Gardens

Starting a landscape consulting business: What do homeowers want to know about their landscapes?

I’m a horticulturist with 10 years of experience working on all type of properties ranging from small homes to 1st class museum collections. I want to share my expertise by working with property owners to help upgrade and maintain their landscapes. I currently write a newsletter that covers seasonal maintenance tasks, pest and disease issues, and design ideas.

We had an interior design business in LA for 30 years and offered a similar service. Some of our clients simply couldn’t afford $30,000 to $50,000 for a total room design, so we offered a service where we devised a plan based on their lifestyle, needs and desires. We rendered drawings with sample color themes, fabric choices, wood tones, window and floor treatments that they could bring with them as they purchased items.

Actually, most of the work we did for our clients was in a sense serving as a liason between the trades and the clients. All of our installers, upholsters, painters, electricians, plumbers, etc. had their own businesses and contracted with us independently to complete our designs. On occasion, we had a general contractor, when large scale projects required it, but most of the time we were the project’s front line quality control, made certain everything stayed on schedule and corrected problems that arose as they occurred.

About 80% of our business came from referrals of existing clients who were eager to tell family and friends about the work they had done. I taught classes at our local community college and adult continuing education center which also brought in new clients. We also did some unpaid work, like designing sets for upstart cable TV shows for the end of show credits. Joining professional membership organizations was helpful, too.

I really think there is a need for the service you want to offer. Focus your marketing efforts on areas or neighborhoods where you see bad landscape design. My little canyon would be an excellent example. We have both front and back hillsides with automatic sprinklers, DG, erosion problems and we are all fighting some kind of tree fungus on our liquid ambers. I, myself have re-planted my front hillside 5 times in 8 years, only to suffer massive plant death. There is only one home in our 37 house neighborhood that has successfully developed a landscape design that provides beautiful curb appeal, has the right plant matter for the soil, sun and conditions we have. If you were sending out a newsletter covering the topics you’ve outlined to homeowners in my neighborhood, you would surely garner a substanial client base!

Garden Design & Care : Flower Bed Ideas

Oxo SteeL Kitchen Tool and Utensil Rack $9.00 Keep your favorite kitchen implements nearby and ready for use with this handy tool rack from Oxo’s stainless-steel line. Made entirely from stainless steel, the rack comes with six fully independent sliding hooks. The hooks feature an open design compatible with Oxo’s steel tools, Oxo Good Grips tools, and most other kitchen gadgets with a hole in the handle. The rack’s brushed finish wipes down …

Coca-Cola Wall Mount Bottle Opener $6.30 This is a reproduction of our classic ‘Drink Coca-Cola’ STARR “X” Bottle Opener. Does not carry the patent# nor the STARR “X” trademark on the bottom of the opener. But is still a great item. Perfect for your kitchen, home bar, deck or any other gathering place. This is an essential item for the beer and soda drinker. Comes with two mounting screws. Purchase a bottle cap catcher to make the bottle…

West Bend 82386 Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster $34.00 Traditional popcorn popper and nut roaster all in one. 2 settings to satisfy your appetite. Precision even heating, temperature controlled heating plate pops up to 6 quarts of popcorn or 1 cup of glazed nuts in minutes. Fully automatic, no need to stir, the machine does all the work. Simple operation, 3 position control offers exact temperature control. Use the popcorn setting for popcorn or the n…

Family Like Branches On A Tree vinyl lettering wall sayings home art decor $4.00 **Please Note*** This is an original from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING. If you are not purchasing from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING then you are purchasing a knock off and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the product. Vinyl Lettering is the best way to decorate your home. It’s much quicker than stencils or paint and looks better too. Apply to walls, mirrors, windows, doors, or any f…

Umbra Wallflutter Wall Décor, Set of 20 $18.75 These stylish Wallflutter wall decor dragonflies are an easy, graphic way to decorate your space. Made from lightweight, molded plastic with a nickel finish, they mount to the wall or any metal surface with simple tack-and-magnet combination hardware for endless configurations – your imagination is the limit! Set of 20 dragonflies includes four sizes ranging from 4.5″ x 2.5″ x .5″ to 5.75″ x 3.25″…

Havahart 1020 Live Animal Two-Door Mouse Cage Trap $13.41 Havahart, 10″ x 3″ x 3″ Live Animal Cage Trap, For Mice, Moles & Shrews,1 LB….

Kikkerland Solar-Powered Rainbow Maker $17.28 You don’t have to be Dorothy or Pollyanna to appreciate beauty in the ROYGBIV. Designed by David Dear, this solar powered rainbow maker will delight everyone who sees it. The genuine Swarovski crystal attaches to your window with a suction cup, and rotates as it refracts sunlight to create a swirl of rainbows….

Kikkerland OR08-W Grass Charging Station, White $22.00 If you’re a true geek, every type of portable device on the planet is probably vying for the valuable electricity at your home. Unfortunately all those gadgets make a big mess with their power adapters and cables while they suck up life-giving electrical juice. Now you can hide that charging cable disaster with scenic grass. The Grassy Lawn Charging Station provides you with realistic artificial g…

Big Ideas for Small Gardens (Paperback) $13.43 Showcasing innovative designs for high-impact gardens in small spaces, hundreds of full-color photographs, step-by-step instructions, plant checklists, and other helpful suggestions explain how to get the most out of limited square footage by creating …

Water Features (Paperback) $20.28 A practical guide offering a range of design ideas from small fountains to ornamental ponds and full-scale waterfalls A water feature transforms a garden into a haven, giving movement and…

Apollo Folding Workstation $115.06 Workstation is designed with smaller or more difficult spaces in mindDesk easily folds up and closes for storageLightweight workstation makes a great addition to your home or office

Let`s Have a Tea Party! (Hardcover) $10.09 Designed for children`s gatherings, this little book gives advice for planning themed tea parties, including a garden tea party and a tea party with a horse theme. It includes not only recipes but ideas for the appropriate games to play.