Arborists are generally considered to be tree care specialists. However, they are also experts in the design, installation, and management of plants and gardens. Qualified arborist services are heavily in demand when it comes to the care of private, institutional, or public grounds. Arborists are also privately contracted; for instance, by homeowners who need help with their landscaping needs.

There are many people who have more property than they can care for themselves. Perhaps they are elderly and can't physically handle the demanding work it takes to properly maintain the trees and gardens in the yard. Others are just too busy with work, family, and other obligations. Finally, some people just don't have a green thumb. They don't work well with plants, and they have neither hope nor interest in learning. Each of these individuals is a typical candidate for contracting an arborist.

Good Arborists and Bad Arborists

More specifically, you might hire an arborist to plant trees, plants, or a garden. Of course, just because you've hired the arborist to do the work doesn't mean you can't have your creative ideas implemented to the letter. In fact, the best arborists are heavily interactive in their technique, working closely with property owners to find out exactly what they want. From there, arborists try to come as close to that as reality permits.

Good arborists will encourage creative input from their clients, not stifle it. If you've contracted an arborist who seems uninterested in your ideas but insists on imposing her own, you should find another one. However, try not to mistake the arborist's exercise of his or her professional judgment with a closed attitude. For instance, if the arborist discourages you from planting palm trees in Vermont, it's more likely that she's trying to keep you from wasting your money on an unfeasible idea than trying to stifle your creative input.