Back to the Earth

Professionals Help Guide Us in the
Fine Arts of Gardening and Landscaping

by Heidi Thomas

The nursery and landscaping industry is a growing concern in Skagit County. Area owners say that more people are getting into the business because of the population increase. That growth results in new construction, which increases the demand for nursery stock and landscaping.

“It’s a growth-rate industry; everybody is moving to the Pacific Northwest,” states Bob Hamblin, owner of Alpine Meadows Landscaping in La Conner. “We have the ideal climate in this area and the cost of living is less. And nursery stock seems to be increasing in acreage as the farming communities decrease.”

“Skagit County is a unique area along the I-5 corridor as a desirable place to live and so far it has been able to maintain a balance between growth and agriculture,” adds Gary Lorenz, owner of Skagit Valley Gardens in south Mount Vernon.

“It’s an excellent business to be in if you like to work,” enthuses Cindy Zastoupil, who owns Majestic Land Maintenance Co. with her husband, Colin, in Mount Vernon.

“I think there are more people interested in gardening for pleasure,” says Cheryl Loeb, owner of Summersun Greenhouse and Nursery. “It’s a good way to relax, it’s healthy, and it’s satisfying to see things grow.”

Lorenz, owner of Skagit Valley Gardens for 18 years, sees the industry as becoming “more competitive. With people like Martha Stewart touting gardening, it has become a hot theme all over the country. And that’s probably why the mass marketers (like K-Mart) have gotten into it.”

The industry has changed because the larger retail corporations have become involved in selling plants. Traditionally, garden centers were open to the public in March, April and May to sell the spring and summer annuals, and that is when the businesses made their profit, Lorenz explains. “But the mass merchants use these plants as a loss leader and sell them for less than I can buy them wholesale. So now we also have to have something going on 12 months of the year.”

However, he adds optimistically, “This has made it more interesting, challenging and fun. We’ve had to stay open longer hours and become more competitive.”

Lorenz also has updated his facilities and even offers a Garden Café in March through December. He employs eight persons in the off season and 10-12 during the peak summer months. (See Business Profile on page 38.)

 

Attracting new customers

One of the ways nursery owners like Lorenz and Loeb attract customers is by sponsoring seminars. Lorenz offers different community activities throughout the year, such as the Water Festival, with suppliers and installers for garden ponds, and the Garden Expo in March, with vendor displays, talks and question and answer sessions. Scheduled at the end of the Tulip Festival, this event also features family-oriented activities such as a petting zoo.

Summersun, too, features gardening classes through the spring and summer months, a holiday open house at Christmas and another during the store’s anniversary in June. Loeb agrees the industry has grown up from “very small mom-and-pop operations with a few shrubs and trees, mostly associated with feed-and-grain stores.”

Starting the business as a wholesale nursery with her husband Carl and associates Duane and Joan Melcher in 1977, she has since developed the retail portion, adding gift items and gardening accessories. “We’re big on customer service and provide a good variety of excellent quality plants and merchandise, and we’ve become a bit more upscale. It matters to us. We enjoy what we do,” Loeb comments.

Summersun carries perennials, ornamental and fruit trees; indoor foliage and a full line of annuals; and basket and pot arrangements. She employs six full-time persons and adds part-time help during the summer. Their Web site is www.summersun.com.

While nurseries sell perennials, trees and shrubs to commercial landscapers, they are also there for the do-it-yourselfers and gardening enthusiasts. Nursery owners and their staff are generally knowledgeable and able to give advice on what to buy, and some will also help customers with designing. But those who need initial “from scratch” landscaping or who don’t want to spend the time on maintenance can contract the services of a landscaper.

“Most people can’t really do it themselves,” states Steve McKay, owner of Pacific Style Lawn Maintenance Co. in Sedro-Woolley. “If you’re a working couple who spends 40 hours a week at work, when you have a weekend off you don’t want to spend it working on the yard. Or, it’ll be raining, and you can’t.” Another group who uses landscape services are older people who aren’t able to do the physical labor any more, he says.

 

Working rain or shine

McKay, who specializes in 12-month maintenance, sets up a program on a weekly basis – rain or shine – to mow, weed, prune and pick up debris. He is also a certified commercial fertilizer and weed spray applicator. The same monthly fee applies all year around, so people can work it into their budgets. Pacific, with four to seven employees, contracts with both commercial and residential customers. McKay uses a computer program called CLIP (Computerized Lawn Industry Program) to keep track of all jobs, schedules and specific instructions for each and prints a work order for each.

Zastoupil, in business with Majestic five years, employs up to five during the peak season, also specializes in full-service residential and commercial maintenance, and contracts for landscaping design and installation.

Alpine Meadows Landscaping focuses on natural, maintenance-free landscaping. In business since 1969, Hamblin introduced the concept to the area in the early ’70s and says it now has become quite popular.

Planning to retire this summer, he has seen many changes in the industry. “Plant prices have gone from $1 a gallon in the ’60s and ’70s to $6 a gallon now. Equipment and fuel prices are also going up,” he points out. He says regulations on pesticide licensing have become more stringent, with more testing, higher fees and more insurance required.

Karma Place Japanese Antiques and Bamboo Nursery at Bow is a unique business, featuring a Japanese garden and teahouse. Owner Deymian Lesar has had a fascination for Japanese things since she was eight years old and wanted to share what she learned, so she opened the nursery 2 1/2 years ago.

She carries 60 varieties of bamboo, which grows very well in the Pacific Northwest, and can be used for everything from ground cover to tall hedges for privacy screens. She also features Japanese maples, sculpted pines, bedding plants and bamboo accessories and hopes to branch into design in the future.

Lesar has three employees and provides tours of the garden.

“We’re a well-kept secret in this area,” she quips.