Choose a landscaping service by comparing a clearly described job. Before requesting proposals, write down what you want to change, which parts of the garden you want to keep and how you expect to use the finished space. Use that same brief when speaking with each contractor.
Separate installation from ongoing care
Start with the work you are actually considering. A https://easypdfshare.com/p/ZeLvRYlZVsQKpwviZYc-b.pdf request for regular garden maintenance needs a different discussion from a proposal to redesign a yard. If both are part of your plans, ask for the installation and maintenance responsibilities to be described separately. Identify which decisions must be made before either part can be priced.
Discuss the property, not just the pictures
Bring photographs that explain the space and any examples that help describe your preferences. Ask the contractor how the ideas would fit your property. Discuss access through gates, the routes you use every day and the existing features you want protected. Write down any assumptions that still need to be checked.
Read proposals side by side
Compare the stated work, the materials or planting being proposed and the preparation included. Ask what debris handling and final cleanup involve. If two proposals describe different approaches, request an explanation rather than assuming they are interchangeable. Keep unresolved choices visible so you understand what remains outside the quoted scope.
Agree how decisions will be recorded
Ask who will answer questions during the job and how a change will be discussed before it proceeds. Confirm what information you will receive when the work is handed over and what ongoing care you are expected to arrange. Save the agreed scope with your original brief so you can review the finished work against the same plan.