Dinwoodie Landscape Services Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will my project have an onsite supervisor?
A: "Yes. For every job, there’s a hierarchy. We have a crew boss and several responsible people working under him. They all wear T-shirts with our logo. Our truck displays our name, too."
Q: Do you offer sustainable landscaping practices?
A: "Absolutely. I’m a certified sustainable landscape professional, and I understand people have a strong desire to approach landscaping in a more natural and organic way."
Q: Can you help me plant a vegetable garden?
A: "Yes. We can give really good advice. Some plants—beefsteak tomato plants, for example—are prone to fail in the East Bay environment. We’ll steer you in the right direction."
Q: How do you charge for your services?
A: "We charge by the hour."
Q: Why is my lawn stressed?
A: "You might be moving your lawn too tight. It should be a little loose so it can shade itself, which keeps roots cooler and reduces its need for water. Also, consider changing your watering program. We can educate you on how to water your lawn properly. We’ll discuss things such as aeration and top dressing (a very thin layer of organic mulch). California has clay soil that’s very condensed and compacted, and top dressing helps break up that hard soil with different sized particles. We can look at your lawn and help evaluate these things."
Q: I try to prune my plants but they never look good. What am I doing wrong?
A: "A lot of pruning isn’t done with the plant’s form in mind. For example, rhododendrons must be pruned in the spring before they set their buds for the next year. You can’t see the buds, but they’re set within two months after they bloom. If someone asks why their rhododendrons don’t bloom, we ask how they’re pruned, whether they’re pruned in the fall and how they’re watered. We look at how much shade they get, and we try to understand the plants’ needs and determine what’s wrong."