1. Think to yourself…what does your property require? Is landscape maintenance such as lawn mowing sufficient or do you need someone who has some horticultural knowledge?
2. Set up an appointment with a couple qualified groundskeepers. It is important that you like your groundskeepers and can communicate well with them. First impressions can tell alot about peoples personalities. If you are sceptical right off the hop you should listen to your instincts and meet with a couple other groundskeepers to ensure good communication.
3. Hire someone to whom you feel comfortable with. To gain the full benefit of a gardener’s knowledge, you need to trust his/her judgment and like his/her taste.
4. Make sure that you consider the “liability issue”. Many people try and save a couple bucks by hiring the boy down the street. That’s ok; however, make sure you consider that fact that if that child hurts him/herself on your property it is under your liability. We all know that lawsuits are not as uncommon as they once were. A qualified groundskeeper will hold at least 2 million dollars in liability and carry all the proper insurances, WSIB coverage, etc. This takes the “liability issue” off of you. In the long run it is worth it to pay extra for a qualified groundkeeper and save the heartache of any law suits.
5. Once you have decided on a groundskeeper come together and draw out plans so that all expectations are clear and understood by both parties. Groundskeepers will customize a plan/services that suits your property and budgeting needs.
6. Once the details are worked out you can start to enjoy your property without the work that is involved. Speaking from experience there is a great sense of enjoyment, relief and relaxation when you come home after a long day of work to a house that is maintenance free.