lowes for pros special report
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I was interviewed by "Lowes For Pros" for this article that focused on landscape trends of 2010.TRANSCRIPT
Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects
E very year, the cold and desolate winter eventually gives
way to a warm and vital summer. Luckily for landscap-
ers, what’s true for the environment also holds true for
the economy. And with spring finally here, summer can’t be far
behind—for landscapes, or for those that build them.
With an economic upswing, new home construction is expect-
ed to increase this summer. The National Association of Home
An expected housing industry upswing is good news for professional landscapers, who can position their business for a strong recovery by meeting consumer demand
for landscaping that’s practical, affordable and sustainable.
Builders (NAHB) forecasts a 25 percent growth in new-home
construction this year over last.
Most of that growth is in single-family homes—NAHB is forecast-
ing 697,000 total housing starts in 2010, up from an estimated
555,000 last year. Any positive growth in the construction sector
trickles down to every aspect of the industry—including land-
scaping.
A Closer Look:
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“Obviously, the landscaping business is tied to construction,”
says landscape designer Danilo Maffei, a board spokesperson
for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD)
in Harrisburg, Pa. “[If construction improves this year] it certainly
will be a good thing for landscapers—although we’re not certain
whether it will be a good thing this year or a good thing next year,
as the landscape industry typically trends behind construction by
a quarter or two.”
Whether outdoor investments take off this year or next, the best
time to prepare for an eventual surge in landscaping demand is
this summer, and the best way to prepare is by positioning your
business for growth with summer projects capitalizing on the top
five landscaping trends of 2010:
1. Modest luxury
In response to the economic downturn of 2009, consumers are
holding back in 2010, which means smaller—but not necessarily
fewer—landscaping projects. “People are getting very practical
and are tending toward more simple kinds of things,” says land-
scaping professor Douglas R. Fox, director of the Center for Sus-
tainability and Global Change at Unity College in Unity, Maine.
Adds landscape designer and APLD board membership chair
A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects
“I think people have gone without for a while now, and they’re tired of it. People still want what they want. This year, luxury is therefore going to be bigger and better—but without the rampant excess that we saw in the early to mid-2000s.”
—Landscape designer Danilo Maffei, a board spokesperson for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) in Harrisburg, Pa.
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Susan Cohan, “Projects in 2010 will be smaller. They’re looking
to do more with less.”
Despite their more frugal nature, clients are still looking for that
upscale feel. “The big thing this year—believe it or not—is going
to be luxury,” Maffei says. “I think people have gone without for
a while now, and they’re tired of it. People still want what they
want. This year, luxury is therefore going to be bigger and bet-
ter—but without the rampant excess that we saw in the early to
mid-2000s.”
What that means for landscapers is that the “staycation” trend
of the last few years will continue, but with the volume turned
down. Clients will still be asking for swimming pools, for instance,
but without upscale waterfalls and slides; they’ll still be asking
for outdoor dining, but they’ll be installing high-end grills rather
than custom outdoor kitchens; they’ll still be interested in water
features, but they’ll tend toward simple waterfalls over elabo-
rate streams and ponds; and they’ll still be looking for backyard
campfires, but they’ll be considering small fire bowls instead of
large, built-in fire pits.
2. Incredible edibles
Because they want to save money, eat healthier and learn a new
at-home hobby, scores of consumers have expressed an interest
in vegetable gardening, which is fueling an industry-wide trend
in edibles that’s extended all the way to the White House, where
First Lady Michelle Obama planted her own vegetable garden
last spring. “People are very interested in growing food,” Cohan
says. “It’s probably the single largest trend going on in gardening
and landscaping right now.”
A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects
Food for ThoughtAlthough vegetable gardening is a popular do-it-your-
self trend, savvy landscapers know that do-it-yourself-
ers often can benefit from expert help.
“As more people understand the benefits of growing their
own fresh produce, we’re finding consumers are hun-
gry for information on how they can start and maintain a
successful food garden,” says Craig Humphries, direc-
tor of consumer research at Scotts Miracle-Gro. “In fact,
last year alone we saw about a 66 percent increase in
the number of vegetable gardening-related calls into our
Scotts Consumer Services line.”
To turn a do-it-yourself trend like vegetable garden-
ing into a business opportunity, establish yourself as
an expert and educator. Landscapers who serve as
a resource often benefit from more referrals—and an
increase in referrals typically translates into an increase
in revenue.
Together the National Gardening Association (NGA) and
Scotts Miracle-Gro studied the vegetable gardening
trend last year. The resulting report, The Impact of Home
and Community Gardening in America, found that:
• In 2009, 43 million U.S. households planned to grow
their own fruits, vegetables, herbs or berries, up 19
percent from 2008—nearly double the 10 percent
growth experienced between 2007 and 2008.
• 21 percent of U.S. households planned to start a
food garden in 2009.
• 11 percent of households already active in food
gardening planned to increase both the amount
and variety of vegetables they grow in 2009.
• Gardeners spent a total of $2.5 billion to purchase
seeds, plants, fertilizers, tools and other gardening
supplies to grow their own food in 2008.
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Although edibles are in, consumers are no longer interested in
the traditional fenced-in vegetable garden. Instead of backyard
vegetable patches, consumers this year will practice container
gardening and vertical gardening so they can grow herbs and
vegetables in even the smallest outdoor spaces—and without
bending over, which is a major benefit to aging baby boomers.
3. Vintage verdure
Although consumers are interested in more modern forms of
vegetable gardening, the traditional look of shrubbery is still pop-
ular. “There’s a renewed interest in shrubs for color,” Cohan says.
“Think Grandma’s plants—flowering shrubs—like hydrangeas, li-
lacs and roses.”
4. Green greenery
Classics like purple lilacs and red roses may be big, but the most
popular color this year is green. “People are looking to reduce
their carbon footprint outside,” Cohan says, and they’re doing
exactly that by replacing exotic plants with native ones.
“People are thinking about plants that are appropriate to their
region instead of something exotic that will have to be replaced
or will be only marginally hardy,” says Cohan. He adds that na-
tive plants tend to require less care and maintenance. They also
support a healthier food chain, according to Fox, as native plants
support native insects, which support native birds and so on.
5. Little lawns
Because clients want to be more eco-friendly, they’re likely to
want less grass. According to ecological landscape designer
Risa Edelstein, lawns are one of the most damaging landscape
practices because of the tremendous, necessary upkeep.
“Plus, lawns are very expensive between mowing and fertilizing,”
says Edelstein, board member for the Ecological Landscap-
ing Association in Framingham, Mass. “Since everybody’s in a
money-saving mode right now they’re combining saving money
with being green, and so they’re looking at reducing the amount
of lawn they have.”
Less lawn means more plants. While their clients still want a
lawn—enough for their kids to play on, for instance—landscap-
ers should be prepared to replace large portions of lawns with
edibles, perennial beds, trees and shrubs. “Also organic lawns,”
Cohan adds. “People want to reduce the size of their lawn, and
they want to make it less chemically dependent.”
A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects
Classics like purple lilacs and red roses may be big, but the
most popular color this year is green. “People are looking to reduce their carbon footprint
outside,” Cohan says, and they’re doing exactly that by
replacing exotic plants with native ones.
84% of consumers are willing to pay more for “green” garden/landscaping supplies.
Source: Burst Media