Starting a Gardening Business

Is it for you?

Your parents or a favorite relative grew a beautiful garden.  Growing vegetables, or nurturing a cutting garden or a bed of perennials made their garden the talk of the neighborhood.

Somehow, they knew instantly what each plant needed, and how to treat it when the bugs or a disease arrived suddenly.

They probably won prizes at the fall fair too, for their dahlias, or pumpkins.

They made preserves to give as gifts, from their home grown produce, and fed the family with their vegetables and fruit.

The pride was in everything they grew.

And that's what you want too.

What's Your Dream Plant Business?

Do your thoughts always turn to gardening or landscaping for clients?  This is a skill that's in demand all the time, although mostly it's a seasonal thing.

Some of us are only interested in the plants; making more of them.  Propagators are valuable too.

Whether it's cuttings of deciduous shrubs like Potentilla or roses, or grafting rare specimens of maples, there is a wide variety of specialities.

Selling small plants that people can buy and plant in their own gardens or for other growers to 'grow on' as liners, in the field or in larger pots can be very satisfying.

You can grow a lot of plants in a small area, so a backyard nursery is doable.

Potting up plants into hanging baskets, special pots or other containers brought to you by customers every year is a super way to have repeat business.

Other ideas for your own gardening business include raising redworms for sale to fishermen or for seeding compost piles, or even collecting your backyard chicken eggs for sale to start a poultry flock.

Obsessed with succulents? Start your own succulent plant business - there's an e-course for that.