DH and I were clueless as to what to do with our front yard, but wanted to do it ourselves, so yes, we'd pay someone $60 to tell us what to do.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like your skills could work well in a niche market. I'd love to have advice about what kinds of plants, flowers, etc. would grow well in what type of soil, sun, and moisture conditions, and in which seasons. I might want to carry out those plans myself, or I might appreciate some tips on where to find people to do the work. If you have the experience and skills, you could expand this out to include decks, steps, paths, fences, and other elements of a yard.

I'd be drawn to a company with experience, references, great photos, and a blog or examples that show what can be done with different types of spaces and lighting conditions, etc. Bonus for connections in the industry to carry out the work that you're not able to do.

It sounds like you have some time now so why not start building up a website with a portfolio of your work. You could offer to do this for free or reduced cost for a few friends or neighbors, in exchange for photographing the results and getting their testimonials to post on your website.

Good luck!

Agreed. I'm the PP who kills plants and thinks you could help! I think the subject/title of your post may have been offputting to some and didn't really convey what you communicated. I think gardening is zen and you can provide that.

Sounds like your skills could work well in a niche market. I'd love to have advice about what kinds of plants, flowers, etc. would grow well in what type of soil, sun, and moisture conditions, and in which seasons. I might want to carry out those plans myself, or I might appreciate some tips on where to find people to do the work. If you have the experience and skills, you could expand this out to include decks, steps, paths, fences, and other elements of a yard.

I'd be drawn to a company with experience, references, great photos, and a blog or examples that show what can be done with different types of spaces and lighting conditions, etc. Bonus for connections in the industry to carry out the work that you're not able to do.

It sounds like you have some time now so why not start building up a website with a portfolio of your work. You could offer to do this for free or reduced cost for a few friends or neighbors, in exchange for photographing the results and getting their testimonials to post on your website.

Good luck!

Ignore the negative nancies, OP. Everyone has to start from somewhere, and it's not like you don't have any experience and/or education in the field you wish to turn into your own business. Although it's just been a couple months now, I also left my job for a combination of reasons--kids and more freedom and flexibility to start and run my own solo consulting business. Was just sick and tired of busting my ass for ungrateful asses to look good without providing me proper compensation, adding to my stress levels which was impacting my health, and having less time to be with my kids. I see that you're already doing some work in your own yard/garden, so start setting up your preferred and/or your potential clients' preferred social media platforms, get your website up and running, start blogging, build your audience, asks family/friends if you can do some work for them to build up your portfolio, take lots of pictures your own garden and other jobs you've done in the build-up phase and post them on your website and social media accounts so potential clients can see what you have to offer.

If you wish to include implementation as a service you contract out, my SO is starting his lawn company and would be able to help with carrying out your finalized plans for your clients. Also, if you need help with creating a website, I'm happy to help. If you're interested we can figure out how to exchange contact info.

Best of luck to you, OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love help figuring out what vegetables will grow well in what area of my garden.

+1. I kill my plants and I want to be better. I would love
pointers...gardening can be blissful. Op you can help sell a lifestyle. Best of luck!

Thank you! I’m selecting the best and easier vegetables to grow in this area. Each garden has it’s own conditions and this is why I’d like to work with clients improving their lifestyles. I have my own garden where I test vegetables and new varieties of herbaceous ornamental plants.

Anonymous wrote:I would love help figuring out what vegetables will grow well in what area of my garden.

+1. I kill my plants and I want to be better. I would love
pointers...gardening can be blissful. Op you can help sell a lifestyle. Best of luck!

Anonymous wrote:I am PP who has her own successful landscape design (only) practice. It sounds like most of those responding won't be your customers and do not understand the business.

I probably don't have a typical fee but my entree is about $6500-$8500 for the design and then I charge hourly to supervise the installation and make at least that again. My highest design fee was $85,000 for the original design and I have been back for tweaks nearly every year since. I design everything from decks, porches, swimming pools, driveways, drainage, walls, gardens - and work with architects on new homes or rework established gardens. I find the right landscape contractors (and bring them enough work that I am a priority for them so my clients get on their schedules when I need them to be.) I don't want to grow bigger and stay mostly part time. I hire extra help as needed and there are enough landscape architects/sometimes I even hire just architects around who just don't have the go it alone personality.

I only design/install container gardens for about a dozen of my clients but people pay me $1000's of dollars to do and then come back again year after to year to update.

Those suggesting you work for an established company have no idea you'll be lucky to make $15/hr. If you have the background that you mentioned - you'll do well on your own.

We wear the same shoes. I worked for companies and a couple of organizations where my max pay was $17/hr.

I would love help figuring out what vegetables will grow well in what area of my garden.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am PP who has her own successful landscape design (only) practice. It sounds like most of those responding won't be your customers and do not understand the business.

I probably don't have a typical fee but my entree is about $6500-$8500 for the design and then I charge hourly to supervise the installation and make at least that again. My highest design fee was $85,000 for the original design and I have been back for tweaks nearly every year since. I design everything from decks, porches, swimming pools, driveways, drainage, walls, gardens - and work with architects on new homes or rework established gardens. I find the right landscape contractors (and bring them enough work that I am a priority for them so my clients get on their schedules when I need them to be.) I don't want to grow bigger and stay mostly part time. I hire extra help as needed and there are enough landscape architects/sometimes I even hire just architects around who just don't have the go it alone personality.

I only design/install container gardens for about a dozen of my clients but people pay me $1000's of dollars to do and then come back again year after to year to update.

Those suggesting you work for an established company have no idea you'll be lucky to make $15/hr. If you have the background that you mentioned - you'll do well on your own.

There's a difference between paying someone with clear skills, certifications, and a professional body of work between $4,000 - $8,000 for the plans and supervision of the new landscaping versus someone who just picked up the profession and decided they can do it. OP is a mom with a hobby who wants $500 for a day of doing something I could ask the home depot teller clerk about.

If I asked you about drainage issues or sediment values or the possibility of putting a koi pond versus a hot tub in I'm sure you'll have information on what I'm seeking, excellent partners I can work with and potentially experience doing exactly what I wanted. I would be willing to pay what you're worth and I actually plan to in the next year but I'm not going to hire someone who is only able to half-ass it and still be out a couple hundred bucks.

NP here. Didn't OP say her previous work experience and education are in lansdscape design? That doesn't sound like just a "mom with a hobby" to me, why do you assume that? True she's been home for eight years, but this doesn't strike me as the type of field where her knowledge would get out of date that quickly -- it's not a high-tech start-up.

Yes, she'll need to build up a more recent portfolio to show clients. But why act like her previous education and experience are worth nothing?

Thank you to the posters who provided constructive ideas. Even though I haven’t take employment for a number of years, I’ve been attending a variety of professional training events in the area and out of town.

Lol SAHM with 8 years out of the workforce wants 60 bucks an hour to chat with me about my gardening likes and dislikes.

Just sell Lularoe.

Or you could look in another direction. How about working at a preschool? Subbing? Check out idealist.org and see if anything strikes your fancy. PT work is great if you can find it and enjoy it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Used to work FT before starting a family. It’s been 8 years and I now need an income. My brackground (including a degree) is in landscapes and gardening. I’m bilingual. Would you be willing to pay around $60/hr to get ideas for your garden or business’ outdoor patio/terrace?

Pay you $60/hr for you to tell me that I have too many weeds and that some really nice azelas along the front would make my house pop? Um, yea. I know all this.

$60 is rather greedy. That's a consultation fee? And I don't get anything else with that - work, landscaping, weed removal, anything? Could you at least mow the lawn for that price or put down some new mulch???

I don’t offer mowing, weed removal or any of those heavy duty jobs that other people without experience and education can do. $60/hr includes my time to get there, my time gathering info about the especific garden conditions, chatting with you about your likes and dislikes in the garden, recommendations to you.

SAHM with no valuable job skills explaining to us why certain jobs are beneath her

No. You need to prove yourself again and start all over from square one and build up a clientel