Hire a Pro

Looking to Hire a Greenscaper?

The water resources in our region depend on the choices you make in hiring a landscaping service provider.  A good place to start is by contacting organizations that certify or accredit landscaping professionals, such as:

• Northeast Organic Farmers Association (accredited organic land care professionals)
• MA Nursery and Landscaping Association (Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist)
• Irrigation Association (certified irrigation designers, installers, and auditors)

Members of landscaping professional organizations are also a good consideration:

• Ecological Landscaping Association ("Find an Eco-Pro")
• New England Wild Flower Society (Listing of Landscape Professionals)
• New England Landscape Design and History Association ("Find a Designer")
• The Underground ("Find a Landscape Pro")

When choosing a landscape or lawn care provider, consider these five questions* to help you find a professional who Greenscapes. 

1. Does this provider do a soil test?  If so, chances are this contractor is a Greenscaper.  Providers that don't do soil tests will treat your landscape with a "one size fits all" approach.  A soil test will indicate what your landscape needs, so you don't pay for unnecessary products and services.
2. What products does this provider use?  Greenscapers will use products that are safe and environmentally sound. Find out the main ingredients, investigate the toxicity and environmental effects, then decide whether you want this product in your backyard. Providers are required by law to provide Material Data Safety Sheets when requested, or you find information about these chemicals by searching the U.S. Center for Disease Control database.
3. Does this provider apply weed controls on a fixed schedule? If so, this contractor is not a Greenscaper.  Use of herbicide, even organic types, calls for inspection of the site and a determination whether the problem warrants herbicide use.
4. What is your provider’s pest management philosophy?  Greenscapers will tell you the acceptable thresholds for pests, and use non-chemical pest controls and/or spot treatments instead of broadcast applications. Greenscapers will find the cause of a pest problem and fix it, not just treat the symptoms.
5. Does this provider apply fertilizer without checking soil needs? If so, this contractor is not a Greenscaper.  As with pesticides, fertilizers and limestone are tools applied for specific jobs. Their use should be adjusted to needs shown in a soil test.

Simply put, does this provider follow the other recommendations in the Greenscapes Guide?  You can simply provide the provider with a copy  of the Guide, and ask if they agree with the recommendations.  If so, great!  Just be sure your contract has specific details for how they will do the job (e.g. "lawn will be mowed to a height of no less than 3"), and hold them to their commitment.

For more information, also consider the guidelines provided by the Friends of Casco Bay's Bayscaper Program, or those offered by Beyond Pesticides for choosing an organic landscape professional.  A valuable resource is The Underground's "Find A Landscape Pro" webpage, which includes links to several helpful articles, including:

• How to Hire Organic Lawn Care Services
• How to Hire Organic Gardening Services

If you have found a great landscape provider who Greenscapes, please let us know!  We welcome their professional input and would appreciate their suggestions for improving the Greenscapes program.