Should I just hire a landscape company to come and "do the yard"?

Do you have underground sprinklers?

I do not have underground sprinklers but not opposed to having them installed if that will help. I want to plant around house in larger beds but haven't a clue what to plant.

I would hire a landscaping company to help you select plants that are appropriate for your USDA zone as well as for the type of soil and lighting conditions.

if you do not want the hassle of watering by hand, install an irrigation system.

I would incorporate some trees into the plan. I suspect that people tend to have large grassy lawns in your area, which is typical for most parts of Mississippi.

the large grassy lawn requires less effort than any other element that you can add. We call it mow and blow in CA since it requires little else from the gardeners to maintain. if you do not have a gardening service under contract, you will have the expense of purchasing and maintaining a lawn mower, which you may already have.

Thanks Kelley! Yes it is a large lawn...even larger in backyard. It's typical here and I suppose we are fortunate. I think I will take your advice and hire someone to help. Until then I am thankful for a riding mower! Thanks again!

I would agree with the fellow posters above recommending to hire a "landscape company"; however, if you have it in your budget to hire a landscape architect who can design a plan meeting your needs and desires creatively. Once that is completed, you can bid out the work competitively to seek out the lowest, most qualified contractor.

The alternative is to seek proposals from multiple design-build contractors. However, you will receive as many ideas and plans as the number of contractors who provide a proposal and you will be comparing apples, bananas, and oranges and possibly making a decision of who to hire based on price and when they can start the work rather than whether or not their proposal delivers your needs and desires for the landscaping.