Trees, Ornamental & Bedding Plant: The secret's in the source

The hunt for live treasure of the growing kind is an ongoing adventure. You never know when you’ll find a gem nursery along the way. That’s why Teal Rickards usually does some nursery finding research before heading out to install a landscape project. “We’ll MapQuest before we head out to appointments and see what nurseries are around and stop in,” says the project designer for Land Creations Landscaping in Columbia Station, Ohio.

“Maybe we’ll drive by, or stop in to the office and get the location of a certain field of plants,” Rickards says, adding that e-mailed pictures of plant stock are helpful but only go so far when choosing feature specimens for high-end projects. “If you are going to design with specialty items, you can’t leave anything to chance,” he says.

For example, if Rickards plans to install a weeping Japanese maple by a water feature, he’s looking for a mid-height tree that is low-branched. “We could end up cutting off 12 or 16 inches of height from the plant to get the growth we want from it,” he says.

Picking the right plant from the get-go is critical to preserving the artistic integrity of projects and the long-term aesthetic appeal. “We are looking at more than the plant’s overall shape and form today. We want to know what it will do for us 10 to 20 years from now,” Rickards says, noting that “no two plants are exactly the same.”

How does a landscape contractor source plant material with a mind toward quality, value and convenience? Jerry Somalski, president, Bay Landscaping, Essexville, Mich., says the job of purchasing plant material can take years of trial and error. In fact, Somalski says he’s been honing his supplier list for about 50 years, since the business was founded in 1948. A lot has changed in purchasing trends since then, mainly the ability to source products more quickly and more often rather than ordering big in the spring.

Rickards has worked with some of his suppliers for 20 years. “It can take time to find the supplier who deals with the plant material you are looking for,” he says, noting that Land Creations relies on two nurseries for most of its stock: a grower and a re-wholesaler that can essentially find whatever plants the company needs.

“Vendors ebb and flow,” Somalski says. “Every year, we’re finding new guys, and dropping old ones, buying more from one company and less from another.”

Here are some practical field pointers for choosing quality plant suppliers and nurturing a partnership with those valuable vendors.
 

Grow a relationship
When Rickards calls his grower to ask about a plant, he knows the feedback he’ll get is honest and straightforward. That’s a good thing, because Rickards wants specifics. “I’ll ask if the plant is well-branched,” he says, as an example. “If I want a plant that will create a nice ceiling over a patio space and I want a specific branching habit, I need to go look at the plant.”

He doesn’t shop price because he’s willing to pay more if he knows the grower will provide him with the best product possible. “It doesn’t make sense to buy retail and sell retail,” he says, adding that he chooses not to purchase from box stores for three reasons: 1) He wants to know the orientation point of each plant, and this isn’t advertised at a box store. 2) “We don’t know how well the plants have been maintained,” he says. 3) He prefers to spend money locally when it is possible.

Location is also important because Rickards likes to visit nurseries and growers in person to pick out special plants for projects. Most of his suppliers are about 20 miles away from the company’s headquarters. This makes it easier for him to develop personal relationships with growers and re-wholesalers. And working with re-wholesalers makes Rickards’ job easier because he can rely on them to source specialty plants. “The value of a re-wholesaler is I go there with my plant list and they do the legwork for me,” he says. “They understand our expectations.”

Rickards networks at local trade shows and through local trade organizations to find top suppliers. Sometimes, his vendors will refer him to other growers for specific plant picks. Somalski also utilizes these venues to meet new suppliers, and he focuses on building strong rapports with the sales reps. “Whether it is an independent rep or a salesperson who works directly for the supplier, you want to work with someone who will take care of problems,” he says.

As Somalski points out, every vendor will screw up at some point. But it’s how mistakes are managed and the way problems are solved that separate a true partner from just a vendor. “We look for consistency over the long-run and good communication,” he says. “We don’t have time to travel across the countryside looking at every nursery we purchase from, so we need to work with vendors who communicate well and let us know how crops are looking.”

Go for variety
About a dozen times each year, Gabriel Mayhew, president, Mayhew Landscape Group, Pittsburgh, travels to Lake County, Ohio – a nursery mecca where he can go from field to field and purchase exactly what he needs for every job. “I can find it all within a certain square mile radius so I don’t have to drive all over,” he says.

Mayhew researches plants online before heading to each stop with his dump truck and trailer. He can fill both with trees, shrubs and perennials. Though, he orders most perennials from a nursery in Georgia that freights plants by the semi-load to Mayhew’s facility.

Because many growers specialize in certain types of plants, whether red maples or perennials, working with a number of sources provides a diverse selection of stock for landscape installations. Mayhew finds it is more cost effective to buy from a number of different suppliers in Lake County and suppliers with larger inventories where he can get better pricing. While he used to rely on a single supplier for every item for a job, he now drives farther to access this nursery hotbed in a single trip – and he knows the growers are specialized and providing him quality products. He chooses every item that goes on his truck.

Steven Johns, president, Envisioning Green, Alton, Ill., relies on a wholesale supplier nearby his headquarters for most plant material. “They have thousands of acres of plants, and the first couple of years working with them, I would go out there and pick each one myself,” he says. “Now, we can order from him and he will deliver to us every couple of weeks.”

Working with a large supplier like this is beneficial for Johns because he has more choice, he says. “If I call to order something like a knockout rose, I know they won’t have three (plants) to choose from – they’ll have hundreds.” Johns can pick the most appealing specimens from the lot, so he can control the quality of materials he installs on projects.

“Don’t get discouraged if the first supplier you work with doesn’t pan out,” Johns says, his advice to landscapers who are just warming up their plant purchasing game. “I have gone to several suppliers that I never do business with again because of their attitude or plant availability. There are lots of suppliers out there – start by looking for a good product and great relationship, and you can negotiate the price if you bring your business to them.”

Stock smart
Bay Landscaping has 5 acres of container plant stock and 70 acres of field stock on its property. “We have holly houses and means in which to hold and deal with nursery stock,” Somalski says, relating that the industry has evolved so landscape companies don’t need to grow their own. There are more plant suppliers, better shipping methods, greater efficiencies with online ordering, and an ability to order by job if desired, rather than ordering in bulk for the season.

Somalski grows a portion of the stock his company uses, and the rest he orders from local sources, if possible. Whether plant material or hardscape product, he tries to buy all products directly to save on cost. And he’ll buy a truckload to save on freight expenses because there’s storage room to spare.

While contractors have dividing views on whether keeping inventory is a wise fiscal decision, Somalski and Johns say they save money when plants and other suppliers are on their properties. Johns says he can control ordering and his crews don’t waste time rounding up plants. Meanwhile, Johns keeps detailed inventory logs to keep track of what he needs to buy in bulk, and what to buy on a by-the-job basis.

And as landscape firms fine-tune their plant palate, they rely on their supplier partners to provide much more than greenery. “My recommendation is to not make buying decisions based solely on price, but on quality,” Rickards says.

“It will make your landscapes look nicer. It will reduce headaches. And, it will prevent needing to get plant replacements.”

The author is a frequent contributor to Lawn & Landscape.