I recently hired Bay Landscaping to redo the landscaping on both sides of my front porch.
I was having water problems in the basement on that side of the house. When I consulted them they assured me that by building up the area in front of the house, the rain water would properly drain away, thereby eliminating the water problem.
I have to say that they were true to their word. They dug out the old, pathetic, existing bushes, trucked in new fill dirt, and built up the area. Then they planted several different carefully chosen and positioned shrubs and ground plants. Finally, they filled in the area with decorative stones.
The results are a dry basement and a beautiful front yard! Very satisfied, and highly recommended.