see many women landscapers around?

[kshaw]

Hi, this is my first posting. I want to ask if the professionals out there see and/or hire many women landscapers. I'm considering starting a business after completing an 11 week landscape maintenance course at a local college. I'm a master gardener with my county, so of course I'm an avid home gardener. I would like to offer lawn mowing and treatments, and shrub and plant maintenance-planting, pruning, weeding, mulching, etc. I won't be doing hardscapes or large tree work. I don't have professional experience, only my own large, high maintenance lot- and volunteer master gardener requirements. The college class will be hands on in which I'd get some training with all the big and small power equipment. Now I've only used a home mower, string trimmer, and various hand tools. Any comments? Thank you for your time.

[nosparkplugs]

Tiger Time Lawn Care here In Memphis:) All women staff & work in Bikini's mowing, weedeating & blowing, how can you compete against this:waving: He made nation headlines with this.

http://www.tigertimelawncare.com/

[White Gardens]

I've got a couple of Part-timers that are women and help me out. (no bikini's, that goes against my safety rules, and company protocol)

They work as hard as they can and generally don't complain about it like most men do.

Besides the heavy manual labor, I'd put these two girls up to the Pepsi Challenge any day against a man.

[clipperslawnservice]

my wife is starting my landscape end of the business. shes awsome. knows the right colors to mix, diff. textures, shapes and sizes. words spreading already!!!!!!!!!! cha- ching!!!!!!!

[kshaw]

Thanks for the replys. I'm looking forward to getting this off the ground. I originally wanted to work in the wholesale nursery/greenhouse business, but I've been told by the Oregon Association of Nurseries that I could only get a job with a wholesale nursery if I had a college degree in Horticulture! I was told that all other jobs at the wholesale nurserys are minimum wage unskilled labor, (unless you have a degree). Its my state's biggest agriculture crop. Then I realised it was doing yardwork in the garden I really enjoyed, so now I'm trying to prepare for business!

[QualityLawnCare4u]

I have only seen two here in all the years I've been in this biz. May be more but have never saw them.

[Junior M]

Tiger Time Lawn Care here In Memphis:) All women staff & work in Bikini's mowing, weedeating & blowing, how can you compete against this:waving: He made nation headlines with this.

http://www.tigertimelawncare.com/
they dont run a trimmer wearing that, do they? ;) I mean its a great idea and all but I get all cut up when I wear shorts and run the trimmer, I couldnt imagine what would happen wearing that.. :eek:

[2brothersyardcare]

cutting of a naughty place

[Kate Butler]

I own the company and for years had all-female crews (they guys weren't interested).. I don't do grass unless it's for an established client who's in a bind, but we do all the rest, tree & stone work, design & build plantings, maintenance, pond work, etc..

[White Gardens]

I own the company and for years had all-female crews (they guys weren't interested).. I don't do grass unless it's for an established client who's in a bind, but we do all the rest, tree & stone work, design & build plantings, maintenance, pond work, etc..

I was hoping you were going to chime in Kate. From what I've gathered on this site you are the poster child for women being successful in the Landscaping world.

[Mowbizz]

I have been seeing what appears to be husband/wife "teams" around the northern MA and So.H area this season. Of course, they may not be related at all but that's what I have perceived...I'd love to see more women out here...I think they have a much better work ethic and are not prone to "goofing off" on the job like many of the younger (and older) men. By goofing I mean constantly on the cellphone, etc., and trying to be funny and boisterous in public...(I hate that).

[93Chevy]

If you bust your nuts outside all day like I do, I have respect for you, no matter age, color, or gender.

[Kate Butler]

I was hoping you were going to chime in Kate. From what I've gathered on this site you are the poster child for women being successful in the Landscaping world.

Thanks you kind sir, may I use your quote on my website?

[White Gardens]

Thanks you kind sir, may I use your quote on my website?

By all means, you have my permission to quote me.Thumbs Up

Nice to know your still lurking around Kate. I only occasionally see you post anymore.

[Kate Butler]

By all means, you have my permission to quote me.Thumbs Up

Nice to know your still lurking around Kate. I only occasionally see you post anymore.

I visit every day, but only post if I have something to add - I try not to add to the inevitable fluff.

[TGM]

like mowbizz, i am seeing more husband/wife teams out there doing work.

i didn't see any women in southern maine anywhere, but in the seacoast of new hampshire, there are many companies with women in them. i think it's great so long as people do good work (or bad work and i get the account :laugh: )

[johntyler]

I see lots of women in our area. I have had many women work for me, currently I have just one. At one point I had all women. For the most part I find women pay more attention to detail. Are much more reliable than young men. Women also don't have the attitude of older expereinced men who don't take direction or suggestion well.

My advice woud be to get some experience working for a couple different companies first. Learn on thier dime. Work for the best respected in your area. Go with an organic firm as they are the way of the future. Old Chem lawn guys will continue to be a fading breed.

[DLAWNS]

I don't see that many women working in my area. A few but not many. That doesn't mean anything, though. Go for it and good luck! Ask questions and read as much as you can. There is so much great info and very helpful people on this site.

[HISnHERS]

My girlfriend (and soon to be wife) is the HERS part of our young business. We've both been autoworkers the last 13+ years and this year we decided to take advantage of a unique opportunity and go the full time LCO route. (Yes, Lic, Ins, EIN #, and all that) She loves the work, can wheel barrow eight yards of mulch off a trailer, crawl around & smooth it out, make it look good, all in the heat with a gorgeous smile and no complaints. She's been driving forklifts her entire autoworker career and has qualified for several Honda North American Forklift Rodeo Championship events, so she can wheel our ZTRs with no problem. I'm d%mn lucky to have her...

[greeneyes]

I'm a 40 something female and started my lawn cutting and landscaping company 5 yrs ago, so I'm in my 6th season. I started with a male partner in his mid twenties. He was mowing on his own & I was doing perennial maintenance and small landscaping work on my own for a few years when we formed our partnership. After 2 years he lost interest, so I've been on my own since. I am only 5'4" and lucky if I end the season at 100 lbs. or more (just cked 102 today, woo hoo!). Professional cutting does take some practice and there are right and wrong was to do it. It also takes quite a bit of capital to start. You've got to have a vehicle to pull a trailer, the right size trailer to carry your equipment, equipment (riders, walk-behind, maybe a 21" push mower), trimmers, blowers, and then get into leaf removal, etc, and the costs can go up and up. Gas & oil costs, maintenance (will you do it yourself?-oil changes, sharpening blades, scraping the decks, etc.). There's alot more to it than you may think.
But, I love it! My customers are loyal and I do alot more for them than alot of other LCOs will do. I offer spring and fall clean ups, new beds, planting, maintenance, and leaf removal. I have one customer that has me weed his vegetable garden.

The other thing to consider is whether or not you want to work alone or have employees. I have always had help and that can be a hassle too. If you need employees, and you want to be legit (payroll taxes, workmans comp, etc.) there's alot more accounting involved. (I was an accountant, prior to this, so I do alot of it myself, I won't even imagine what a CPA might cost.)

I definately don't want to discourage you, I love my work, but make sure you've done your research.

[americanlawn]

Many customers ask if we do landscaping. We say no -- we only maintain stuff.

Next question they ask - Who do you recommend?

The best two companies in our opinion have mostly women on their staff. I know the owners of each company -- both say their female employees care more, pay attention to detail, and they show up for work on time.

BTW -- I love the bikini girls. :usflag:

[4.3mudder]

I bet that camera guy got some good "footage".

[Disgruntled_Veteran]

Have not seen any females in Houston or Fort Worth but they are large cities so who knows...

[STIHL GUY]

i have seen a couple women landscapers around here

[yrdandgardenhandyman]

Hi, this is my first posting. I want to ask if the professionals out there see and/or hire many women landscapers. I'm considering starting a business after completing an 11 week landscape maintenance course at a local college. I'm a master gardener with my county, so of course I'm an avid home gardener. I would like to offer lawn mowing and treatments, and shrub and plant maintenance-planting, pruning, weeding, mulching, etc. I won't be doing hardscapes or large tree work. I don't have professional experience, only my own large, high maintenance lot- and volunteer master gardener requirements. The college class will be hands on in which I'd get some training with all the big and small power equipment. Now I've only used a home mower, string trimmer, and various hand tools. Any comments? Thank you for your time.

My wife has worked with me for the full 10 years we've been in business. We still bump heads but I couldn't do this without her. Also she is great for customer relations. The guys and the elderly customers would rather talk to her than to me.
She just has a way with people.
As a matter of fact she even encouraged me to quit my job and devote full time to the business. And away down the self sufficiency path we go.

[W.L.M.]

I worked with 2 in the past, gotta say they worked pretty good and were pretty easy on the eye as well.

[airsoftamazon]

I think I fit the bill *trucewhiteflag*:waving:

[frotis]

They should have called it Cougar Time Lawn Care