About the Landscape Juice Network

Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.

LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry

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For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.

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  • I have run a 'split' company for 35 years. 75% hard landscaping to 25% maintenance for the first 20 years. Over the years we gained more and more maintenance, basically because there are so many ‘less than average’ operators out there. Our motto is ‘improvement year on year’ and it seems that too many ‘skimp year on year’ and quite honestly haven’t got a clue.

    We now have 80%maintenance to 20% hard landscaping and compared to laying flags, erecting fences, digging ponds, laying turf, building walls etc etc, maintenance is a doddle – but here’s the rub, you’ve got to know what you are doing and as Duncan says the skills are different. If you are used to hard landscaping, then you have the right grounding ie you are used to ‘getting stuck in’, many don’t like getting on their hands and knees and raking out behind prickly shrubs etc!

    We started a new job last week and the customer said, ‘oo you use your own lawn mower AND take the rubbish away – the other gardeners didn’t’! I’m sure you’d have no trouble competing with that!

    So having waffled on, hard landscaping can be more fun and at times very satisfying but maintenance is the way to go, the better you are the more work you will get – it keeps 4 of us going throughout the year!

  • PRO

    Similar to Colin's reply, even down to the ratio split. We only do small hardscape projects for existing customers now. Along with working commercial, and required/requested services from our clients, it gives us 'year round' business and stability.On occasions we have been busier during winter than summer. I find it more scalable but you do need more investment in Pro Gear......

    Colin Hunt said:

    I have run a 'split' company for 35 years. 75% hard landscaping to 25% maintenance for the first 20 years. Over the years we gained more and more maintenance, basically because there are so many ‘less than average’ operators out there. Our motto is ‘improvement year on year’ and it seems that too many ‘skimp year on year’ and quite honestly haven’t got a clue.

    We now have 80%maintenance to 20% hard landscaping and compared to laying flags, erecting fences, digging ponds, laying turf, building walls etc etc, maintenance is a doddle – but here’s the rub, you’ve got to know what you are doing and as Duncan says the skills are different. If you are used to hard landscaping, then you have the right grounding ie you are used to ‘getting stuck in’, many don’t like getting on their hands and knees and raking out behind prickly shrubs etc!

    We started a new job last week and the customer said, ‘oo you use your own lawn mower AND take the rubbish away – the other gardeners didn’t’! I’m sure you’d have no trouble competing with that!

    So having waffled on, hard landscaping can be more fun and at times very satisfying but maintenance is the way to go, the better you are the more work you will get – it keeps 4 of us going throughout the year!

  • Hard landscaping can potentially be more profitable but it carries more financial risk too. Building a stunning garden or feature is immensly rewarding and doing it on time and on budget makes the world feel like a great place to live. However detailed quotes, product research, nipping to the builders merchants (again), feeling obliged to absorb the odd additional cost without passing it on, winter trading stagnation and inconsistent cash flow make it a challenging career choice.

    From a business point of view maintenance gives you better cash flow, more customers and in my opinion is less troublesome. It's more controllable and you get to work with plants. Invariably there is only so much you can charge for tending to a garden but how many of us are in this to be millionaires? I think hard landscaping is largely skills based whereas maintenance is more knowledge based.

    I suppose it's personal preference but I've switched to maintenance with the added bonus that if any of my clients need a patio or pergola then we can do it.
  • PRO

    Would it be a fair point to say that more people are now prepared to pay for maintenance?

  • Not sure. There have always been gardeners. I think what has changed is more people now recognise that gardening is a knowledge based skill/trade just like any other trade and can command a certain level of financial reward but you have to add value and not just push a mower up and down in order to justify that reward.
  • Sat here on a bank holiday Monday crunching out three estimates for landscaping, I can relate to the last post. For me, it can often be a chore, the worst part of the job, estimating and sourcing, as no two jobs are the same (or very rarely).

    Currently, I really enjoy the freedom of one-off projects, not being tied to regular maintenance schedules, but is it worth it overall? Hmm, not so sure it is, particularly after reading all the above, and the body ain't getting any younger either. (Yes, I know a big clearance job can be wearing too!)

    Duncan, what would you say would be a minimum level of horticultural knowledge needed to start maintenance proper? Difficult to quantify, I guess. Many have said before that academic hort quals are not worth the paper, others suggest reading from good books. Great thing is, you'll always learn more with hands-on experience, particularly if you're keen to learn and receptive, but what would be a good benchmark/level to start from?

  • Yes, we make a good living from domestic maintenance.

    As most people have said, maintenance isn't easy, at least when you first start. Plant knowledge is key and that only comes with hands on experience.

    Without plant knowledge you are in the 'mow,blow and go' class, who run round and then shoot off to the next customer after doing the minimum they think they can get away with, or as much as their plant knowledge will allow. We have gained plenty of work from exasperated customers who tell us, 'All he wanted to do as soon as he got here was go, rushing about......'.

    My wife and I run a partnership which is 95% domestic maintenance the rest being commercial jobs. We have ditched a lot of commercial work this year to concentrate on domestics. With the domestic side we know at the end of the job/week/month we're paid, non of this 30/60/90 days wait for our money.

    Gary RK will tell you he sleeps easy with his commercial work, but so do we, we can look in the diary and barring attrocious weather we know what we'll earn in any given week.

    We target the 'cash rich/time poor type of customer, they want a nice garden, period, so upselling lawn care etc is easy. If you supply a quality service then customer loyalty is good.

    Overheads?, good quality hand tools, good mower etc, it's finite.

    Just give yourself time to build up a quality customer base and Bobs your uncle!

  • For me, maintenance is a struggle to find the perfect fit between the clients available in your area, and the other people you compete with. I have a nice niche; I'm small and flexible (as a business, sadly not as a bloke, lol), and below VAT, so pick up a lot of work from the larger local maintenance companies. At the other end I'm resonable knowledgable, half-presentable, and licensed/insured, so I don't get too much competition from the bottom-end gardeners.

    One thing I'm gradually doing is cutting down the overheads by farming some work out. I've never done trees, and I think this year I might pass on the larger hedge work and fencing repairs. Less equipment, less hassle, and I can spend the time on regular contracts rather than the once- or twice-a-year jobs that get right in the way when I'm busiest.

    The domestic/commercial balance is, again, never going to be answered as it suits different businesses. I know I charge reasonably well, and it's year-round income, so waiting a few weeks for payment is acceptable. To me, £150 per month all year is better than £200 per month over 9 months. If I'm getting a 10% premium, waiting 90 days isn't an issue, but regular contracts on standing orders are the way to ensure a decent living IMO.

  • PRO

    I like the phrase 'sleeps easy ' - it is probably more important than whether you perform residential, commercial or hardscaping etc services.

    No one aspect or ratio or work type is right for all - you have to find your level, your market, your niche, your comfort factor and what works.

    I played my hand a long while ago and have continued with the same strategy, but it's great to hear what works for others on LJN and be able to pick thru ideas to see if they can also work for you...

  • Very interesting comments. I have been doing 'gardening/landscaping' since 1993 starting with my ols boss doing mainly domestic and commercial maintenance. We started to lose contracts dont know why so hence in 2005 i started on my own. Now my work consists of 90% Hard Landscaping and 10% Maintenance. I have a few regular maintenance jobs but thats it. But if anyone has read my other post about my back pain, i am wondering whether to change direction and focus more on Maintenance. I am concerned that the market is a wash with companies and people doing mowing etc, but like someone has mentioned there are 2 types of maintenance people. I like to think i am the other which takes care and pride in their work and to re-boot plant knowledge would be a bonus too.

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