HIRING A GARDENER Know what you are paying for and what impact
it has on the environment. Gardeners frequently state that they
would adopt environmentally preferable lawn care practices if
their customers didn’t insist on "business as usual". Language
barriers can create challenges communicating with your gardener.
Read over the checklist and mark those practices that you would
like your gardener to follow. Keeping your yard healthy will not
only save you money, but will protect your family’s health and
the environment. Make sure that you and your gardener understand
that when debris enters the storm drains, it flows to the creeks
where it decomposes, dropping oxygen levels in the water too low
for fish to survive. Sediment from our yards usually accompanies
the debris, which cause the creeks to be over silted, greatly
impacting the environmental health of our waterways. Inquire if
the gardener is a licensed landscape contractor. Often, when
gardeners are licensed, their license no. is displayed on their
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