A Recipe for Trustworthy and Hassle-Free Landscaping in Lancaster, PA

JAROD HYNSON, PRESIDENT • August 29, 2017

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably experienced what it’s like to have workers come to your home that you’re not exactly comfortable around. You hire a contractor to complete a job and suddenly you feel as though you have to cover your children’s ears because of bad language or you can’t even step out for a quick errand because you don’t trust them alone on your property.


While you may think it doesn’t matter as much for a landscaping job—after all, they’re outside—the truth is, it does. It tends to be something that people don’t think about until they start to see the negatives. Do you want to be holed up inside all of the time? Or feel as though you can’t keep your windows open because of the language or the obnoxious music?

An aerial view of a construction site with a pool and gazebo in the background.

Whether it’s a patio, an outdoor kitchen, or maybe even a pool, these types of landscaping projects can take a lot of time to complete. That means having landscape contractors on your property day in and day out. Although they’re spending most of their time outside of your home, you still want somebody that you can trust—and that you feel comfortable around.


After all, you’re investing a lot of money in your outdoor living project. The last thing you want is to feel like a prisoner of your home while the project is completed. We believe it’s important to hire a reputable company for landscaping in Lancaster, PA or surrounding areas. Here’s how to do just that.

What to Look For in Reputable Landscapers in Lancaster County

We know that the landscaping industry, in general, has gotten a bad rap for hiring unsavory characters. Some of the landscaping companies in Lancaster, PA are just out to make as much money as they can on the job and that means hiring cheap laborers. The problem is, you get what you pay for and cheap laborers sometimes doesn’t mean folks that aren’t very professional. They’ll blast their music, use foul language, leave trash in your yard, and smoke on your property. It’s something that a lot of homeowners don’t think about until they’re in the midst of having a nightmarish crew on their property. Then they’re left wondering, “How could my contractor have hired these workers?”

A man is using a vibratory plate compactor on a construction site.

If you’re considering a project involving hardscaping or landscaping in Lancaster, PA, then it’s important that you ask your company representative about the crews that are going to be on your property for the next few days, weeks, or months—depending on the scope of the project. You should feel both safe and comfortable with the crews that will be spending time there.



One way to find out what types of employees a landscape company hires is to find out whether they perform drug testing. It’s a rarity to find landscaping companies in Lancaster, PA that do more than an initial drug test before being hired. But that doesn’t tell you anything about whether they’re using drugs after being hired. They may say that all employees are subject to random tests, but do they really enforce that?

Also, be forthright in asking about the kinds of crews landscapers in Lancaster County hire. Are they permitted to smoke on the job? Will they behave appropriately on the site? Will they need to enter your home? You’re entitled to know this information when you have a family and a home to protect.

How Earth, Turf, & Wood is Different Than Other Lancaster, PA Landscaping Companies

Here at Earth, Turf, & Wood, we constantly receive compliments about our employees. There are several reasons for that. For one, we take hiring landscapers in Lancaster County very seriously. We will go through multiple rounds of interviews in order to find just the right person when it’s time to add to our crews. We firmly believe in never putting someone in our clients’ backyards that we would not put in our own backyard with our own kids at home.

Tree Planting in Lancaster or Reading, PA

Another step we take at Earth, Turf, & Wood is that we perform random drug tests. Employees are tested every month or two at random times. We want to make it a priority that nothing ever winds up on our clients’ properties that shouldn’t be there. We also feel it is our utmost responsibility to protect our clients and that means only employing drug-free workers.



Along those same lines, we have a strict no smoking policy. We do not want our clients finding cigarette butts around their property so we have zero tolerance for our employees smoking on the job site—just as we have zero tolerance for cursing, loud music, drinking, or inappropriate behavior. We also always rent portable bathrooms for job sites so that our crews aren’t in and out of your home unnecessarily or trying to find space in your yard to relieve themselves.


Sometimes we do have to enter your home, to run a utility line or turn something off or on. Our customers feel so comfortable with our crews that they have even left us a key and go on vacation while we do the work. We think that says a lot.

Three men are posing for a picture in front of a truck that says northstarweed.com

Hiring a company that you will feel safe and at ease with being on your property—and around your family—is important. It’s something that we do not take lightly on our end and we employ constant, ongoing efforts to uphold our unwavering beliefs that our clients deserve the best.


We can assure you that we would not allow an employee on your property that does not have our full trust. With that promise, you can focus on watching your project come to life rather than closing all the windows and being holed up in the house until it’s done.


Our crews become friendly with our clients’ families and get to know everyone by name. That’s the kind of experience we expect to set for landscaping in Lancaster, PA—where everyone walks away happy

If you’d like to find out more about Earth, Turf, & Wood we invite you to contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at (717) 721-3530 so that we can answer any of your questions.

A free guide to ask before hiring a landscaping company
A man in a white shirt is smiling for the camera.

Jarod started Earth, Turf, & Wood in the spring of 2000. Getting his start with a lawn care company in his teens, his experience spans 25 years’ in the green industry. His underlying passion is to create well-thought-out outdoor living environments that help create memories for families and friends. Jarod was raised in Central New Jersey, pursued Human Resource Management at Messiah College, and resides in Mohnton, PA. He enjoys spending time with his wife Kristy and their two young daughters and son. He currently serves on the local advisory board for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In his spare time he enjoys just being outdoors, whether vacationing in the Adirondacks, or playing with his kids.

An aerial view of a large swimming pool surrounded by a stone fence.
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