Landscaping work may look simple (that’s the goal!) but there are a lot of things that go into it and, consequently, a lot of things that can go wrong when done poorly.
Here are some common mistakes people make in landscaping design:
- Picking the wrong plants for the conditions (weather, soil, drainage, sunlight)
- Choosing a hodge-podge of materials and plants that don’t fit together.
- Lacking vision and ending up with a boring, cookie-cutter landscape.
- Planting only with one season in mind (for example, lots of spring flowering plants, but no fall or winter interest).
- Choosing trees or shrubs that will outgrow and overcrowd the landscape, and eventually need to be removed.
- Neglecting the unique needs of the homeowner, their family, or their business.
- Failing to use hardscape (aka decking, pergolas, patios) to create useable outdoor living space
- Overpaying by not pricing out the best products or contracts
- Shortcutting processes, particularly for hardscape projects like patios or decking, and creating expensive problems in the long run
- Underestimating budget requirements or, worse yet, intentionally understating how much the project will ultimately cost just to get the contract
- Not timing tasks properly (for example, planting tender plants before installing adjacent patio)
For these and other reasons, landscaping projects of all sizes can benefit from a dedicated account manager. This person guides the process from start to finish, ensuring that the design vision is maintained and everything is installed correctly the first time. They also help keep the project on schedule and coordinate multiple projects so that no task holds up the whole project as a whole. They keep the client informed on any decisions that need to be made along the way.
Landscaping maintenance requires a dedicated account manager for different reasons.
- Cutting grass too short or too infrequently
- Not fertilizing correctly
- Not pruning or pruning at the wrong way and harming plants
- Neglecting dead brush and leaves in the fall
- Not cutting back perennials in the spring to promote tidy-looking new growth
The key reason is having one person overseeing landscaping maintenance is making use of their expertise and the convenience of only having to talk to one person to keep your landscape cared for. Too often, home and business owners spend needless hours communicating with multiple lawn care services, and having to micro-manage each step of their landscape maintenance. That means, finding a decent provider for each service, scheduling the service, and then paying multiple invoices. With a dedicated account manager, clients only have to deal with one person and can leave all the details to them!
