Even clients who want low-maintenance plantings can benefit from a service plan that keeps perennial plantings healthy.
“It’s a really nice niche to pursue,” says Ellen Vincent, an environmental landscape specialist in Clemson University’s Horticulture department. “Annuals are easy. They’re kind of no brainers. It’s the plant connoisseur who will learn about perennials.”Perennials have long been the middle child of lawncare. Stuck between attention-hungry turf and the boastful blooms annuals, perennials have dutifully emerged, year after year. That low-maintenance dependability is a trait that many homeowners want in a landscape, and because breeders have been busy adding showiness, perennials are becoming more and more popular. Landscape contractors can offer perennial services that will help make the plants attractive from a business perspective as well as an aesthetic one.
She says those landscape contractors who take the time to learn more about the perennials for their region will find that the two- to four-week bloom time of perennials of the past has been extended to an entire season in some new varieties. They’ll also learn that low-maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. Many homeowners will be willing to pay for perennial expertise, from installation and on a recurring maintenance schedule.
The May issue of the Livescapes section of Landscape Management explains the billable services in a perennial niche, including:
- Soil testing
- Bed design
- Soil remediation
- Installation
- Establishment
- Mulching
- Weeding
- Dividing plants every three years
