Seasonal Color

[jondcoleman]

I am pretty new to the industry and have just done mowing and a little bit of other services. I am interested in getting started installing seasonal color for my maintenance accounts. I really don't have any experience in purchasing, planting, or maintaining flowers. Any ideas or suggestions as to how I would get started would be much appreciated.

Jon Coleman
CLIP Lawn Care
Maryland, USA

[ed2hess]

We install flowers at most of our commericial properties. We charge $25/tray. That includes some soil mix, fertilize, control for pest. Then we spray them for fungus and pest as we go along and remove seed heads. Net we don't make a dime on them but got to do it as part of contract. TG set the rate in our area.

[TScapes]

We get anywhere from $4.50-6 per square foot. This includes a bi-weekly maintenance visit. We prep the bed by adding amendments, fert and tilling the bed. Sometimes, we will also do a fungicide application if the bed has had a problem.

Seasonal color is an easy way to separate yourself from the competition. If your color is vibrant and full, you will get great curb appeal and a lot of comments. Same goes if is sucks!! Use something eye catching, and don't use just one variety. Try to make it interesting and cascading, thus pleasing to the eye. Commercial properties need to draw attention to their entrances and signage, and bold and striking color beds help to do this.

Also, we use "mini-nuggets" (pine bark) in top dressing our beds once color is installed. It does not compete with the flowers as far as robbing the nitrogen and hold in too much water. It allows more air and water penetration than regular mulch.

Good luck!