Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever have and the lawn is part of that investment, you need to take care of it as well as you care for the structure. When you choose a lawn care company, make sure to choose wisely or you may end up with a brown yard and a colony of bugs living near the patio. You need a professional lawn care service and the only way to get one is to ask questions, get references and ask around to your friends and neighbors about their lawns and whom they trust.

You need to know what lawn services you need or want from a lawn care company. Do you want them to mow and trim or do you want them to trim the hedges every so often as well? What about seasonal pest control and fertilizing and aeration and thatching? These are all things you must ask yourself if your lawn will need and when.

What are the lawn care company's prices? Comparing prices is a big part of making the decision for which company to choose for your lawn care needs. If you are expecting the most thorough, professional service in town-don't hire the cheapest company available. No one ever bought a new Mercedes for the cost of a Ford.

Also, no reputable company is going to give you an estimate over the phone. They are going to come out and walk around your property to give you a fair price for the work that needs to be done. Ask for prices for seasonal work as well, if there is a discount for signing up to work with them for an entire year verses one or two seasons, such as spring and summer.

A reputable company will offer you before and after photographs of their work. This is one of the best sources of proof you can have. In addition, ask if they have written or published any articles, special reports or books. A published author carries more creditability than a no-name company leaving flyers on the door

The company you choose should also be licensed and insured and don't be shy about asking for proof. If something happens while they are working on your property, you want to make sure they are responsible for whatever it is that happens.

A few other questions to ask would be about chemical treatments, do they use safe chemical treatments? Are they licensed to spray your yard? Do they give you advanced notice of chemical treatments so you can prepare by keeping pets and children inside. If they use chemical treatments, do they post small yard signs warning people to stay off the grass for a period of time so the chemical can do its job?

You will have to agree on what maintenance you will be doing and what they will be doing, such as sweeping or blowing the sidewalks or the mowing or trimming near the landscaping. Have a written estimate prepared with every detail spelled out so there are no miscommunications.
Steve Habib is a well-known lawn care expert and the author of 5 Costly Mistakes Homeowners Make When Choosing a Landscape Maintenance company...And How To avoid them.

Head on over to: http://www.stpetersburglawnlandscape.com for your FREE copy.