The most difficult economy in decades has curtailed consumer spending on most everything, and landscaping is no exception. Professional landscapers in the metro area said homebuyers who purchase properties in need of a face-lift, as is the case with many foreclosures and fixers, are still spending money on landscaping — but they aren’t spending as much.

“I would say in general that compared to years past, people are scaling back or phasing in projects,” said Doug Bibb of Doug Bibb’s Landscape Co. in Sterling. “A lot of projects are smaller. People are paying more attention to price.