Landscape Interview Questions & Answers

Question 1. What Makes You Different From Other Contractors?

Answer :

Let’s Landscape Together is unique in our aim to work with a customer at the stage or level they desire. We can help you get the project started with a design; we can complete part of the design or perform the full installation. We can work in stages, completing your landscaping in one year or over a couple years as fits with your schedule and budget.

Question 2. What Is The Best Way To Get Started?

Answer :

Booking a consultation is the best way to get started. This will provide an opportunity for you to sit down with one of our landscape consultants to discuss your ideas and project in detail. 

Question 3. What Happens During The Consultation?

Answer :

During the consultation, a consultant will spend approximately one half-hour with the homeowners. During this time the consultant is available to discuss some design ideas and make recommendations for booked in-store consultations.

Question 4. What Do I Need For The Consultation?

Answer :

You don’t need anything to get started. However, providing your landscape consultant with pictures, names of products or plants that you know you like or do not like, will greatly assist your consultant in providing accurate information and budgeting for your project. An original site plan for your home is also very helpful to the process if available.

Question 5. What Are Your Consultation And Design Fees?

Answer :

We believe that a great landscape starts with a solid plan. The best way to do this is with a properly scaled landscape design. We love working with our clients to turn their ideas and vision into real plan. Empowered with this design, you can choose to construct it all at once, or build it piece by piece at your own pace.

All of our landscape projects include on-site consultations with our design experts, as well as computer-generated designs.

Simply want to run your ideas by us before engaging into a project? We invite you to visit us at our landscape showroom & design centre. We will spend half an hour with you at no cost.

Question 6. What Is Involved In The Design Process?

Answer :

The first step is a survey of your area by your landscape consultant. The area is then drawn to scale, and design concepts are worked in. The design is presented to the homeowner for approval or suggested revisions. There may be one or several design revision meetings. Lastly, a finalized, scaled design is presented to the homeowners.

Question 7. What Is The Benefit Of Having A Design Done?

Answer :

A design is invaluable for several reasons. A design will provide the homeowners and/or a contractor with a blueprint to follow. Material counts can be made from the scaled design. A design will also allow the project to be broken down into stages or phases. However, the main benefit is that it is an opportunity for our professionals to design the project with the assistance of the homeowners, and it is this cooperation that ensures a superior result.

Question 8. How Can I Get Involved In The Project?

Answer :

A homeowner can get involved very easily. Our consultants are available to provide guidance and direction with your do-it-yourself project. Our construction crew can perform only the more difficult tasks of your project or, if you prefer, we can do everything without you lifting a hand. It’s all up to you. We encourage your involvement as we find the more homeowners are involved, the happier they will be with the end result.

Question 9. Who Builds The Pools In Your Landscapes?

Answer :

We do! Unlike typical landscape contractors who outsource this part of the project, we actually build all of our clients’ pools ourselves. This unique offering allows us to see our customers dream right through from the beginning of a project to its end. Whatever the size and shape – whether for leisure or a place to swim laps – we have the expertise and experience to build a pool that will bring you a lifetime of enjoyment!

Question 10. I Would Like To Create A Circular Flower Garden In My Backyard, And Really Like The Look Of The Retaining Wall Stones That Have Become So Popular. I Need To Know A Simple Calculation Or Some Websites That Will Help Me Calculate The Needed Materials. I Also Need Help In The Keeping The Spacing Exact Enough To Make Both Levels Come Out To An Exact Block Count. This Is To Prevent Having To Cut The Blocks. The Retaining Wall Blocks Have A Lip On The Back And Bottom Of The Block And Will Cause The Circle To Get Smaller As Each Layer Goes On. Should I Just Chisel Off The Lip, Since The Blocks Really Will Not Be Supporting Much Weight?

Answer :

It will not be exact, but measure the length of the block and divide it into the perimeter of the bed. Many of the blocks are longer along the midline of the length for flexibility. Adjust the perimeter to come up with whole blocks. A bed sixteen feet in diameter would have a perimeter of 50 feet, divided by the 16-inch length of a block would require approximately 37 blocks to lay the perimeter. Each course of blocks would take the same number. You calculate the perimeter by multiplying the diameter by pi. Leave the lip in place because it seems that even a 3-course wall looks nicer with the setback. Of course, it is up to you.

Question 11. I Have A Nice Stand Of Bermuda Grass In My Small Front Yard, But The Soil Is Uneven So It Cuts Unevenly. I Need To Level The Soil. Any Suggestions For Smoothing Out The Dips?

Answer :

Mixes of sand and some potting soil or just sand by itself can be added to the dips. The grass should readily grow into the space. If you do not fill too much at a time, the grass will adapt the deeper soil and "move up" to grow in the deeper soil.

Question 12. How Do I Remove The Dirt That's Left Behind From The Holes Being Dug For Fence Posts? I Don't Want To Kill The Grass.

Answer :

You could spread it out around the yard lightly, or use it to level any low areas in the lawn. If you have warm season turf, it will grow through without a problem. If you have cool season turf, you can reseed it now. If you spread it out lightly, you will not need to reseed. Only if you bury the turf will seeding be necessary.

Question 13. In The Spring, I Plan On Redoing My Backyard And Need Some Tips. The Previous Owner Had Built The Driveway So That It Was A Few Feet Above The Backyard, Leaving A Drop With A Couple Of Steps From The Drive To The Yard. What We Want To Do Is To Bring In Some Dirt And Slope The Yard Up To The Driveway And Then Replant The Entire Yard. Now For My Question: What Is The Best Way To Kill Off The Grass That Is Currently In The Yard So That We Can Successfully Replant Next Spring?

Answer :

If you are going to fill that much, the soil that you are importing will kill off the turf under it anywhere that the depth is more than an inch or so, the exception being if you have quack grass or something similar. Roundup is a non-selective herbicide that will have effect on most (not all - see product label to find out what it is registered to control) weeds and grass types. You could do a blanket application to kill everything off and then, after seven to ten days, re-seed or sod.

Question 14. I Have Some Bare Spots In My Yard That Are Covered With Creeping Juniper. Do You Have Any Suggestions On When Is The Best Time To Replant And How Should I Prepare?

Answer :

Creeping juniper is easy to grow, drought tolerant and low maintenance landscaping. You should be able to find it in local garden centers in the spring. Dig a bowl-shaped hole twice as wide as deep. Don't dig a hole too deep as plants may settle too deep. As you dig, mix in a 2-inch deep layer of planting mix, compost, or other type of organic matter. Don't plant too deeply. Make sure that the topmost roots are covered with about 1/2 inch of soil, but avoid piling soil or mulch up around the main stem. Always water plants the day before planting and water the ground after you are finished setting out a new shrub. When the dampened soil settles, spread a 2- to 3-inch deep blanket of mulch to control weeds and keep the soil moist.

Question 15. I Have Holes In The Sod. Either The Rain Has Settled The Dirt Or I Did Not Roll Or Compact The Ground Enough. Some Holes Are Small Like A Footprint And Some Larger?

Answer :

If soil was raked smooth, flat, and properly watered and sod rolled, the sod should have knitted to soil within two weeks. Holes can be plugged with sod in late spring just before the prime growing time of grass. You can purchase plugs or cut your own out of sod. Re-rolling the lawn may help.

Question 16. In So Many Landscaped Places, I See That The Area Immediately Around Trees Is In A Perfect Circle (or Close To It). I Have Tried To Use An Edger (mine Does Not Allow Any Adjustments), And A Shovel To Dig It Out. Unfortunately, I Can Never Make The Circles Look That Good. How Can I Do This?

Answer :

You can take a tape measure and measure out from the tree trunk in several places to make sure the depth of the bed will be the same all the way around the tree. You can mark the locations with stakes or flour or lime and then connect the 'dots' by sprinkling flour or lime to outline where you want to dig. Press a shovel into the soil along this line. Or, you can simply stretch a water hose around the tree and use it to guide you. You will want the edge along the perimeter to be a little deeper to act as a lip to keep mulch in the bed and looking tidy. When mowing, turn the mower so grass clippings do not go into the bed if you're not using a grass catcher.

Maintain the boundary between the lawn and flowerbed by edging with a flat spade, half-moon edger, or weed-trimmer. You can also work a variety of edging materials into your plan, including products made from metal or plastic, bricks, fieldstones, or pavers. Remember anything planted in a bed beneath a tree must compete for moisture with the tree. Make plant selections that can thrive in the growing conditions beneath the tree.

Question 17. There Are Some Relatively Rocky Sections Of My Property That Get Sun, But Are Mostly Dirt And Weeds Right Now. I Guess I Could Rent A Rotor Tiller To Get The Ground Soft To Plant Grass Seed, But How Do I Get Rid Of All These Tall Weed Plants?

Answer :

Loosening the soil and removing rocks will get you a good start. The weeds can be pulled or cut back and sprayed with a general herbicide such as Roundup. Roundup is taken best in new growth when temperatures are above 70 degrees F. Cutting the weeds back will force new growth in a couple of days. Spraying the new growth will be the best way to apply the herbicide.

Question 18. I Have A Wooded Area At The Back Of My Property. I Have Thinned Out The Trees And Will Be Removing The Stumps In The Next Week. I Used Two Roundup Applications And It's Almost Entirely Clear Of Weeds. Any Remaining Weeds Are Small New Weeds Or Just Tufts Of Grasses. I'm Thinking Of Just Tilling The Remaining Weeds Into The Soil And Covering With About 2-4 Inches Of New Topsoil And Reseeding With Grass. Will The Grass Seed Choke Out Any New Weeds That Might Try To Grow When I Water The Germinating Grass, Or Will I Need To Make Sure That All Of The Weeds Are 100% Dead Before I Cover With New Soil And Reseed?

Answer :

I would spray one more time, then till the next day and apply the topsoil. You will have to deal with the weeds that sprout from turning the soil and repositioning the seeds in the soil. As the grass comes in, you will have to deal with some weeds, too. The grass will choke out weeds once it becomes thick.

Question 19. What Is The Final Inspection For?

Answer :

A single Final Inspection is done to confirm compliance with architectural guidelines, satisfactory completion of landscaping, and record any damages to curbs, sidewalks, street furniture, and water valve. The Builder has the landscaping security deposit and will refund this deposit to you upon satisfactory completion. Partial refunds will not be considered.

Question 20. What Is Required To Request A Final Inspection?

Answer :

The following elements should be present prior to requesting a Final Inspection:

• Completion of construction
• City Approval of grading, rough or final grade, specific to the neighbourhood
• Completion of landscaping in accordance with requirements (available from your builder)
• Sidewalks and curbs cleaned, c.c. (water main valve) exposed and marked.

Question 21. Why Is It My Responsibility To Ensure The Water Valve (cc) Is Marked And Exposed?

Answer :

Your builder is responsible to locate, mark and expose your Water Valve during the construction process, as this is the “on/off” switch to the water into your home. However, once you have taken possession of your home it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that the Water Valve remains marked and exposed to ensure easy access.

Question 22. Can My Landscape Plans Be Reviewed Prior To Proceeding?

Answer :

It is not the purpose of this process or our area of expertise to review or to approve landscaping plans prior to implementation.

Question 23. What If I Don’t Think There Is Enough Room To Plant A Tree(s) In My Front Yard?

Answer :

Although it may appear there is not room for a tree, especially on a narrow pie shaped lot, it is rare that this is the case.

Generally, trees may be hand dug within 1 meter of the utility lines. Ultimately, the location and planting of trees is the responsibility of the homeowner in consultation with the appropriate governing utility authorities and the landscaper. It is not the responsibility of your Builder, the Developer or the Consultant.

Generally the size of root ball differs from one species to the next by only 2 to 4 inches and should be planted in a hole approximately 3 feet wide and two feet deep. This being the case, you should not be restricted from placing a tree(s) that meets the requirements for your neighbourhood.

Where there are two trees required to meet the minimum landscaping requirements, and it is determined that there is only space for one in the front yard, the developer may permit the second tree to be planted in the rear yard.

Question 24. What Is A Deciduous Tree And How Is It Measured?

Answer :

Deciduous trees have leaves and are measured by calliper or the width at the thickest part of the trunk of the tree. Standard measurement is taken approximately 6 inches up from the root ball before planting or up from the ground once planted.

Question 25. What Is A Coniferous Tree And How Is It Measured?

Answer :

Coniferous trees are evergreens such as a pine, spruce or fir tree and are measured by height. Standard measurement is taken from the grass surface once planted.