"It is truly a satisfactory thing to see a garden well-schemed and wisely planted" - Vita Sackville-West

MOST PEOPLE don't design and build their own houses, installing plumbing, carpet and fireplaces, pounding in every nail. But for some reason we gardeners feel it isn't really our garden if we don't do all the work, conceptual and actual, ourselves.

There are landscape professionals of every kind who can help rectify mistakes or avoid future ones, help with the back-breaking labor of digging a pond or preparing soil. You can find experts to install lighting or sprinkler systems, identify plants in a couple of hours of consulting time, or design and install your entire garden.

Studies show that landscaping is a better investment than most home improvements when it's time to sell a home. A swimming pool returns 20 to 50 percent of its cost when a property is sold, a kitchen renovation 75 to 100 percent - and landscaping 100 to 200 percent.

There seem to be two stumbling blocks for homeowners who want help with their gardens - knowing what type of professional to hire, and finding one.

Landscape architects and contractors

If you want more than help with weeding or pruning, a first question seems to be, "When do I call in a landscape architect?" The stereotype is that designers know plants and landscape architects do hardscape, but the reality is more complex, and don't most gardens need both.

Landscape architects are licensed by the state after completing university graduate work and passing an exam. They produce blueprints and work with contractors to complete projects. Half of the jobs done by the The Berger Partnership are residential, ranging in scale from designing a water feature in an entryway to landscaping Bill Gate's Medina estate. Tom Berger, senior principal in the firm, suggests that if your project involves more than selecting plants - when you are looking at screens, fences or terraces - a landscape architect should be considered. He also feels a client's level of interest is key: If you aren't interested in the bigger picture, such as scale and how the architecture of house and garden relate, then hiring a garden designer might be the way to go. "You don't have to be a landscape architect to be a good designer," says Berger.

Landscape contractors are qualified to read the blueprints that landscape architects produce. They can lay drainage pipe, use earth-moving equipment and supervise nurserymen, carpenters and stonemasons. For help in finding a reliable landscape contractor, call the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (425-644-7642) for a member directory.

Linelle Russ, a garden designer, runs the job-referral line for Plant Amnesty, matching callers with landscapers. What kind of questions does she refer to a landscape architect rather than to a designer? "Serious grading and contouring, heavy-duty hardscapes or large-scale retaining walls," she says. "But make sure any landscape architect, or any other professional in the field, has maintenance experience." She has been called in too often to consult on landscapes that develop problems a few years down the line.

Design, maintenance, renovation

Garden designers have the reputation of being the plant experts. Since anyone can call himself a designer, it is important to look at portfolios, check references, ask about training and professional memberships, then look at examples of the designer's work. Ask about styles, too - you don't want to end up with someone who designs cottage gardens if you are looking for spare elegance.

Many designers are graduates of one- and two-year horticulture programs at local vocational schools and community colleges. Walt Bubelis, head of the Horticuture Department at Edmonds Community College, says graduates in his program pursue four different tracks of study: maintenance, installation, nursery work and design. To find student help, homeowners can call the college's job-placement office (425-640-1445) and describe the job they need done. If you are looking for graduates who specialize (pruning, sprinkler installation, renovation) call the horticulture office at (425-640-1739) for recommendations.

The Association of Women in Landscaping (which includes a few men, too) has a job line to help homeowners find landscapers (206-781-3827).

"There is such a wide range of talent in the membership that I can find someone to consult for an hour, do a one-time clean-up, or a full scale design/install," says landscape designer Dana Klimas, who takes hundreds of calls a year. She matches callers with AWL members based on specific needs and the skills, experience and location of members. AWL members include designers, landscape architects, arborists, teachers, installers and maintenance professionals.

Plant Amnesty also has a referral service (206-783-9813). "Gardeners we refer have to pass our test, and it's nasty, plus they are all licensed and insured," says Linelle Russ. The test includes questions on pruning, plant identification, customer service, plant pathology and safety. "I just got off the line with someone who is re-doing her front yard, and I gave her four names," says Russ.

Plant Amnesty referrals pay a quarterly fee to be part of the service; the pool is kept small so Russ can know each worker's specialties and personalities in order to make good matches. About 40 gardeners and 20 arborists participate. Arborists are licensed and insured, certified by the International Society of Arboriculture and must sign a pledge never to top trees.

Expect to pay $35-$75 an hour for renovation or design, Russ advises, and $35-$50 per hour for consultation, with a two-hour minimum. An arborist charges $50 to $75 an hour for a tree assessment. "When you think about the value of those trees to your property it's a drop in the bucket," says Russ.

Arborists

Tree care can be expensive and intimidating. The Pacific Northwest chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture maintains a referral line (1-800-335-4391) and will send out a list of certified arborists. The list includes a dozen commercial tree-care firms in the Seattle area and 20 consulting arborists. Remember that consultants are diagnosticians who evaluate trees and often give expert-witness testimony, but may or may not climb the trees to do the work. For that you'll probably need a commercial tree-care firm.

Certification is the only credential available for arborists, and it means they have at least three years of experience in the field and have passed an exam. Always get more than one estimate (prices vary widely) and ask for proof of insurance. If an arborist refuses to top your tree, he is following industry standards. The ISA recommends topping only in the most unusual circumstances, or as part of tree removal.

No matter which professional you hire, if you are able to articulate your ideas, you'll greatly increase the odds of making the most of the money you spend.

Tom Berger asks clients to "tell me what you want your garden to do for you, and then prioritize the list." One designer has clients fill out an initial questionnaire and finds that husbands and wives frequently haven't talked to each other, so have very different ideas. You don't want to pay a landscaper to sort out those kinds of problems!

In fact, doing a garden-design homework list like the one below will focus your thinking, help the landscaper understand what you need, and save time and money.

Thinking ahead

Visualize the garden of your dreams and write a list of adjectives to describe it:

# Who will use the garden, and how? (Pet runs, kid's play area, dinner parties, relaxing?)

# What are the most important views from inside the house? Which views would you like to enhance? Which would you like to minimize?

# How much time do you plan to spend maintaining your landscape?

# Which features are most important to you? (Patio, cutting garden, swimming pool, art, water feature, vegetable garden, dining area etc.)

# What are your favorite colors? Which do you dislike?

# What plants do you love? Which do you dislike?

# Do you want lawn? If so, how much and for what purpose?

# Are there specific problems to solve? (Poor drainage, worn-out soil, too much shade, unsightly views.)

Valerie Easton is a horticultural librarian and writes about plants and gardens for Pacific Northwest magazine. Her e-mail address is vjeaston@aol.com