Should I hire a landscaper to design my garden beds or do it myself?

Do it yourself when the beds are modest, the ground is fairly level and the job is mostly choosing and setting out plants. Bring in help when the project starts moving soil and water: slopes, grading, drainage, walls or irrigation, or a plan for the whole yard. Plenty of people split the difference and pay for a design, then plant it themselves.

What a good design has to get right

Whoever draws the plan, it rests on the same three things. Virginia Cooperative Extension's shrub guide names them: what the planting is for, the site conditions, and plants that suit the site and the space.^[1]

The site questions are ones you can answer yourself. Is the spot mostly sunny or mostly shady? Is the soil moist, average or dry? Is it good topsoil or poorly drained clay? Is it acid or alkaline, which only a soil test tells you? Is it windy, and what hardiness zone are you in?^[1] Extension's drainage check is simple: if water poured into a planting hole has not drained in 24 hours, plant elsewhere.^[1]

Two common mistakes are easy to avoid once you know them. Extension warns that using only one or two species is like putting all your eggs in one basket, because a single pest can take out much of the planting,^[1] and it says to keep the mature size of each plant in mind, especially around doors, windows and walkways.^[1] Many overgrown foundation beds are simply the second mistake, a few years later.

When doing it yourself makes sense

You are a good candidate if the beds are along the house or the lawn edge, the ground is level, and you can live with moving a plant that ends up in the wrong place. The research costs little. Take a soil sample a few months before putting in a flower bed or planting perennials,^[2] and sample areas that are managed differently, such as a lawn and a garden, separately.^[2]

Free advice is closer than most people think. Extension says there are teams of Extension Master Gardeners in almost every county in Virginia, trained volunteers who offer advice, education and resources, and that your local Extension office is the best place to start when seeking garden help.^[3] Bring a sketch, photos and your soil report.

Doing it yourself also lets you plant when the timing is right. Extension notes that the best time to plant container-grown shrubs is spring and fall,^[1] which is also when local nurseries are best stocked.

When to hire

Hire when any of these are true:

• the beds sit on a slope or need the ground regraded
• water stands where you want to plant, or runs toward the house
• the plan includes walls, steps, paths or edging that has to hold back soil
• you want irrigation, lighting or other utilities in the beds
• you want one plan for the whole property, phased over years
• you do not have the time or the back for digging out sod and moving soil

Who does what

Landscape architects. In Virginia law, a landscape architect is a person who, by reason of special knowledge of natural, physical and mathematical sciences and the principles of landscape architecture, is qualified to practice it, with competence attested by the Board through licensure.^[4] Their practice covers consultation, evaluation, planning, including sketches, drawings, plans and specifications, and supervision of contracts for projects principally directed at the functional and aesthetic use of land.^[4] They suit whole-yard plans, sloped lots and anything with grading or drainage.

Garden designers and design-build landscapers. Many smaller bed designs come from landscapers who design and install. Ask what training they have and to see plans and finished beds.

Landscape contractors. Virginia's Class C contractor licence covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[5] The Board for Contractors' landscape service specialty covers excavation, clearing, grading, construction of retaining walls for landscaping purposes, or placement of landscaping timbers.^[6] Landscape irrigation and outdoor sprinkler systems are a separate specialty.^[6]

Spray services. If the quote includes weed or pest spraying, anyone who uses pesticides on someone else's property in exchange for compensation must work for a company with a Pesticide Business License.^[9]

Hiring well

Look up any contractor on DPOR's License Lookup before you sign.^[8] DPOR's consumer guide suggests you ask for local references and, if you can, look at finished projects,^[7] and get at least three written bids on identical plans and specifications.^[7] It also notes that Virginia law requires licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.^[7] Whoever digs, Virginia 811 asks anyone breaking ground for landscaping to contact it at least 3 working days in advance.^[10]

For prices, see what garden bed installation costs in Virginia, and for the build itself, how to build a raised garden bed.

Stop and call a pro if

• The bed would hold back a slope, or the plan needs a wall that retains soil.
• Water collects against the foundation or the bed would change where runoff goes.
• You want irrigation tied into the house water supply.
• Utility marks run through the planned beds.
• Large trees or shrubs need to be moved or set with equipment.

Browse the lawn and landscaping answers, see landscape design and install services, or look up lawn and landscaping businesses around Blacksburg. When you are ready, describe the job once and local businesses quote it.