Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

I am trying to start a side business planting flowers and bushes and weeding too.

I have gotten a few emails already, and people have asked about price.

What do I charge for these services? I want to be reasonable and charge less than a landscaper would of course.

Should I ask for a set amount or an hourly salary?

Thanks,
Scott

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

You can come and do it for FREE at my house.. LOL

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

When our landscaper does fall and spring cleanups they charge an hourly rate but he gives me a ceiling that it won't exceed. You might want to do something like that - try to estimate how long it will take, and detail out exactly what you'll do in that time so they don't add to the list of chores.

If you tell them you'll weed the garden area in the front and plant 3 flats of Impatients, and your rate is X per hour, not to exceed XX (based on a generous estimate of how long it will take) it lets you do a few things - you can make them happy by coming in under estimate if that's the case, you let them know the max it will cost them so they don't worry that you're dragging your feet to pad the bill, and if they want to add on to what's being done you can suggest that you'll see how quickly you get the current task done and will either include it in the current estimate if it's going faster than expected, or you can tell them that's additional time & cost.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Good idea. I will be picking the types and colors of the flowers, and also buying all of the flowers for the customer. So I will be adding the price of the flats onto their estimate.

Anyone know where I can buy affordable flats of flowers?

Home depot has flats on sale for $11.99, and you get 32 flowers in each flat.

I am thinking of doing either Marigolds, Mums, Inpatients and a few Black Eyed Susans.

She is leaving it all up to me.

Scott

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Not sure offhand where to get good prices but I'd suggest you don't nickel and dime on the flowers too much - pay a bit more if it means really full healthy plants.

In the long run your clients will be happier with the results and you'll get more referrals and repeat business.

I know if I paid someone and the marigolds didn't really fill out the border I'd be less happy than if I ended up with a really terrific full border of flowers. Even if it's the clients fault for not watering and fertilizing properly once they are planted, they could still think they were not quality plants.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Yeah I wouldnt buy less quality flowers. I have bought at home depot before and have had really nice flower beds.

I usually go to Oberlies in east meadow or a place on main street in Farmingdale that I cannot think of the name of right now but they have excellent flowers.


Her house is Dark red siding on top and brick on the bottom. It is a custom cape.

What color flowers do you think will really pop?

Scott

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

I think an hourly rate sounds good, but also you can try to figue out how much per acre...$200/ 1/4 acre-ish is a landscapers price for spring/fall cleanup.


as for flats, I would check out the nurseries in Dix Hills...that's where the flower farms are - Schmidts (I believe) is about $48/50 for 5 flats...and a flat is usually 48 (not the 32 at home depot and I think prianti has flats of 32)

Johnson's in East Northport is another reasonable place for flats of flowers

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Erica thanks for the recommendations. I live in levittown and the job is in malverne. Those two nurseries are out of my way.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

well, I would assume those are prices you want to look for. The HD price seems too high.

have you checked hicks?

Message edited 4/26/2008 11:44:45 AM.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

The Marigolds in deep gold with the touches of red would be nice. If there are some partly shady areas you could mix in some areas of lime green and red Coleous for interest and color. If it's really sunny, some tall Snapdragon behind the Marigolds would be nice for height. Depends on if she wants very manicured or a mixed bed. I'd stay away from pinks, but some blues or whites might work with the yellows and reds. I'm not too good at planning ahead, just go to the garden center and grab whatever strikes me when I see it, mixing and matching then. I'm also trying to work more with perennials so I'm not buying as many annuals each spring.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Thank you for the ideas. She says it is all up to me.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

You should come up with a set price per flat for planting and then another price for weeding and matinenance depending on the size of the space. Maybe $50 per flat??

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Do you think $50 a flat is too steep? I was thinking $50 for the weeding depending on how bad it is.

Scott

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Scott, I often got my flats (Marigolds, Mums, Inpatients) from Cross Island Fruits in Malverne. They were always beautiful and not expensive when I got them. I didn't get any last year b/c we were in the process of fixing the house and not living there yet so I'm not sure if the prices have gone up at all but you should check them out if you'll be in Malverne working anyway.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Cross Island has the best chicken sausage l

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

I think $50 a flat is steep. I just paid $22 a flat at Hick's Nurseries and have seen them for less. Hick's in on Jericho Tpke in Westbury. They have good plants/flowers.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

She didnt mean $50 to buy a flat - she meant $50 to plant a flat.

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

I called the Oberlie in East Meadow, where I usually get my flowers from at my house and they get $10.99 for a flat of 48 Annuals.

That is a really good price and the quality of their flowers is really good.

Scott

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Hey Scott - I was at Cross Island Fruit yesterday and the flats were $11.99 each in case you run out and are in a pinch when you are in Malverne .

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.

Thanks I was there yesterday picking up my chicken sausage after I went to give the woman an estimate

Re: Planting and weeding for someone - Price question.