CONTRACT OUT FOR THAT EXTRA-SPECIAL GARDEN.

Byline: JANE GATES GARDEN GATES

SANTA CLARITA - As the gardening season comes into full swing, you may be considering serious landscaping. Whether renovating or starting from scratch, who do you call for help? Here are some suggestions.

Call a landscape architect if you have an elaborate and/or extensive design requiring specific construction details or you need earth grading or have other major construction considerations.

Call a garden designer for customized ideas in construction, materials, plant selection, problem-solving or artistic approaches.

A garden designer likely has an artistic background and can help plan a yard to meet lifestyle needs, taste, safety and aesthetics of how the garden will grow. Designers, like architects, can provide ground plan drawings.

For plants, call a nursery - some provide interesting and unusual choices as well as the regular fare. These may cost a little more, but are often worth the expense. Most nurseries do not do masonry or carpentry, but some do offer basic design and installations. Nurseries that work with designers can provide more creative designs, but they will cost more.

Landscapers excel at planting and construction, but might not be as creative as a designer. Competitive bidding can diminish quality. Bear in mind that saving money at the outset may cost much more in the long run if the best plants are not properly chosen, the sprinkler system turns out to be too inflexible for future changes, current savings create future damage, or if proper preparation is neglected. Most landscapers do masonry.

Call a pool company if you want to build a pool or spa. For any permanent structure, you need someone with the appropriate contractors' license and knowledge of local and state construction codes and permits.

Call a specialist if you need masonry (stone, brick or cement work), carpentry (wood and other material construction), electrical, or special features such as waterfalls and ponds, or murals and sculptures.

Call a landscape contractor if you need any of the above coordinated or overseen, or if you need to know about codes and permits. Individual contractors vary widely in their abilities. Most can provide you with a selection of the specific skills listed above.