saved a TON of money, and made even more with resale of my former home by looking to see if any colleges/universities near me had landscape architecture degree programs.
found one-and sent word to a professor that if they had a student who wanted a portfolio opportunity I would let them design my yard in exchange for before and after photos. learned that it was a senior project for them to design a yard, and it was a coveted opportunity for them to actually be able to have real life before/after photos (vs. computer generated conceptions).
with or without a designer-look to the grading of your yard and the drainage, and include it in the design (we slightly sloped our lawn and included almost invisible drains that carried all the rain water out of the yard into the gutters in the front-ours was the only home in the neighborhood that didn't have a flooded backyard every winter).