Your yard is driving you crazy and you don’t know what to do about it. Does this sound familiar? It doesn’t matter if your yard is small, but needs lots of care, or large and takes hours to mow and edge, it is more than you want to deal with. Whether this is the cause of your problems with your yard, or something else is bothering you, you have options. It is pretty simple to take some time to select the right Annapolis Landscaping Service for you.

The first thing you need to do is determine what it is about your yard that you want to change. Do you want a whole new look, or are you looking for someone to take over the care and feeding of your yard? The size of your yard may make a difference in how you approach this problem.

If you have recently moved into a new home, the problem might be that you have no landscaping at all. In this situation, you might feel overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to plant and where to plant it. This is where a landscape designer can be helpful, by taking your ideas and creating a design for your yard that matches your lifestyle. On the other hand, your yard might look a bit ragged and in need of some updating. Again, this is where a designer can help you.

Once you have a plan for what the finished product should look like, the idea of doing that back breaking work may not appeal to you at all. In this case, a landscape company could be hired to do the actual installation of all the products, including grass, flowers, shrubs or trees, and anything else that is in your picture of the perfect yard. Before you plant anything, don’t forget to consider your watering requirements, and plan for an irrigation system, if necessary. Some landscape companies also have a construction division that can build patios or decks as part of your overall landscape design.

You may be really happy with the way your yard looks, but just don’t want the job of taking care of it any more. In this case, you should be looking for a landscaping company that provides yard maintenance services. There are varying levels of services offered, depending on your needs. Services can range from weekly care, including mowing, edging, blowing and anything else you need, to an occasional visit for pruning, fertilizing or putting down bark mulch. Whichever end of the spectrum of services you are on, there is a company out there that can meet your needs.

So, now that you have defined what type and level of services you require, it is time to start finding some companies that might be able to meet your needs. To help narrow the list of candidates, it can be very helpful to talk to people you know who use a landscape service. Ask your neighbors who they use, or check with your favorite clerk at the local garden center. Another option is to stop at homes that have especially nice looking yards and ask the owners which company they use. One of the best indicators of a company that could make you happy is to find work that you like that has been performed by that company.

Using all the creativity that you possess, you have now come up with a list of companies that might just do the trick for you. At this point you need to contact each one and ask if they perform the type of work that you are looking for and if they are accepting new clients. If the answer to both is yes, then you should ask them to come to your home to look at the site and to discuss the work you wish done. Based on their visit, they should then be able to provide you a bid for their services. It is recommended that you get the bid in writing so that there is no confusion by either party as to what the bid includes at what cost.

The final step in this process is to evaluate all the bids and select the right Annapolis Landscaping Service that meets your needs. To be able to accomplish this step you must first determine what criteria you will use to evaluate the companies and their bids. Are you looking for the cheapest bid? Is the reliability of the company important? What about their reputation? The key is to identify what is most important to you and use that to compare the bids. If you follow these simple steps and take the time to evaluate several companies, you should have little trouble in meeting your goals.

When it comes to finding the Annapolis lawn service that will give you the level of satisfaction you want, a little homework is needed.

Since Annapolis is a subtropical climate, it has special needs that might not be met by generic national chains or franchises. These generally are limited to specific service models. At the other end of the spectrum, the kids next door might be fine if all you want is a cut and trim. But most of us land somewhere in the middle.

When preparing to approach a company for yard work, you need to have the details that are important to you clearly stated.

Will the weeds in the flowerbeds be the most important point? Does moss constitute one of your pet peeves? Or are you searching for a service that will handle landscaping and construction as well as weekly maintenance?

How flexible do you want your service to be? Will you want a weekly rotation or something less or more frequent. Many services require weekly scheduling. Some chains may have bi-weekly plans or a local service might be willing to work with your scheduling needs.

Licensing is generally not required for lawn care but if you are looking for design and landscaping then a certified landscape architect may be a good choice. Check any business no matter how large or small with the Better Business Bureau at the very least. Ask for references if what you are planning is anything more than very basic.

If pruning hedges or shaping trees is part of your plan, then a licensed or certified arborist needs to be part of the mix. Again, the subtropical nature of the Annapolis climate means that your lawn service provider should be aware of the special needs that moss, fungus and bacteria pose in such a climate.

Once the services have been clarified you may want to see if consulting is part of offering provided. Getting the answers to questions can be reassuring especially if you are a beginner. If you have a firm that is knowledgeable about chemicals and fertilizers, it will assist you in making your choice of products as well as apply them as part of their service.

If you have pets or children that will be playing in the yard or on grass, it is important to know what the service is using for pesticides, herbicides or nutrients. Have them provide information from the labels so that you can double check the safety of the products. This is one area you do not want to leave to chance. The smaller and younger the child or pet, the more important this becomes.

As a final requirement for what to look for in your search, a bonded and insured company is one that has some form of recourse for you if there is a problem.

So there you have it. Look for customer service, flexibility if you need it, quality and good references, and check the BBB and the insurance and bond coverage. You are well on your way to finding an Annapolis lawn service.

Do not go to the local phone book to find the Annapolis lawn service that is right for you. It would take a week of phone calls and you would still be wondering which one was which.

You would be sorting out the franchises from the national chains, the locals from the transients and the well established from the new kids on the block. No, there is a better way.

Make a list of the reasons you want a lawn service. Are you just tired of mowing and trimming? Almost anyone will do if that is all you need and you might limit your search to dollars and cents.

If you have more in mind when you turn over the keys to the lawnmower, you need to be specific. Will you have the flowerbeds weeded too? Does the sprinkler system require periodic maintenance that you require the service to handle?

If you care about chemicals and pesticides then you need to ask very clear questions about what a service might be using. Follow up the list they give you with some research. Organic has some very flexible definitions these days.

Once you have the basic scope of work that you want handled, take a long walk or drive to see if any yard particularly impresses you. This is especially important if you are considering services that include designing garden features or redesigning your current yard. But even if your only interest is in the trim and mowing parts of a service there are levels of quality that you may not be aware of.

Would you like your yard mowed in a pattern or design? If you want the cut to look like Pebble Beach during the US Open then the kids next door may not be the best choice. Again, just knowing what is out there makes the final decision easier.

If you are asking a service rather than a student to do the work there are some basics you cannot ignore. Anyone must be insured and bonded. Always check online with the Better Business Bureau. At minimum, search for any complaints that might be listed. In addition you could ask for a list of references. This is more important if design or construction of lawn or garden features is part of your plan. With that list in hand, you can call or perhaps drive by some locations to see what the results look like.

Once you have decided on one or two companies be sure that written estimates are prepared and that they clearly cover everything you want. You should not find out that weeding is absolutely not covered when the chickweed takes over the rose garden. Compare your chosen few and finalize the arrangements.

Not all services will allow for breaks in service or are willing to come every other week. Some require a minimum number of months and will discount for long term agreements. Just do your homework and you can leave the yard work to the perfect Annapolis lawn service.