as well as adding some gravel to your garden paths. And we can accessorize it with garden lights to give your home an amazing selling point. Another good idea would be to add a white washed fence around the garden

Buying shrubs and trees

It is important to consider the climatic condition in your region when it comes to obtaining plants. You would not want desert plants for a home that is set in evergreen regions. We will help you get plants that will do well in your region. Sometimes, you might want to shell a significant amount of money since buying grown trees and some rare seasonal plants can be costly, but in return, the expense will gain more than double. You can go for smaller plants if you are on budget and the plants are going to do well because in due course, they will grow into giant trees in your yard. You might want to be a little smart by including plants bloom in certain seasons like winters and summers and along with them, add seasonal bloomers and varieties of roses. Questions about planting? Ask us!

Setting up the landscape

The front yard should be set up in a way that it is visually appealing to you, visitors or even prospective buyers. You can have the tallest trees and plants standing in the rear, while the shorter ones towards the center. Flowering shrubs can also ensure that every corner and nook of the garden looks great and colorful.

Maintenance

You need to keep the garden weed-free and clean all the time. Have the water sprinkler set up to water your plants. Also, ensure that the yard is mowed regularly and trees are cut in round or even conical shapes.

Don't feel like taking on all this work yourself?  We are just a phone call away!  Contact us for landscaping and gardening services in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and the Vancouver area.

Creating an appealing atmosphere in the home goes beyond installing a well functioning air conditioning system. The outside environment must be considered as well. The process of improving the aesthetic side of your compound should involve hiring residential landscaping contractors to help you beautify the outside environment. In order to get service worth your cash, you ought to choose a team of service providers who are highly experienced in this field.

You need to weigh out different issues before picking a contractor to take over the job. The first consideration is the type of service you long for. Landscaping can be expensive depending on the scale on which it is to be done. In order o save money, you have to plan well and design a budget that you feel is good enough to run the project. This amount will act as a guideline in searching for an affordable contractor who will meet your needs. You can always seek quotation from different contractors in order to end up with one who you are comfortable with.

The internet is a rich source of information concerning landscaping experts. One way of evaluating services of a landscaping contractor is by reading reviews. This way, you will get information on quality of services offered by every contractor. You will then be enlightened when it comes to picking an expert in landscaping. There is no any other better way of evaluating a landscaping contractor than trying to find more about his work. This you can do this after narrowing down to a considerable number.

A contractor who has been in the business for a long time will have several projects to point out to you. You can visit such sites and see for yourself if their work pleases you. Visiting a site where there is work in progress is another brilliant idea. You will be able to evaluate the degree of professionalism in their work when you find them on the site. Even their equipment will be there for you to see. Before hiring a contractor though, you have to find out whether they are certified by relevant authority to offer such services.

Companies usually have different landscape maintenance services to offer after the work is complete. You need to confirm from your contractors whether they provide any maintenance services after the work shall have been completed. Remember maintenance is necessary in order to safeguard your property. A good company will offer you maintenance services. Such services may include fertilizer application, mowing, pest control amongst other services. If possible, it is wise to retain the same contractors to do this kind of work.

Remember to find out how long your contractors guarantee their work. You should be able to go through their policies in order to avoid any problems in the future. At the same time, your contractor ought to let you know the duration within which they should complete the job so that you plan well. There are definitely numerous contractors. These are just some basic guidelines on how to pick a reliable one. Make a wise decision in order to have superior services delivered to you.

Contact us if you are looking for a landscaper contractor today!  Request a FREE quote online now!

When you’re hiring landscape contractors in Vancouver to take care of your lawn, you’d typically only consider the immediate benefits of this – you won’t have to spend so much time weeding and trimming the garden, mowing the lawn and replanting the different flowers growing around. All in all, it’s a great way to save time while also improving the overall aesthetics of your lawn. And while that’s all nice, it’s also important to remember that there’s a lot you can gain from hiring the right landscape contractors in Vancouver, and not just in the short term.

If you’ve hired your landscaper on a long-term contract, it’s a good idea to keep their schedule in mind in order to avoid clashing with any events you’re organizing at your home, and for example to achieve the situation where you get back from work after a busy Friday and you’re presented by your freshly trimmed lawn, always a pleasant sight to take off some stress after the day. You can also ensure that the visits of your landscape contractors in Vancouver coincide with the times you’re at home, on the other hand – that way you’ll be able to pick up a few of their techniques by just sticking around and watching them do their jobs. Don’t be afraid to ask what they’re doing, that’s the best way to learn quickly!

The services of most landscape contractors in Vancouver extend beyond what the majority of people hire them for – even when someone can benefit from taking on an experienced landscaper for a few extra tasks. For example, the fertilization of your plants is an important aspect of taking care for them, and some people surprisingly choose to do that on their own instead of including it in the duties of their landscape contractors.

In addition, there’s much more to your garden’s maintenance than simple weeding and trimming – sometimes the plants need to be cultivated properly, and it’s important to hire someone experienced in the field if you’re not sure how to handle that by yourself.

It’s important to hire landscape contractors in Vancouver who know how to take care of their worksite properly and clean up after themselves – there’s hardly anything more annoying than coming home to a freshly-trimmed garden – a pleasing sight – only to also find a bunch of opened fertilizer bags, tools and other items that the landscapers have used but forgotten to pick up and return them at their appropriate spots.

In that line of thought, it’s also a good idea to use your landscape contractors to help you with the major cleanups that usually become a necessity when a new season rolls around – with the plants entering another cycle of their development, they tend to shed parts of their bodies and there’s usually a lot that needs to be cleaned up from your garden on a weekly basis. During that time, it can be extremely valuable to know you’re working with one of the better landscape contractors in Vancouver and know that they’re handling all that.

If you are looking for landscaping Vancouver then you are in the right place! CLICK HERE to contact Terra Firma Lawn & Garden Services.

There are plenty of ideas to landscape your garden when the space is open and unrestricted. The trouble generally arises when the gardens are not very big. There is not much help you would be able to gather for your small little garden. But by keeping a few minor tips in mind you could successfully transform your garden into a masterpiece.

If you wish to plant flowers or other plants but are worried that the children might just step on all your flower beds because the garden is not very big, you could go in for raised flower beds. Since fencing is not a solution you could opt for, make sure that you raise your flower beds appropriately.

You could also put to use the very creative colour theory to enhance the look of your garden. Yes, no matter how weird it may sound but a major part of the success of landscaping depends upon how well you play with colours. In fact the colours could influence your state of mind as well. This is the reason that when people wish to make relaxing corners in their yards for meditation, they rely heavily on the use of colours. Also, if this knowledge of colours is implemented well, not only will your garden seem very attractive, but will also look bigger. By creative play of colours, you could create attractive corners that grab the onlooker’s attention immediately.

The use of orange, red and yellow is known to excite the viewer and these colours are generally called the warm colours. When it comes to blue, purple and green, they help you to unwind and relax. These are generally referred to as the cool colours of the spectrum. Thus, if you wish to create a space for meditation, selecting purple or blue flowers would be an ideal choice. Red would not be recommended if your garden is a small one because red gives an impression of closed spaces and the spaces seem to come closer when the boundaries are painted in red. But this effect of colour could be utilised in case you wish to create some focal point.

This colour has a natural attention grabbing property. Another trip could be to make use of effective contrast so that all the colours stand out uniquely. In this case, yellow and purple could be used in close proximity. If you do not wish to create such sharp contrasts, you could make use of some transition colours in mediation.

Rest, not only the colour needs to be considered, but a lot also depends upon what is the plant that you are growing exactly. The kind of flowers and plants you select and the foliage you desire would shape the garden accordingly. Also, make sure that you have separate plantation plans specific to the different seasons so that your garden is an attractive spot the entire year around. So play with colours, plants, and creativity to make the best out of your space.

Looking for landscape contractors in Vancouver? Call Terra Firma Lawn and Garden Services.

There are a number of ways to find the best lawn care Vancouver can offer and it will be entirely up to you to find these services in your area at an overall cost that is within your budget. Those who cannot afford to spend a lot of money on landscaping services should make sure that they look around and take all the time they need to see which companies in the area can help them out with what they need. In the end you will be happy that you took the time to do this research.

After enough time spent looking around for lawn care professionals in this area, you will eventually be able to find what you are looking for. Keep in mind that even though it may take a little while before you can find a qualified company to do this type of work for you, it is very possible. The internet will be able to help you out when you are trying to find qualified individuals to beautify the area surrounding your home. Whether you just want some flowers planted or maybe have a bigger project in mind, you will need skilled and experienced people doing this work for you.

The internet is a great way to go about finding the best landscapers Vancouver has to offer, so you will need to use it to your advantage in order to find a local business that can help you out with what you need. Keep in mind that you are going to have quite a few options, so it might take a while to finally settle on a specific company that can do this work for you. Whether you want a new pond put in your backyard or just some flowers planted, you will want to find a landscaper you can trust.

There are going to be all kinds of choices in the Vancouver area when it comes to these services, which is precisely why you will not want to waste any time at all looking for one. A lot of people make the mistake of hiring one of the first landscapers they find, though you will want to make sure to avoid doing this. Make sure that the landscaper you choose has a good overall reputation, because you will need to be able to trust them with whatever kind of work you need done. You should also get quotes from each of the companies you look at before hiring one in particular.

The fastest and most efficient way to find the best landscaping Vancouver can offer is to take the time to do some browsing and see which local businesses will be able to help you out with what you need, whatever that may be. It will be extremely important to make sure that you take the time to look around and see what your options are, just so you will be able to get a sense as to which landscaping company might be the very best to hire for the work you need done on the area surrounding your home.

There are going to be a lot of choices when it comes to these landscaping companies, so make sure that you take the time to carefully go over your options until you find one that appeals to you personally. You should also make sure to look for landscaping companies that come with numerous referrals which you will be able to check out personally. By taking the time to find landscaping companies like this, you will be able to choose one that will be up to your standards; doing this will also help you to save money on the landscaping services you need.

Those who want to find the best landscaping Surrey can offer should take the time to go online and see what the internet has to offer with regards to information on various companies in this area that can help with these services. If you are looking for a good reliable company to help you with getting what you need as soon as possible. There are going to be a lot of places for you to get landscaping services from, but you will not want to choose just any of them.

In order to get what you need to make the area around your house look nice without having to spend too much money in the process, you will need to see which companies in the Surrey area are available for these services before you make a final decision on one of them. Keep in mind that because you are going to have all of these options, the best thing you can do is to be patient and take enough time to look around before making up your mind as to which landscaping business you want to hire. There are a lot of landscaping companies available for this kind of work but you will need to choose the very best one.

You will be able to find the very best landscaping Vancouver BC can offer, but only if you are first willing to go online and do some research. Because you are going to have so many different options, it would be a good idea to make certain that you know exactly which company you want to hire. In order to get the right landscaping company to work for you, it will be necessary to carefully go through your options and see what some of them are so you will be able to get what you need.

Before you hire a certain person or company to take care of your landscaping needs, you should make certain that you take all the steps necessary to find one that you can trust. Since you obviously do not want to simply waste your money, it will be necessary for you to do everything you can to get the right people to work for you. Part of selecting the right landscaping company is browsing around online. By doing this you will end up saving a lot of time and money. The longer you take to look for a good landscaping company in Vancouver, the better quality work you will get done.