[villagetinker]

Basically, anything you do outside you need ARC approval. While they do not approve the plants, they approve the layout of the landscaping. If you do a search on this site you will find many very good landscapers. 3 of my neighbors used Next Dimension Landscaping, and I and my neighbors have benefitted from some very attractive results. As you drive around take pictures of items that you really like for discussion with the landscapers, as well as any concerns about maintenance, etc.
The basic process: You contact ARC, VCDD Architectural Review and get a form where you will sketch out what you plan on doing. Review usually takes around 1 week and costs nothing. Use this form to discuss any final plans with the landscaper. I strongly suggest that you get the ARC approval as I relied on a contractor to do this once, and the paperwork 'disappeared' and I had to get approval retroactively fortunately what was done was acceptable.
Be very cautious about any contractor demanding payment up front, have a clear understanding of payment schedule, the exact work to be done, warranties, and hold final payment until work is complete, AND you get a form indicating all liens have been released.
The master Gardener program can also be a very useful resource in getting information on the most appropriate plants and trees. Be cautious about palms, some are not suited well for this area, but are sold because they are cheap.
Hope this helps.