[Ozzello]

Attn. Owners of newly constructed homes! STOP the CRAZY!

Stop putting rocks around your "stock" landscape.
Stop trying to keep a bunch of those shrubs, as most are small trees and planted too close together and too close to your home.

80% of the homeowners having landscaping done to a new home, will be calling another landscaper in 2-5 years to "fix" it. Good designs will actually IMPROVE for a minimum of 7 years.

All that gravel you are putting in to stop weeds, doesn't, and creates hard to clean messes when you have to start trimming all those shrubs you mistakenly kept. AND, the gravel makes the re-do cost more.

If you found your landscaper because they knocked on your door, they aren't the real deal. But neither are some of those big outfits with huge advertising and huge retail nurseries that send SALESPEOPLE calling themselves designers to wow you.

HINT: if they want you to come pick out what plants you want, and you aren't educated in the field, you have the wrong landscaper.

Just because all your neighbors are rushing to get an upgraded landscape, don't just jump in. WAIT and WATCH. look at stuff at least 3 years old (or even 10+ years if you're smart) from the landscaper you are thinking of dealing with.

With that 80% chance of having a poor job done, even at 3 or 4 estimates, good chance you haven't found a good designer/installer with a real education and the integrity to give you the lasting landscape, instead of the "job security" landscape.

Good luck all.