LIFESTYLES srrne't 11 - Friday, July 7, 1989 - North Shore News ESTYLES Find a qualified gardener/ landscaper IT’S TOUGH getting good help these days. All you want is a little grass cut or a bit of topsoil moved around and you find yourself either taking out a second mortgage on the home or dealing with ‘Yard Apes Gardening Services.’ There is a growing realization that an attractive landscape must be present in order to maintain the best. potential return on what is usually our largest single invest- ment: the family nome. This, coupled with the current building boom, has put so much pressure on the available pool of gardeners and tandscapers that most of you are finding yourselves left with the sediment at the bot- tom of the barrel. How do you find a qualified gardener/landscaper? How do you determine if they know the dif- ference between dandelions and oak trees? And, if they do, how do you get them to come to work for you without requiring a major ex- pansion of the national debt? First things first: what are you looking for? If all you need is a teenager to come in once a week and use your mower to cut the grass, read no further. Turn back to the Sunshine Girl (1 don’t have Doug to kick around anymore) and then place one of your neighbor’s kids into bondage. On the other hand, if you are looking for knowledgeable service that only a professional gardener RAILWAY TIES Geasonaby yeu carry a full ine of tes m1 7x9" and 62S" with square edges, and 6°x8 with round Landecape Tes ars pressure treated umber i sf avadatie fev your landscapeng propect, trom thy smaiiest iawn Dorder to the largest tetarang walt Visit Out store for Creative and unque idess On how to best use ths wide salecton of proaact and Bres 6x6, 436 and 2x4, 2x6 ang arger. Shast of the stock we carry iS avadatie wm both green and brown hreshes. Custom pressurs teatng 3 ‘90 avaitable for those unusual situshors. SERVICE: ‘Wie pnde ourseives on tha absoksie best possible SEAVICE, irom advice on that special beckyard Proved! fo prompt Celery. If we don't Law ie areperet 30 any ol your landscapeng quesiv=s, wre know who does! or landscaper can offer, decide which of the two you want. Gardeners will seldom make a good landscaper and vice versa. it has something to do with the char- acter of the work. The typical maintenance gardener sees the garden in detail and approaches it with a sense of over the garden gate Geoff Tobiasson FE a] meticulous care, The goals here are long-range and the expertise does not usually include the integration of hard landscaping projects such as retaining wall, patios, walks, ete, The landscaper és generally more concerned with the garden in its entirety. He focuses on the effects CONCRETE PLANTERS * 100% BC home grown of all details of the project and how they interrelate to achieve the desired, unified results not too far in excess of the desired budget. You might say that while one sincerely tries to establish a rela- tionship with the garden the other is content with (and good at) one night stands. Now, where are they? If you are one of the lucky ones, they are working right next door at your neighbor's house. In addition to the obvious benefits of observ- ing the quality of their work first hand, you could save yourself some money by reducing ihe setup costs of the gardener/landscaper. If they are not next door, ask around. Try your friends, Neighbors, relatives, butcher, baker, or whoever. A_ personal referral is infinitely superior to a flashy ad in the Yellow, Pink or Chartreuse pages. Even though I run the risk of appearing to curry favor with my editor, I do suggest the classifieds of the North Shore News. Here you wili find a good representation of the local trades people avail- able. Ok, you found some bodies; now how good are they? Ask how long they’ve been in business on the North Shore. A local company will be more capable of meeting your garden’s needs relative to the North Shore environment. They will also know where to find the best supplies and sub-trades at the besz price. As always, get some referrals * large to smal! (62" to 15" hameter) « several heushes available (Smooin, Sanoblasted, Esposed Aggregate} CEDAR PLANTERS * Natural and prestaned hinenes ae avaiable in @ selecnon of stries ard sizes. IMPORTED PLANTERS FROM THE 4 CORNERS OF THE WORLD # Menco ° Metysia ottaty © Keiowna Bucks NW Blocks has gathered in one incahan many unque aNd wondertiul planters and pots #1 both glared anct unglazed tireshes. For yeat-rand use, choose trom several “Frost Proof” modets. INSTALLATION: We wort with the finest instaliers and designers the butiness 11 you should require anythang, from 4 Quole On an existing project 10 a Cemplete landscape design, we would be happy to cola as many qualived compames as you may lequie: on Main Street. | (bright yallow awning) and their relative costs. Even though you are likely to be shown only the best work, at least you get to view the work your prospective contractor feels good about. If they have nothing to be proud of or the work does not iook all that exceptional, stay away. { save my best advice for last: just listen to them. Give them a basic outline of what it is you are after and then let them make suggestions as to the best methods of accomplishing these goals. If it sounds like the right thing to do, it probably is. If you are lucky enough to find professionals who will be able to work for you some time within the 20th century, try not to discourage them. Just as you have certain standards that you expect to be met, so will your gardener/ landscaper. If you demand they abandon previously committed work in order to get an immediate start on your project, do not be surprised if they disappoint you. ff they will not honor previous commitments, or if they have no previous com- mitments, I question their standing as professionals. . Many of you will fall over upon hearing your prospective gardener/landscaper qnote labor rates in the $20 to $35 range. On close inspection of the expenses involved in a quick comparison with rates charged by cther service industries, it becomes a little more understandable. Maintenance gardeners will want once per week contracts, at an average cost of $30 to $40 to cut and edge your lawn. The best ar- rangements establish a monthly fee for a specific number of hours per week. Then even if the lawn takes half as long to cut, they are com- mitted to spend the balance of the time weeding, pruning, fertilizing, or what have you. With regard to major landscape. projects, if your landscaper makes good, sound judgments regarding the best approach, listen to him. Even if the price appears too high for the current budget, if the ad- vice is realistic, wait and do it when it is affordable. . If you hire The Yard Apes because of price and are later disappointed over the results, it will cost you more money to undo what was done incorrectly and do it over again. You would never think of allow- ing a recent employee of a fast food restaurant to renovate your house or do the service on your car. So why trust your garden to hin? The investment is usually greater as is the knowledge re- quired. 30% OFF ALL IFABRIC ORDERSE for drapery and upholstery. Sale ends July 15/89.