Landscaping 101 for someone totally uneducated on the topic? (Phoenix: HOA, house)

[thedreamteam]

Hi all,

we currently live in canada and will be taking possession on a new build very shortly.

can someone please recommend the name of an economical landscaper? or refer us to a place where we can find one ourselves?

also, any truth that desert landscape is the way to go for part time residents??

where can i find some cheap rock or shale?

anything else for us to consider in keeping our costs down?


thanks in advance.

[d2snow]

It will really depend on what area you will be living in. There are many, many landscape companies in the Valley - some more reliable than others (ie, english speaking staff, licensed, bonded, insured).

Have no fear - as soon as you move you will be littered with flyers from lots of landscape companies. I would suggest asking some of your future neighbors for recommendations. Make sure you have a cohesive plan ahead of time, which a reputable company can draw up for you with price estimates.

Desert landscape is probably the best option if you're going to be gone for long periods of time. Bear in mind, though, that during the summer trees and plants will still need to be watered (preferably via a drip irrigation system).

Good luck!

[piratepilot]

I would recommend going to servicemagic.com and having 3-4 different landscape companies bid on your project. Make sure you get an itemized bid so you can compare "apples to apples." Tell each company you are getting three bids, and ask each company about their warantee for plants and drip system if applicable. When it comes time to pay only pay half up front and then pay the remainder when the project is 100% complete. If you want some very inexpensive solutions send me a Direct Message. Depending on what your budget is I can also recommend a really good guy if you would like, he is very good but probably not your cheapest.

Good Luck!

[thedreamteam]

Originally Posted by d2snow

It will really depend on what area you will be living in. There are many, many landscape companies in the Valley - some more reliable than others (ie, english speaking staff, licensed, bonded, insured).

Have no fear - as soon as you move you will be littered with flyers from lots of landscape companies. I would suggest asking some of your future neighbors for recommendations. Make sure you have a cohesive plan ahead of time, which a reputable company can draw up for you with price estimates.

Desert landscape is probably the best option if you're going to be gone for long periods of time. Bear in mind, though, that during the summer trees and plants will still need to be watered (preferably via a drip irrigation system).

Good luck!

stupid question.. if we go with cactus and/or palm trees do these require regular watering? or is rainfall enough? sorry i'm from canada we don't have either of those 2 species.

[wit-nit]

Cactus require little or no watering. Palm trees need to be watered regularly, especially the hot summer months. Some species of palms, when very very mature, will require less frequent watering.

AS mentioned above, get some estimates from licensed landscape contractors. Tell them your needs, your situation, and let them guide you to the proper plants for your location, here in the valley and also the location in your yard. All green plants will need to be on a watering system period. Your landscaper can advise you on the best and proper way to water your plants. Summer is very stressful here on most plants. Proper watering is the key to a successful yard.
If you're in a HOA situation, they may require you to have certain plants that are approved by the assn.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by piratepilot

I would recommend going to servicemagic.com and having 3-4 different landscape companies bid on your project. Make sure you get an itemized bid so you can compare "apples to apples." Tell each company you are getting three bids, and ask each company about their warantee for plants and drip system if applicable. When it comes time to pay only pay half up front and then pay the remainder when the project is 100% complete. If you want some very inexpensive solutions send me a Direct Message. Depending on what your budget is I can also recommend a really good guy if you would like, he is very good but probably not your cheapest.

Good Luck!

This is very good advice. I don't mean to steal your thunder but when I read someone make sound advice I want to respond to it so it gets bumped and people can read it. I definitely second your advice about getting the itemized bid. I also recommend paying half up front and the other half later. Most reputable and honest companies will no have issues with this request and will honor it. If a company does take issue with that request, I would be skeptical.

Last but not least, definitely question the warranty on the drip system and sprinkler system. It's very easy for the pipes supplying those systems to get damaged accidentally with digging and other yard work. Stones can ultimately clog the pipes and fixing it can be expensive. And to make matters worse, most sprinkler repair companies will not really fix the problem; they will just cut out segment of the pipe and repair that. They will charge you by the hour for fixing that segment while ultimately, some other portion of the pipe will leak and have to be fixed. This happened to us when we purchased our house and we didn't do a thorough enough job to check that our drip system worked when we first bought the house. We were not aware that most home inspectors do not routinely check to see if your sprinkler and drip system work so it wasn't caught. We ended up paying over $2000 and this was after we found someone who would work cheap and replace the entire lines. Normally a job like this would have cost us three times that much. The sprinkler repair business in the Phoenix metro is very limited in supply and the demand is high which is why repair costs can be expensive. They are so busy that the customer service in regards to sprinkler repair is often lacking. Make sure to get some type of unlimited warranty and find out what pipes or lines they cover.

Last but not least, be aware that many of these so called "legal" landscaping companies hire illegals to work the jobs and are essentially middle men. They will send American citizens to provide the estimate and provide the false impression that those individuals or individuals like them will provide the labor. Then on the day of service, illegals will come to your house and do the work. Therefore, if you choose to hire a legal entity, make sure and ask them who is working the actual job. If you care enough to hire someone who is legal then you should make certain that you are not just hiring middle men because you could just as easily hire illegals and save yourself a lot of money. There are companies that make it a priority to have legal English speaking individuals work on your property but of course you will pay significantly more for their services. I'm not here to argue the ethics of hiring a legal vs an illegal worker (that's an entirely different thread that I would rather avoid turning this one into) However, I do want you to be aware that just because someone is listed in the phone book and has BBB written next to them and has an American sounding name, don't assume they hire legal workers to manage your landscaping.