Q: Are you a Landscape Architect?
A: A Company that has a landscape architect on staff is responsible by license for proper scale on the landscape plan and to assure a quality finished product.

Bruce A. Ewing is currently our only Landscape Architect on staff. Landry L. Linn who completes a majority of our designs has a degree from Purdue in Horticulture and Brian K. Bucher who is also involved in our designs is a graduate from St. Francis University's Landscape Technology Program.

Q: Why is scale so important in my design?
A: If proper scale is not used, the design you see presented to you will never be what you see in your completed landscape. The plants will never get as large as they are drawn on the plan. Larger out-of-scale plant shapes are drawn to give the perception of a full looking landscape on the plan.

Our designers combined have over 80 years of experience in drawing properly scaled landscape plans. Bruce Ewing believes that a newly installed landscape should look its best 3-5 years after completion. Experience in the field, studying plant habit and sizing is the only true way to understand scale in the design. All of our designers have spent many years in the field installing and studying plants and trees.

Q: How do I determine that I am getting the best quality and value for my dollar?
A: Unfortunately, the landscape industry is a very hard business to compare apples to apples. This is due to the fact that you will be getting landscape plans from different companies. Remember, just as scale is critical to a good design, there are many ways for a company to cut corners or shave dollars. The basic truth is that you must feel confident in the company and the designer you are working with to see through and finish the job.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping has always been known as a company that provides quality workmanship, not only in the design, but also in the installation and service. Pricing in today's landscape field cover's a large range. With so many "pick-up truck" landscapers in our field it becomes very difficult to judge price vs. quality. We feel we are very competitively priced compared to companies the same size and with similar credentials.

Q: Does your landscape company have Workman's Compensation Insurance?
A: Hiring a landscape company that does not have Workman's Compensation Insurance exposes you to liability and lawsuits if an employee of the company you hire gets injured on the job. Your Homeowner's Insurance Policy, in most cases does not protect you from this; it is in the fine print.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping currently carries: Our insurance producer is The DeHayes Group, LLC and our insurer is Meridian Insurance. Our current Workman's Compensation Policy has a 500,000 limit. If you have any questions regarding our liability insurance please call and we will be happy to provide you the information.

Q: Can you provide me landscape referrals?
A: A quality landscape company should have no trouble providing you with several references for you to see. These references should be projects that may be similar to your job.

We provide as many referrals as we can, seeing is believing. We provide as much information as we can to insure that you are comfortable in trusting us to landscape your property. Please find enclosed a reference list for you to review.

Q: Are your evergreens, trees and shrubs locally grown?
A: Soil and climate conditions vary in different growing zones. For the long-term health of your landscape investment it is very important to use locally grown plant material. It is initially much less expensive to install a tree grown in Tennessee or some other southern area versus planting a tree grown in northern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio or southern Michigan. But in the long run, it will pay off tenfold in savings and the aggravation of replacements by using the higher quality locally northern grown trees. Most southern grown material can take up to three years to actually die. By then, your warranty has expired.

We are very particular when purchasing plant material. The majority of our plant material is grown locally, and throughout northern Indiana. We take great pride in providing the best quality plant material for our customers.

Q: What happens if my plants die?
A: It is important that your landscape investment is guaranteed for both labor and materials for at least one year. The warranty should be in writing.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping provides a one-year guarantee on all plant materials and labor. Please find enclosed our guarantee specifications for you to review.

Q: How many people do you employ? Do you use subcontractors?
A: It is very important that the contractor you choose not only has the expertise, but also the ability to follow through and finish your project on time. As with building a new home, not enough employees or an abundance of subcontractors may delay or jeopardize your new landscape.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping currently has: 1 mulch blower truck - 6 dump trucks - 5 pickup trucks - 3 box trucks - 12 full time yearly employee's - 12 full time seasonal employee's - 7 part time employee's. We currently use sub-contractors to help us with: Irrigation Installation - Large Tree Removal and Care - Large Tree Moving - Excavating (dozing, etc.) Bruce Ewing takes great pride in the people who work for him along with the trucks they work out of. If our personnel cannot handle the project, we believe we have found the best subcontractors in the area to help us. We have been working with our subcontractors for many years.

Q: I may wish to work on some of the work myself. Is your company agreeable to this?
A: A professional company should be able to offer services, which will allow you to help in completing your project, which in turn should reward you with savings.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping is always looking to involve the owner whenever possible. If an owner helps in the installation, they normally have greater pride in the landscape and will provide better care for the new installation. We are happy to complete all of the work or a portion of the work, please ask about our Design and Delivery Process if you are interested in a little hard labor.

Q: Does your company provide any type of care or maintenance after the installation?
A: The first year after installation is the most important time for your new plants and trees. A quality contractor should be able to provide you with proper care and maintenance after the installation. If a customer decides to maintain the plantings themselves the installation contractor should be able to provide clear instructions on how to maintain the plants and trees.

Bruce Ewing Landscaping provides post installation care sheets when a project is completed, along with showing the owner the proper techniques and what to look for when caring for they're new plantings. Bruce Ewing Landscaping offers virtually every service needed for the care of your plantings; check out our services page.