TN Nursery's CEO Featured on Forbes: What This Means for the Landscaping Industry
Tammy Sons‚ CEO of TN Nursery‚ was recently interviewed by Forbes about the landscaping industry in the modern age․ She covered the new technologies‚ sustainability initiatives‚ and design changes that are redefining how homeowners and industry experts approach outdoor spaces․ You can read it in full here‚ but we wanted to expound on what Tammy talked about and give Tennessee homeowners some practical context for how these trends will affect their yards․
Landscaping was such a simple equation․ You put something attractive in the ground and mowed it‚ and that was that․ Today‚ the notion is far more complicated and considers water use‚ soil health‚ native ecosystems‚ as well as how digital tools inform the design‚ before the building is even erected․
Technology is changing how projects are planned․
In one of the larger changes noted in the Forbes article‚ Tammy noted that the process of designing one's front yard has switched from relying on a hand-drawn sketch to create a mental picture of what a newly designed front yard will look like to using 3D models of the front yard․ However‚ it is more important than it sounds like it would be: once plants are in the ground and hardscaping has been poured‚ mistakes are very expensive to fix‚ so knowing what you want is helpful․
For example‚ unless you're landscaping a commercial property‚ you don't need software for your garden‚ but figuring out mature sizes of plants on graph paper‚ or a free app that shows how much sun each area of your yard gets‚ can prevent the rookie error of planting something that will outgrow its area in three years․
Sustainability Isn't a Trend Anymore‚ It's the Standard
Xeriscaping‚ composting, and rainwater harvesting are three terms that are often heard in association with landscaping․ Since the clay soil of much of Middle and East Tennessee and the summer drought of this region's climate make it appropriate to select low-maintenance plant varieties‚ such terms are relevant․
Native and adapted perennial plants are a big part of this․ For instance‚ coneflower‚ black-eyed Susan‚ and native ferns all tend to do well in the region's rainfall and soil pH levels‚ and require much less watering once established: usually after one or two growing seasons․ Meanwhile‚ non-native ornamentals might need regular watering throughout their entire stay in your yard‚ to live their best life․
Trees fit into the picture as well․ For instance‚ the red maple is one of the most popular shade trees we grow at TN Nursery․ Growth rate is moderate to rapid (1-2 feet a year) and provides useful shades in 5-7 years․ This is a great tree to sit under․ It should be a tremendous help to your air conditioning in July and August months‚ reducing your cooling energy bill considerably․
Design Has Gotten More Thoughtful About Accessibility And Function
What that means is that the design of our landscapes is not so much about how things look from the street as about how we create a place that people want to be in and can walk through with wider paths‚ less change of elevation‚ and works for somebody walking with a walker just as much as somebody out jogging on a Saturday morning․
Water features and natural stone work are also popular‚ not solely for aesthetic but also sensory reasons․ A small water feature might even drown out the noise from a busy road next to the house‚ as Tammy mentions in the Forbes article․
Where the Industry Is Headed
The trend seems to be toward more use of natives‚ more technology in design and build‚ more life-cycle cost analysis‚ and clients asking different kinds of questions․ It's less about what looks good this spring and more what will still look good and cost me less to maintain in five years․
This is a smart change․ ․ ․ ․. A yard filled with annual flowers and other plants that need replacing every year is beautiful for a season, but you start over the following year․ When grown in your zone‚ a yard with a good selection of perennials‚ shrubs, and trees becomes more beautiful each year at little extra cost․
Factors Affecting Property Value: Landscaping
Some studies and appraiser opinions‚ not discussed in the major papers‚ have shown that landscaping adds 5% to 15% to a house's resale value. It is a much better value than remodeling the interior․ This is largely due to the fact that the cost per square foot of landscaping work can be much less․
So‚ here's how that value gets created:
Curb appeal is essential․ The first buyer's impression is generally formed in the first few seconds of pulling into the driveway․ A yard that's well-maintained and containing larger plants indicates that the rest of the house is likely to be well-kept‚ too․
Usable outdoor space‚ like a patio‚ shaded seating area‚ or a space for a garden bed‚ expands the amount of space in each home․ More buyers want this now too‚ with more people working from home looking for outdoor space they can really use․
Strategic planting of shade trees can considerably reduce summer cooling bills: a mature shade tree on the west or south side can cool a house by several degrees even in extreme heat․ That's not a marketing statement‚ it's basic thermodynamics‚ and the effect shows up as lower utility bills to future buyers․
Established plantings mean less maintenance for a subsequent owner‚ and a yard full of drought-tolerant perennials and native shrubs requires less water‚ less fertilizer‚ and less time․ There are‚ that's an attractive selling point buyers actually ask about now‚ especially if it's a dry summer‚ and there's water restriction․
The nearness of roads and high density of plantings help to mask sound more than one would think․ Trees and dense shrubs filter noise․ It's a subtle value-add‚ but appraisers and other buyers appreciate a quieter property․
Building This Into Your Own Yard
You do not have to redesign your entire yard to have a sustainable landscape․ Consider adding shade trees‚ and using native perennials in sunny locations‚ and shrubs that are native to your region's moisture regime rather than trying to create a landscape for plants that grow in different conditions․
TN Nursery has the right trees‚ shrubs‚ ferns‚ and perennials for Tennessee growing zones‚ and for the kind of eco-friendly‚ low-maintenance plants Tammy featured in her article for Forbes magazine․ So, whether you're redoing your garden completely or just adding a few plants‚ these plants will provide you with the perfect foundation to start from․
"
