When we were small children, back in the 1950’s, our father had an old poster in the back of the nursery (when it was located at 1525 Beverly Drive) depicting four backwoodsmen in dirty overalls with raggedy beards and no teeth. The caption read:  Six Munces Ago I Couldn’t Even Spell ‘Nurseryman’. . . and Now I Are One!

I was recently reminded of this when I took several phone calls from a young man who asked questions like, “What’s a plant I could put in front of a house?” I tried to narrow the conversation by asking questions such as, “Are you wanting a flower or a shrub? How much sun will it get? How tall should it be?” The answer to each of my questions was, “Oh, I don’t know.”

It turns out that this person had decided that he was going to start a landscaping service. And while you have to start somewhere, it was obvious that he did not have even the most fundamental knowledge about plants. I cringed to think that because he could put a sign on his pickup, some poor homeowner would wind up taking his advice.

Plant knowledge and cultivation are skills that, like any other skills, must be learned. And it is good to learn some before you decide to hang out your shingle.

There are many fine independent companies out there who are qualified to mow your lawn, trim your trees or plant your flower beds. But there are also many who may cause problems if you turn them loose on your landscape.

The moral of this story:  Ask for references; ask questions about what the person intends to do. If you need chemicals applied or irrigation work, a state license is required.

As always, the experienced staff at Smith’s Gardentown is ready to help with advice and recommendations. We’ve been at it for a lot longer than 6 months.