I know you’ve been dreaming of that gorgeous outdoor living area where friends and family can gather for barbeques and pool parties, right?  You’re probably wondering how to accomplish what you want. Here are few simple steps to get you going in the right direction and ultimately leading you to hire the perfect landscaper for your needs.

Step 1 - measure your yard. Also make a rough sketch of what is in your yard (cement patio, spa area, etc.) By doing this you can get a clear sense of what will fit in your yard (such as various trees, patio furniture, pool, etc.). This will help you better visualize what can really be done to your yard with the amount of space you have.

Step 2 – choose what your budget will be. Your budget may be huge or small. Landscapers will work with you on nearly anything you need, whether it’s an entirely new yard with all the built ins you can dream of, or if you just need a new sprinkler system and a few new plants.

Step 3 – start jotting down thoughts. If you already know what you want in your yard make a list. This list will help you better convey to a landscaper what you want to see in your yard, your list may look like this: koi pond, spa, built in barbeque, fruit trees, etc. If you don’t have any thoughts start doing some homework. Look at pictures of landscaping thoughts online, so that you have a visual to go off of and/or go to garden supply stores and look at some of the books they have on landscapes. You also need to reckon about what effect your yard will have, for example you may want to have an English garden effect using lots of roses on trellises around your yard, or maybe a jungle type effect with tiki torches and lots of palm trees and exotic fruit trees (like mangos). A excellent way to choose what effect would be best in your yard is to look at your house style. if you have a ranch style house you may want to stick to indigenous plants (plants that naturally come from your area), or if you have a Tudor style or cottage style house an English garden would look fantastic. Really it is up to your imagination.

Step 4 – find local landscaper. This step is probably the most nerve racking. If you’ve never hired a landscaper you may not know where to start your search, but the best place to start is by going online and looking for landscapers in your area. By using the internet you can send out your needs to many landscapers at a time via emails. This will ensure that many landscapers get to bid on your project and give you in home estimates. You can also use references from friends and families or use the Yellow Pages. Make sure you get at least 3 landscape contractors to give you estimates after looking at the yard to be done. Be sure to let the landscaper know exactly what you want, or at least the feel of what you want, this is where the list you made earlier will come in handy.

Step 5 – get references and start looking. Once you have narrowed down your search for the perfect landscaper question for references of jobs the landscaper has recently done, then call people who have used the landscaper or go to the sites and take a look for yourself. This will give you a better feel for the landscaper. Things to question would be things like: did the landscaper get the job done in a timely manner, did he listen to all concerns of client, did he stay within budget, did he clean up and take care of any debris left by crew, etc.

Step 6 – choose which landscaper and draw up a contract. Once you have chose on the appropriate landscaper have them meet with you at your place once again. This way the landscaper can reassess your yard. Question the landscaper to bring the design they might have been working on for your yard (this step may come after you have completed step 6). Mention again what you want for your space, what kind of plants and feel you want to accomplish along with any built ins or furniture you may want. (note: landscapers don’t usually bring in patio furniture or fountains or other things you will add to your yard that don’t deal directly with the yard itself, this may be something you need to budget for separately and do on your own.)

Step 7 – sign the contract and start breaking ground!-Before signing the contract make sure you have everything you want covered in the contract. Don’t assume that the landscaper will remember which plants you want or when you want to start your project. Make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing, especially the project COST.

Step 8 - Delight in your new yard.