Friday, March 12, 2004

Landscape boom yields cash crop

By AUDREY PARENTE
NEWS-JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

DAYTONA BEACH — George Whitehead spent weeks laying sod, weeding and planting crotons and lilies in his yard.

"Every year it´s a major project," Whitehead said Thursday, as he strolled past frog-festooned fountains and gardening supplies at the Daytona Beach Garden show, looking for new products and ideas. The event runs through Sunday at the Ocean Center.

But, while do-it-yourself landscaping projects are growing, there´s a much faster growing segment of the agriculture industry: professional landscape, lawn and tree-care services.

Not far behind Whitehead in the stream of Garden Show visitors strolling through six elaborate designer gardens -- all wrapped around three decorator rooms -- was Jane Seifert of Ormond Beach.

Unlike Whitehead, Seifert hires help for most of her yard work.

"The only thing I do is pull weeds," she said.

The National Garden Association reported more than 85 million households purchased lawn and garden products in 2002, up more than 13 percent from over the previous five years.

But according to the American Nursery & Landscape Association, the average household paid $1,170 -- up 81 percent over a five-year period -- for other people to do their yard work.

"The younger generation doesn´t have time," said Linda Landrum, extension agent at the Volusia County extension service. "They work full time and are trying to raise children."

She and other experts will present garden seminars during the weekend.

Don Harrison, public relations spokesman for Home Depot´s Eastern Division, said baby boomers drive the professional landscaping market.

"They are not getting away completely from do-it-yourself, but more and more emphasis is being put on ´do it for me,´" he said. Harrison said Home Depot opened 11 stand-alone landscape supply stores nationwide that cater to professional landscapers. None is in Volusia or Flagler counties yet.

One Garden Show exhibitor, Robin Cone, co-owner of Big Value Garden Center of Daytona Beach, said only 30 percent of her business satisfies do-it-yourselfers. The rest use their professional services.

Another exhibitor, Lisa Schatz, owner of VerdeGo, a full-service garden center in Bunnell, said she has seen a growing interest in professional design services.

Schatz said VerdeGo once wholesaled plants to commercial operations but added a retail design service a year-and-a-half ago.

"It´s already half of our business," she said.

George Hausermann, whose grandfather started an orchid operation in 1939, said his DeLand business -- Power Plant -- is thriving because of the interest in gardening by both do-it-yourselfers and "do-it-for-me" gardeners.

From his booth at the Garden Show, Hausermann said he´s just happy people are using his plants.

"We used to grow the big, cut orchids," he said. But now technology allows him to breed more varieties and colors than his grandfather ever could.

"We clone several we like," he said. "We grow millions."

Passion for Planting

Americans love digging in the dirt.

* American households spent an average of $466 on lawns and gardens in 2002.

* We´re spending more each year to manicure our estates, with $39.6 billion doled out in 2002, up from $26.6 billion in 1997.

* The plant suppliers couldn´t be happier: Nursery and greenhouse crops are among the top 10 agricultural commodities in 42 states, including Florida.

* Among the consumers providing the industry with the biggest boosts are, in no particular order: men, college graduates, married households, families with total incomes over $75,000.

SOURCES: National Gardening Association; American Nursery & Landscape Association.

The Job Center » On Course for College » Food For Thought » Meet Me At The Mall »