Starting a personal gardening proprietorship. Any suggestions?

Question

Hi everyone. I love to garden and am considering starting a business in which I would be performing garden maintenence and design. This will be on a very small scale and I will likely be performing mostly maintenence services. Can anyone offer any advice? I am in Southern Maine.

Answer 1

It's best to schedule a minimum of 4 hours (half a day). That way, you can schedule two jobs in one day. Depending on your work load, you may want to only schedule a full day's work minimum. It's important to know your plants and proper pruning techniques and get all the proper equipment necessary to do the job. If you don't own a truck, you might consider getting one. Winters in Southern Maine might really slow down business. You could offer snow removal from valuable trees and shrubs, pruning winter damage, and winter protection if necessary. It would be best to schedule as much of the design work as possible for the poor weather months as the work really slows down at this time of year. Learn your plants and their cultural requirements. If there are any horticulture programs in your area, it really helps to have an education. Working part-time at a local nursery really boosts your plant knowledge considerably, and can get you referrals for your gardening and design business. Good luck!

Answer 2

pruning should almost always be done by the thinning method.  it maintains the plant's natural symmetry and proportions.  shearing is only for formal gardens or rampant hedges