'a Springtime Garden Idea"

I have a new service idea for the spring.My idea is that i will install a "Vegtable and Herb Garden" for people who dont have a green thumb or dont have the time or energy etc. for people who like fresh veggies!.the pitch is:"If i charge you $600 for the garden,You will harvest at least $1200 worth of fresh veggies for your family and friends to enjoy for the season""A $1000 size garden will yeild you over $2000 worth of veggies etc.....where-as....if you didnt have the garden....you most likly will pay for the food anyway somewhere....I will have a installation service window of about 6 weeks in the spring...Im thinking about building a "first come.first serve"list.My "Your springtime garden"service will include (1)free consultation with "site selection"and determine "size"of your garden on your property.determine"what veggies you like"/then get back to you with a price and send you a "blueprint"of your proposed garden.(2)test your soils ph and adjust if needed.(3)rototill and add soil conditioners(manure,perlite,etc)(4)install plant support structures such as stakes,wire fencing,poles for beans etc.(5)supply and plant all plants.(6)come back 1 time in 4 weeks and give your garden a fertilizer application and 1 good weeding!(7)give you a print-out sheet of recomended care instructions.(watering,fertilizing schedule,etc)...Now you have most of the work done!!...besides some basic care...the rest is for you to enjoy!!

[swstout]

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Interesting What veggies would you offer? Would you plant seeds or young plants? Would you offer different packages? How did you come up with your pricing? With the economy the way it is and with the projections for next year, this might be a going item. Tell me more. Steve

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[Steve]

I like the idea a lot. I bet you could sell a lot more of them if you could break the payments into monthly installments through out the year. What's your view on that?

How big would these gardens be?

Originally Posted by swstout

Interesting

What veggies would you offer? Would you plant seeds or young plants? Would you offer different packages? How did you come up with your pricing?

With the economy the way it is and with the projections for next year, this might be a going item.

Tell me more. see in most states you have giant supply greenhouses "starter houses"they are the ones who supply the local nurseries in the spring with all the starter plants.I could just buy my 6" starters for 1.50 a plant from them,or if i buy a 1000 or more i can get them from the "starer houses"for about 75 cents,either way i can get a discount at a local big nursery(contractors discount)So i wouldnt bother with starting them myself,they can do it cheaper,they are set up for it(except the heirloom tomatoes)I will start them.thats were i got this idea,last year i grew 40 heirlooms tomatoes and yeilded about 40 pounds per plant,I sold every single tomato for 2.00 a pound to resturants.made back 3200 bucks,cost me about 300 for the "tomato project"and a good days labor!...So you have to include some "high dollar"veggies with the garden,see i will let the people know that if i plant them say 10 "mortgage lifter"hheirloom tomato plants,their garden is worth 800 bucks allready!see i had a little roadside stand as well(every wed afternoon)and so many people would come up to me to buy tomatoes and say"yea,i just didnt have time this year"or"i wish i had a green thumb so i can grow my own"etc....I still need to tweek the prices....i know the yeild for tomatoes(40lb per plant)but i will need to get yeild info on other plants so i can tell them how much their garden is worth.....I think this can work with a creative "craigs list " ad

Steve

I will let the "big greenhouse starter guys"start them,they can do it cheaper,(if i offer to buy 1000,i can get most veg plants for 75 cents each,if i buy for the nursery they supply,i will pay about 1.50 per plant,.See the pricing will be(or can be) based on researching veg plant yeild data per square foot(how many pounds of that particular veg)x supermarket prices.Heres a very small scale working example.I will use tomatoes for example cus i know first hand the yeild....I CAN DIG YOU A SPACE UP THATS 6'X4'(this may mean renting a sod cutter lol)I CAN PLANT 2 SMALL ROWS OF 3 HEIRLOOM TOMATO PLANT(6 PLANTS)WHICH WILL YEILD 40 LBS EACH X 6 IS 240 POUNDS @ 2.00 A LB AT THE GROCERY STORE IS $480 WORTH OF TOMATOES!.working on a larger scale,to prepare that much space is about an hour of labor!+soil conditioners,$9 for the plants,$20 worth of wire,stakes etc.Now,what to charge?..well..the lady is gonna get $480 worth of tomatoes she wouldnt have and all of her family together would of bought anyway rite?...so even 1/3 of $480,(160)aint bad considering its saving her 2/3 what she would pay.Of course the "package deals"can be presented to a client like:your garden will have 6 tomatoes(heirloom mix),6 pepper plants,a row of swiss chard,1 cucumber mound,a small row of basil(you know what fresh basil is worth!?)etc,etc.So its all about"LETTING THE CUSTOMER KNOW",based on U.S.D.A. plant yeild and spacing data,"How much in U.S. dollars worth of veg/herbs they can have set up"per size area.I will have to research "plant yeild data"I think it is a good idea to "present" differnt size gardens with certain types of veg/herbs.I think its important to choose certain type vegs/herbs to present to the customer.Garden option #1 has this in it,Garden option #2 has that in it and based on USDA yeild data,your garden will be worth aprox x amount of dollars.It deffinitly needs to be arranged with certain types of veg because on the other hand it wouldnt be a good idea to go to someone and say"Ill plant you a 10x20' plot of corn!!lol!..that wont work!!lol!....I can say this..using that "small scale"(4x6')=$480 worth tomatoes for 1 hour labor+materials dont sound bad....also...my experience last year has told me that i can(using a sod cutter)prepare an area(rototill) that is 60x20 and plant all the plants,put up support stuctures etc in a good 10 hour day myself.Thats 60x20 as compared to the 4x6 ($480 dollars worth area).that 60x20 could be broken down into 3 ave size gardens for 3 people in 1 days work.Of course i would include going back for an hours weeding and fertilizing 4 weeks later.....man!..having this broken foot rite now is driving me crazy!!..i have leaves to blow!!!

Originally Posted by Steve

I like the idea a lot. I bet you could sell a lot more of them if you could break the payments into monthly installments through out the year. What's your view on that?

How big would these gardens be?

That is a good idea because the price wouldnt scare people.I think the main selling point is letting the customer know how much money's worth of veg/herbs they will be able to pick during the season from their own back-yard....which by the way i hope i will be cutting!..

Originally Posted by rmswinston

That is a good idea because the price wouldnt scare people.I think the main selling point is letting the customer know how much money's worth of veg/herbs they will be able to pick during the season from their own back-yard....which by the way i hope i will be cutting!..

I think 5 sizes to offer will work 1)"the mini"4x6 (2)"small"6x8 (3)"med"8x12 (4)"large"12x16 (5)"extra-large delux" 16x20......for example:because i know tomatoes...lets say you have a resturaunt or know someone who does who uses "heirlooms"(high dollar tomatoes)with a 16x 20 I can set the client up with 36 plants which will yeild 1,440 pounds @ $2.00 a pound = $2,880 worth of tomatoes.If i charge the client 800 they will save over 2000.It will cost me about 150 bucks in materials+6 hours labor+2 more hours going back in 4 weeks weeding,fertilizing etc.(of course i would break it all up in sections of work because i would go around with the sod cutter to everyhouse one day etc,also,getting some free sod out of the deal wouldnt be bad either,or offer to install the sod on their property for the going rate.Of course i need to look at what the other veggies are selling for and of course what kind the customer likes.

[Steve]

If you were to offer this, what kind of payment plans do you think you would like to experiment with?