Landscape businesses can be challenging to run. They have to keep up with the client’s needs, fix finicky equipment and stay on top of employee training. Then there is snow on December 1, which halts all fall work. Even home gardeners can have a difficult time. It’s easy to feel “whew” when the growing season is over, sometimes suddenly. What a year it’s been! It’s time to take a rest. While some R & R is nice, it would be more constructive to review the past year and see what went well and what did not, and then plan for next year.
When I reflect on the year that was, I am thankful to say that it was a great one. I had some great projects, satisfied clients, engaged staff, and lessons learned which helped me to be successful in the future. I would like to share them with you and encourage to embrace them too.
1. Create a standard operational procedure (SOP).
Many people are surprised at how they just make up their own gardening plan every year. They reinvent the wheel each time a new landscape management issue or gardening task arises. It is a waste of time and money to keep figuring out the same thing over and over. You can be more efficient, work faster and perform at a higher standard by developing a SOP. This will help you to differentiate yourself from the average home gardener. This may seem overkill to a home gardener but it will allow you to keep track of the tasks that need to be completed, whether you or a landscape professional who works for you are doing them.
Create standard definitions of all terms that you use. The definitions of “fall cleanup”, for example, can vary greatly between gardeners. Just like in any industry, gardening and landscape management have their own jargon. The use of jargon, without a clear understanding as to what it meant, caused some confusion between myself and my clients and workers this year. It’s as if you slammed on the brakes when there is confusion. The workflow must be redirected, feathers unruffled and corrections made. By defining the terms to the exact tasks they involve, you eliminate confusion and ensure that the job gets done.
2. Encourage critical thinking
While you are actively working on putting your SOP into place, you’ll be creating a framework with a set rules that will allow you to follow them verbatim or bend them as necessary. To make this kind of decision, everyone must be able to think critically and analyze the situation. Landscape development and fine garden design are a combination of science and art. Every situation is different and requires a different response. You need to be able to think critically and logically about the weather, water, nutrient levels, plants, and human interference in all these areas. This Sunday/Monday’s snowstorms, which lasted into Tuesday, is a great example. As we do, I’m certain that many of you still have work to be done in your gardens. How are you going to handle that? You can’t just give up. You need to be patient, and then creative. This is how we continue to work even when snow falls early.
3. React rather than respond.
You are more susceptible to problems if you don’t have SOPs or critical thinking. When faced with a challenge, we tend to react quickly and look for a quick fix. When gardening, it is common to grab any tool or product and try to fix the problem as quickly as possible. You should instead carefully analyze the situation and gather information to help you respond more efficiently and effectively. Formulate an optimal solution that will have a long-lasting, positive impact on the garden. It is especially important to remember this when you are dealing with invasive plants, pests and diseases. Human nature compels us to act quickly when we are faced with something novel or unfamiliar. We are better off developing a thoughtful response to a problem that will provide better results, and prevent us from having to deal with it again in the future.
4. Learn, learn, learn.
Gardening and the environment are dynamic and constantly changing. We must adapt to the changing conditions of gardening as they change with the natural world. Learning is important. It is important to accept the fact that there will always be something new for us to learn. We should reach out to land grant universities and other gardeners to find out what research is being done and how we can add to gardening knowledge. We can also share our results so that others can learn from what we’ve done. We will never have the perfect garden, because gardens are constantly evolving. The garden from twelve months ago will not be the same garden as today’s. Perfection in gardening and perfection are not compatible.
5. Slow down your roll
It’s time for us to embrace these concepts and slow down the pace of our work. We have standard operating procedures, we are willing to think critically, and we want to learn constantly. Now that we’ve mastered the art of responding more effectively, we can do so with greater precision and efficiency. Landscape management and garden maintenance are long-term projects. Many of the advantages gained by implementing the four tips above will continue to be seen years later. Landscapes will become more beautiful and functional over time with the new mindset you develop by embracing these five tips. This will be an improvement to quick fixes and ignoring critical tasks. You’ll also avoid the blindside caused by knee-jerk reactions or a lack of care.
