A GROWING Landscape

With outdoor living projects in demand and a labor shortage across the green industry, the market is blooming with opportunity.

By Kristen Hampshire

Outdoor living has taken on a whole new meaning as more people are embracing their backyards as an extension of the home, and the landscape industry is thriving across the board, with demands for enhancements, large-scale projects and maintenance.

Across the country, the green industry is 130 billion strong, says Laura Deeter, full professor, program coordinator, Horticultural Science + Landscape Horticulture at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) in Wooster.

The average growth rate for the landscaping industry is 5% to 9%

“With Covid, I think the whole industry was surprised to find out how important we really were, and with all the calls we were getting, a typical four- to six-week backlog became in excess of a year,” says Brian Maurer, president, Brian-Kyles in Lorain.

Now the backlog has loosened up and the supply chain lag that limited materials options is not so much an issue. Maurer’s business is now working three to four months out for design/build projects, and acquiring supplies like pavers, plants, lumber and stone is back to a reasonable timeline.

But there’s more work than workers. And there’s more demand for landscape projects than time to complete them, in some instances. Those two variables create an attractive job market and career pathways for a diverse range of talent, from those who prefer fresh air and hands-on work to business positions like marketing, accounting and operations. There’s a lot involved in running a landscape firm — and there is a lot of opportunity.

Deeter fields 20 to 30 calls weekly from landscape companies looking for talent. The green industry is “very healthy, and if you can’t find a career in this industry, you aren’t looking,” she says.

At Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), two career boards cover a wall with landscape internships and full-time job opportunities with attractive pay and benefits. “The thing is jam-packed with flyers stacked on top of each other,” says Jim Funai, professor of plant science and landscape technology. “There are literally five job opportunities a piece for every student in the program.”

He adds, “We are seeing a recent trend where people realize they are happier outside and they want to be physical in their job, and to be healthy and moving.”

Advancing the Landscape

In this hands-on industry, technology is evolving the way professionals maintain landscapes, complete projects and run their businesses.

“One thing a labor shortage does is drive innovation,” Deeter points out. In the maintenance sector, robotics are entering the picture with some companies testing commercial-grade models on clients’ properties. It’s not common, but it’s out there. “If you teach the mower a pattern, it can cut the large lawn while the crewperson does things like pruning or edging — and making sure the mower does what it is supposed to do.”

GPS-guided construction equipment is also on the scene. “There are skid-steer loaders and other equipment that operate on GPS and can do tasks like leveling,” Deeter says. “And plant identification apps are getting better, as is design software.”

Deeter knows of a program with virtual reality (VR) headsets so designers can build a project in the software, take the VR headset to a client’s property and show them how their space can be transformed. “We are seeing technology all over the place,” she says. That includes customer service apps and business technologies for scheduling, routing and accepting payments.

Just as our homes are more automated, so are outdoor features like landscape lighting and irrigation systems. “There are smart irrigation systems that detect soil moisture, and you can control irrigation from your phone,” Deeter says. And by “you,” she is also speaking to landscape contractors who can address irrigation system issues remotely in some cases.

Smart systems help promote conservation — and, after all, landscaping is the original green industry. “There is a lot today going on designed around sustainability,” Maurer says, pointing to water-saving technologies for irrigation and energywise LED landscape lighting. “The same goes for landscaping. We are getting into more native plants that are sustainable for the area.” These require fewer “inputs” like water, fertilizer and diseasecontrol to thrive because they are suited for the region’s climate.

Many Career Pathways

Landscape careers are so much more than mowing lawns, Maurer emphasizes. “It’s a skilled occupation,” and beyond the green industry trades, businesses hire carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers and those with expertise in sales, marketing and accounting.

Also, the industry needs many types of minds. “If you are creative and on the artistic side, there is landscape design and seasonal plantings, or interior landscape design,” Funai points out.

“For more techy people, there is a lot of computer estimating that is going in the direction of AI,” he continues. “And on the construction side, we need people who want to build and create — and in the nursery you are growing and propagating plants. For those of us who love to climb trees, taking care of trees is about preservation.”

Property management, extension services, research and advocacy are also aspects of the landscape industry that offer opportunity, Deeter says. And there are many ways to enter the industry, with formal training like an associates degree, through an internship or by sheer interest and leveraging a landscaping company’s in-house training.

“There are wonderful companies out there that offer benefits, retirement plans and they pay well,” Deeter says.

Looking ahead, she says she is most excited about the students and talent entering the industry. “They want to learn, and they are very concerned about the environment,” she relates. “It’s cool to see how they think about their future in this industry, and they are excited about where they can go with it.”