The good news in the midst of the not-so-good was that no one was hurt, the insurance company was sympathetic, and it all looked fixable. The only problem: I’d never really contemplated how much damage might be caused to a landscape that leaves little in the way of void spaces near the house. Answer: A lot.

Three years and a few jobs later, I’ve learned a few lessons from the process. Whether you’re having a fence built or a whole new extension added to your home, here are my top ten tips for making the process a lot less upsetting:

• Talk to your contractor from the very beginning about your plants. Contractors and their crews have to deal with a lot of really difficult people (I’ve heard many stories over the years). When you are not one of them, you stand out and make their job a lot more pleasant. Be firm, but kind. Stand up for your plants, but do so with a smile on your face and the knowledge that, to most people who don’t understand plants, you’re the weird one. Throw a few sheepish grins out there, mention something about ‘passion’ or ‘reason for living,’ but don’t be afraid to speak up.
   
• Walk with your contractor or work chief around the entire area. Don’t assume that he or she knows what an edgeworthia is – or even a hosta. Talk in terms of ‘flowers’ or ‘plant with yellow leaves.’ Making a quick diagram of the area is also helpful (though I never get around to this step).
   
• Give the work crews plenty of options. You don’t want to put work crews in strait jackets so they can’t do their jobs or get so annoyed that they start taking major short cuts and blame you. Give them lots of areas where demolition material can be thrown. Any open space is fair game – even if it’s your pristine lawn. That’s what tarps are for.
   
• Make some tough decisions. Unless you’re living in new construction, you’ve got plants at risk and you can’t save all of them. Figure out what will be set back irreparably or killed vs. those that will merely need to wait for another season to look as good as new. Point out the really precious ones but don’t point out too many.
   
• Move things you can’t replace easily. This is a last option for the desperate, and tough in the middle of a hot summer month, but plants can be dug and temporarily heeled into a large pile of moist compost until you can re-plant them. Keeping them watered is essential.
   
• Be realistic about the things you can’t replace easily. This takes a little perspective, which is something in short supply when temperatures are hot and so are tempers. Its. Just. A. Plant. You may need to read that one more time, but seriously folks, it really is.
   
• Ask to keep one of the contractor’s magnet rakes for at least a couple weeks after the renovation. Nails are everywhere and some will sneak past even the best contractors in town. And, by virtue of your hands-and-knees job as a gardener, you are likely to be the first to encounter them. Take a little time and use that high-powered magnet in the morning to work through your planting beds to find those nails before they find you.
   
• Be kind. It costs very little to offer a pitcher of ice water or a plate of store-bought cookies to crews working their tails off in hot sun or freezing wind, and it’s the right thing to do. If you are home, or work from home, offer some.
   
• Keep dialogue open. Continue to walk your property with your contractor with any big concerns you may be seeing regarding your landscape, but don’t be overly precious.
   
• Keep smiling. If you’re going through this process, it means that you are eventually going to experience an improvement in your living space. Whether it’s a new roof, a new deck or a repaired foundation – there is a big silver lining. Focus on that when you’re feeling down. If you’re having a hard time finding that serenity, ask a friend who is probably fairly envious you’re having work done of any kind and will be the first to tell you to shut up and get over it. We need those friends in our lives.