More Than ?EUR??,,????'??Mow, Blow and Go?EUR??,,????'???

 

California has close to 10,000 licensed landscape contractors but many smaller businesses operate unlicensed.

John and Joanne Tuell and their children enjoy the healthy green grass and shady trees of their yard. And like many families, they prefer to hire a professional to keep that grass green and those trees trimmed.

?EUR??,,????'??Our back yard is like a park, with full-size trees and bushes,?EUR??,,????'?? says John, an attorney. ?EUR??,,????'??The last thing I want to do on the weekends is to spend all my time working out in the yard. I mowed enough lawns as a kid.?EUR??,,????'??

Instead, SK Landscape Design handles the Tuell family?EUR??,,????'???s mowing, weeding, pruning, replanting and tree-trimming.

?EUR??,,????'??Ten thousand state-licensed landscape contractors represent just the top of the pyramid in California. No one knows how many are doing it on a small scale, or without a license,?EUR??,,????'?? says Larry Rohlfes of the California Landscape Contractors Association. California law requires contractors be licensed by the state if they charge more than $500 for their services.

The first step in choosing the right gardening service is determining your own needs. There are many inexpensive ?EUR??,,????'??mow, blow and go?EUR??,,????'?? workers who will zip through basic yard work in 30 minutes once a week, servicing as many as 15 to 20 homes in a day. But if you need advice on plants, or are concerned about water conservation and fire safety, you?EUR??,,????'???ll want a trained, licensed contractor.