A recent issue of Landscape and Irrigation magazine presented a lot of information gathered from homeowner surveys. Nothing popped out on my first glance read through, but a second glance illustrated some interesting information.
Here’s some highlights, remember this is homeowners talking.
Top 5 Most Important Yard Updates (In Order)
- Beds and borders
- Shrubs
- Perennials
- Trees
- Lighting
Turf grass seems to be on the outs. People are looking at plant materials and planting areas. Lighting is number 5 and the only mechanical system. Additionally, 19% of lighting installs or upgrades included ability to control from mobile devices.73% were LED.
The number one fixture type were stake mounted. Accent lights were second, followed by deck/wall fixtures. Well lights came in dead last. Interesting as we’ve watch the market move away from well lights the past 5 years.
When asked about the mechanical systems in their yard, people said lighting is number one followed by irrigation. All others (water features, rainwater harvesting, entertainment systems, security, etc) came in at much lower demand.
The average project takes 3 to 6 months to plan and another 3 to 5 months to complete.
The survey included DIY projects. Of the total jobs, 73% hired a professional landscaper. The DIY folks learned they needed help after starting their projects. Good news for us professionals!
Concerning Plant Material, the Top 3 “Wants”
- Low maintenance
- Flowering
- Insect/bird attracting
The desire for low maintenance plants took off 10 years ago. The insect/bird attraction is relatively new.
Top Landscape Challenges Homeowners Face:
- Drainage issues- Interesting in that the top problem people face is not something a lot of landscapers want to do.
- Better use of limited space
- Lack of privacy
Spend on the Projects:
- Over $30,000 24%
- $10,000 to $30,000 21%
- Under $10,000 54%
Given all size of projects and DIY are included, the data shows a growing amount of landscape work being done. In that 24% of the projects invested more than $30,000 is a good sign for the professionals.
