FAQs
FAQs, or Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of questions at Lauren’s Garden Service. Here are a few of the common ones that we get, along with answers to the questions. We will add to this list when we get more frequently asked questions.
Q: Who comes out to do the estimate?
A: One of our expert designers.
Q: What type of workers work for the company?
A: Local gardeners trained in eco-friendly gardening techniques, all speaking English.
Q: What type of work does your company do?
A: All aspects of landscaping from design, installation and maintenance of gardens, native gardens, rain gardens, stone work (such as patios, retaining walls, ponds, raised beds, walkways), conservation landscaping, rain barrels, seasonal flowers, bulb plantings, container gardens, and so much more!
Q: What makes your company unique among all the other landscaping companies?
A: We pride ourselves on being as environmentally friendly as possible by installing native plants, not using any herbicides or pesticides EVER, using permaculture and sustainability practices, among many other environmentally sound practices. We also take pride in our client communications. We maintain contact with clients throughout the process of the services that they request and are very responsive to our clients needs. We are great listeners and are detail oriented. Lauren has a skill in matching your taste and your budget to what will thrive on your property.
Q: What is the timeline for getting the garden service that I would like?
A: The typical timeline is as follows:
- You contact us with your information and the services you would like.
- We will contact you within one-two business days to set up an estimate date for you and one of our staff to meet.
- Depending on how busy the season is, the time frame for actually meeting with Lauren for the estimate from when you initially contacted us is usually about 1-2 weeks.
- After the in-person estimate with a member of our staff, they will send you an estimate via email. Depending on the type of work you are requesting, the estimate may be sent out the same day as the in-person estimate, or a few days later if there is some creativity involved. If you are looking for a new garden design you will get the amounts and sizes of plants that are recommended. You will not get plant specifics until the 1/3 deposit is received. Email us back to confirm that you would like to move forward with the work, and send in your deposit.
- We will then get you on our calendar and email you with the potential start date. Your scheduled work is usually put on our calendar within 2-3 weeks from when you confirmed the work, allowing time for your plants to be hand selected from local nurseries. This of course, depends on the season. In Spring and fall it can be between a month to two months.
Q: Do I have to be home for the estimate?
A: We would always love to meet our potential clients face-to-face, so it is preferred that you be home for the estimate. Depending on the type of work you are requesting and whether we have been to your property before or not, you may not need to be home for the estimate. If you give us a detailed explanation of what you want done then Lauren can stop by and take a look and give you an estimate without being home. If it is a smaller area, we can also do estimates using pictures.
Q: I liked the estimate, now how do I actually confirm this?
A: Please send in a 1/3 deposit and email or call us to let us know that you approve. The instructions and address for mailing the deposit are all in the estimate that we email to you.
Q: Do I have to be home for the scheduled work?
A: No- our crew leader is briefed on the project by the person who came out to do the estimate. They will receive all the descriptions and designs to aid them with the install. Due to the weather, clients adding work the day of, the nature of the work and the fact that some jobs take longer or shorter than proposed, the schedule it always fluctuating. It is difficult for us to pin down an exact start time. Please let us know 1 week in advance if you need to be home for your scheduled work so we can make special arrangements for scheduling.
Q: Are you a plant nursery?
A: Yes- we offer a large selection of native plants at our nursery in Glenwood, MD! LGS Native Plant Nursery
Q: What kind of guarantee do you provide for the plants that you install?
A: We can guarantee that the plants will be disease and pest free. Once the plants are installed on your property, it is up to you to water and maintain the plants to get them established. We recommend monthly or seasonal maintenance by us for newly planted garden beds. If a plant starts to decline you can email us a photo and we can try to help you determine the cause. We can replace plants at cost but cannot offer a full guarantee/replacement program because we are a small business and not the wholesale grower of the plants.
Q: I see that you offer maintenance services.
A: Yes! We can come out bi-weekly, monthly, or every other month to maintain your property with our maintenance services. We also offer fall and spring clean-up services. We cater the program to your individual property.
Q: It looks like my plants are being eaten. Help!
A: We do our best to install plants that are deer and rabbit resistant as needed. They don’t read the lists and it is hard to predict what or where they will eat sometimes. If you notice that your plants are being nibbled on, we suggest using natural spray deterrents that will help keep away animals that are nibbling, as well as being pet friendly. Deer Off and Liquid Fence are two that work well. The main issue is applying it regularly. Some clients have had success with a sprinkler that is motion activated that turns on to deter the deer at night when they trip the sensor. U posts with wildlife netting can also deter critters while your plants get established!
Q: One of my new plants is looking rough, what do I do?
A: Often when people ask this questions, the plants are either not getting enough water, or they’re getting too much water. Send us a picture of the plant and let us know how often you’ve been watering!
Q: Is December too late to plant?
A: We often plant right up until the week before Christmas. As long as the ground isn’t frozen and there isn’t snow, we can plant!
Don’t see your question here? Contact us and we will be happy to answer!