FAQs - poplarpointstudio.com

General FAQs

What kind of landscaping services do you offer?

We offer fine gardening services, a specialty focus within the landscaping industry.

Fine Gardening

- Winter Pruning

- Spring Bed Cleanup

- Summer Maintenance Visits (Monthly, Bi-Weekly or Weekly)

- Fall Bed Cleanup

- Specialty Pruning

- Deer Protection

- IPM & Plant Health Care

Containers & Seasonal Color

- 4 Seasons of Color

- Seasonal Flower Displays (in ground)

- Bulb Planting

- Container Maintenance

- Holiday Decor

- Vacation Watering

- Interior Plantscaping & Maintenance

Enhancement Projects

- Conceptual Design (for existing clients only)

- Project Management

- Renovating Existing Garden Beds

- Installing New Garden Beds

What is the difference between Landscape Maintenance and Fine Gardening?

Landscape maintenance is a term commonly used in the landscaping industry to describe tasks related to taking care of the lawn/yard - mowing, leaf removal, aeration, snow removal etc.

Fine Gardening is a focused set of tasks related to taking care specifically of garden beds with a horticultural focus - weeding, deadheading, dividing & transplanting, pruning, watering etc. This can be with a goal of both aesthetics and maintaining proper health for plant material.

Often this means knowing how to best manage and cultivate plant material throughout the growing season, and as the plant evolves over the course of many, many years - to help the plants achieve its potential. It also means being responsive to any unexpected changes in behavior - caused by insects or diseases.

Why would I hire a gardening service versus a general landscape professional?

A gardener often has a specialized knowledge base about the care and maintenance of plants, as well as design experience to help keep the gardens looking as they intended, since plants grow and change over time. A side effect of this is that it often takes more time and attention to detail to have this level of care for plant material.

Most general landscape companies that offer all-in-one services don’t have the depth of knowledge in this one specific field, and can unintentionally manage plant structure and size based on what is most efficient for them to maintain, rather than what is best for the design intent, and plant health. This can help reduce short term costs, but may lead to a hidden cost long term if plants have to be replaced that aren’t as well taken care of.

Both types of companies are qualified to maintain plants, however, the process, and the results will vary greatly. It’s really about what you value more.

Landscape Professional

Design, install, maintain any outdoor spaces
General knowledge needed for a broad range of skills including: hardscape, irrigation, lighting, construction, drainage, lawn care, tree work, carpentry, snow removal etc.
Often uses special tools & equipment
Requires highly skilled technicians depending on the service
Typically known for heavier duty and very physically demanding labor
Working knowledge of landscape plants
Often referred to as a “Hardscaper”
Coordinates with a Landscape Designer or Architect to envision a space before it is built

Fine Gardener

Specialized horticultural techniques used to maintain and cultivate plants
Focus on plant health care & maintenance practices
Requires highly skilled technicians
Consistent rhythm year to year, seasonal tasks repeat
Often deeper knowledge of plant ID, plant selection and placement
Often referred to as a “Plantsmen”
Coordinates with a Landscape Designer or Architect to maintain the vision for a space after it is created

So in truth, we are a Landscape Company, with a specialty in Fine Gardening.

We want help making over our yard, can you help?

Our specialty is in maintaining existing spaces, rather than designing or building new ones - but we work closely with a number of fantastic designers and landscape contractors in the area and are happy to recommend one to you for a new project.

However, if you ultimately are looking for a gardening team to take care of the beds on an ongoing basis, we would be willing to discuss helping with the design/installation portions as well. This would let you keep working with the same team throughout the renovation process.

What is Container Gardening?

Container gardening is the art of small-scale landscape design using various plant materials in a contained space such as pottery, raised beds or window boxes rather than being planted in the ground. We consider this the most versatile way to add color and vibrancy to your outdoor spaces, and can be seen as “living art”, as the arrangements are carefully curated and styled to match each property’s architectural style and client preferences.

How much does this kind of service cost?

Most gardeners with basic skills charge between $30-45/hr, and solo professionals with more experience charge upwards of $50-65/hr. Specialty pruning, installation, container design services and garden coaching often are competitively priced closer to $85-150/hr. and often require industry certifications, advanced horticulture or design degrees with 10+ years of field experience.

We are somewhat different in that we offer all-inclusive package pricing with our subscription plans rather than time and materials contracts. This means that you will get a proposal with 1 number for the entire service year (whether that is for maintenance or containers), and that includes all labor, materials, travel, fertilizer etc. This means no surprise or added costs throughout the season. We have also started offering fixed payment plans, so that you can have a predictable cost each month - allowing you to better plan your budget for the year.

We find that this fixed price model allows us to focus more on results - a gorgeous & healthy garden all year long, incentivizing our teams to work quickly and efficiently, while bringing the best horticulture practices for your property needs.

Why is it important to maintain plants?

At Poplar Point Studio, we believe that maintaining plants is crucial for several reasons. First and foremost, healthy plants are more visually appealing and create a beautiful landscape. Proper maintenance practices, such as pruning, fertilizing, and watering, promote healthy growth and can prevent diseases and pests from taking hold. Regular maintenance can also extend the lifespan of plants, allowing them to provide enjoyment for years to come.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits, maintaining plants is also essential for the health of the environment. Plants play a critical role in reducing carbon dioxide levels and improving air quality. They also provide habitat and food for wildlife, making them an essential component of any ecosystem. By properly maintaining plants, we can help ensure that they continue to provide these vital services.

Finally, proper plant maintenance can also save you money in the long run. By addressing issues early on, you can prevent them from becoming more severe and costly to fix. Regular maintenance can also help identify potential problems before they become major issues, allowing us to take proactive measures to address them.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my garden maintenance?

We pair each client with a dedicated maintenance Field Manager that serves as a single point of contact. With extensive experience in all aspects of property maintenance, our Field Managers oversee all work, coordinate scheduling and execution, and clearly communicate with both the team and client.

Our Field Managers carry a variety of qualifications including degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional, and NALP Certified Landscape Technician.

Who from your team would take care of my garden day to day?

We assign a dedicated Fine Gardening Lead to each property, so you’ll get to know the same friendly faces each year and throughout the season. The Garden Leads are each trained on your specific preferences and we review the property layout, key features and maintenance strategies at the beginning of each season.

Additionally the Field Managers come to inspect their work on a regular basis to ensure that the highest quality of work is being done, and train on any new techniques that will help keep the property looking its best.

How do you take care of your employees?

We believe that our team is the most important part of our success, and do our best to take care of them in every way possible. We offer competitive wages, access to health insurance, 401k matching, flexible schedules, training stipends, uniforms and much more.

Additionally we invest heavily in our culture, and creating a workplace that allows our whole team to thrive, making sure we have regular 1:1's, developing career growth plans, sharing company goals and successes, as well as hosting regular team social activities so that we can bond as a group.

This is a very intentional choice we make to build a team that is happy, thriving, and hopefully working with us for a long time. We believe this will lead to our clients being taken care of at the highest levels because our team feels that they are taken care of too.

Do you spray pesticides to manage weeds?

In NYS you must be certified by the DEC to spray any regulated pesticides, and we are not currently licensed to do this. So, we can either coordinate with a licensed pest control firm to manage insects or weeds, or we can use organic alternatives instead.

The best defense in most situations is proactive and thorough, deep weeding to remove weeds before they get out of control. Our team is trained to spot the “look-alikes” that sneak into beds, to quickly, and efficiently eradicate most weeds by hand.

What kinds of clients do you work with?

We generally work with discriminating clients of both high end residential and commercial properties who appreciate and desire an artful approach to the needs of their property.

Our mission is to Plant Joy in people’s lives, so we try to make sure our value system lines up with our customers through a rigorous vetting process, ensuring a solid foundation to a long term relationship.

If for any reason we don’t feel like we can provide the best match for value, we will recommend another service provider to meet a client’s needs.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes, we have both commercial liability insurance as well as workers compensation. Documentation with current policy limits is available upon request.

We hold a NYS license for nursery production for our on-site greenhouse facility.

Do you offer Free Estimates?

We offer a FREE 15 minute phone consultation after you fill out our new client questionnaire.

If we are a good fit for your needs, we will happily send you our Signature Welcome Packet, and schedule an in-person consultation for a fee of $250, which is credited towards your subscription package should you choose to work with us.

During this 1-2 hour visit we will answer any questions you may have, identify and make recommendations about plant material, and offer solutions to other areas of concern that you may have about your landscape. If you happen to need a different specialty service such as lighting, irrigation, tree work, hardscaping, outdoor audio etc, we can make recommendations based on what your project needs are.

Maintenance FAQs

How does billing work?

Once we set up your annual maintenance program, we will send an invoice on the first of each month for the fixed amount of your plan. You can either set up automatic payments, bank transfers or pay via check or credit card. You can expect the same fixed payment for anything we have pre-agreed in your program. Additional services such as containers, pruning, and enhancement projects are billed separately.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my garden maintenance?

Who from your team would take care of my garden day to day?

Can I cancel or end my program early?

Yes, while we work hard at the beginning of the relationship to make sure that the maintenance package is the right fit for you, we understand that life happens, and sometimes you need to shift where you are making investments. If you reach out to your Field Manager, we can chat with you about options for pausing, decreasing scope or canceling services. Any adjustments to true-up payments would be made in the final invoice.

How do you determine the right package for my property?

A: Based on our experience over the last 10+ years we will start you off with a recommendation based on a client with a similar sized property, and then customize based on your personal preferences, lifestyle, specific plant care needs and any additional requests you may have. We will likely start off with an aspirational proposal, and then work with you to edit the scope so we can match your budget and expectations for service.

What happens if my gardens are totally overrun with weeds?

What we will suggest is a one time “cleanup” to get your garden beds in shape before we even start your maintenance package. This may include major pruning, thinning, removing dead plants, cutting new bed edges, adding compost, cutting back any perennials/deadheading and a very thorough weeding! We finish that phase off with a heavy layer of mulch, so that the beds are fresh, healthy and beautiful. Once the beds are in good shape, our maintenance team will take over regular visits to keep things healthy and looking their best.

How much do your garden maintenance packages cost?

Our programs are customized to each individual property, but we have 3 basic tiers that can help give you a ballpark to start from.

Our Silver package starts at $500/month (approximately $6,000 annually), our Gold package starts at $1000/month (approximately $12,000 annually), and our Platinum level starts at $1800/month, ($21,600 annually).

These packages are considered a premium service, and we work hard to make sure that we bring a measurable value to your home, and well-being, while still being priced competitively as a professional in our industry.

Container FAQs

How much do they cost?

In short - it depends. Pricing can be affected by the size of the container, how densely planted you like an arrangement, if we use decorative elements, if there is a feature plant (like a tropical or shrub), as well as site access (if it's particularly challenging to get to the location).

We are always happy to see photos or come do a site visit to get you a more specific budget, but a good rule of thumb is around $150-$200 for a 15-20" pot. Holiday season is a premium service as décor items are pricier than regular plant material used in other seasons.

We have a minimum of $1,500 for an annual package (could be 1-2 pots with 4 seasons of color).

Do you work for residential and commercial?

Yes, we offer container and seasonal color packages to both residential and commercial properties. However for commercial we may recommend the use of self-watering pots as they dramatically reduce watering labor, and improve the health and longevity of anything we install, ensuring that your investment is enjoyed for the most time possible.

How do I care for my planters?

We can share instructions with you in person when we come install your arrangements. If taking care of them isn’t your thing, we offer a weekly maintenance plan as well.

Do you install irrigation in planters?

At this time we do not install the irrigation ourselves, however we do work with trusted professionals in the region that can help you out. We highly recommend this for anyone who has permanently installed planters.

We also recommend swapping out key planters to a self-watering style, which can extend the time between waterings to 10-14+ days, saving major time on your end!

Do you provide the planters?

We are happy to offer design consultations ($95/hr) to help you find the right planters for you and your space! Or we can recommend vendors you can purchase from yourself.

Things we take into consideration when making recommendations:
- architectural style of the home/building
- color palette
- material selection (fiberglass, concrete, steel, ceramic, resin etc)
- water access
- weight (if the location is windy, the pot may need to be heavier so it doesn't tip over)
- texture (will this be a feature pot that needs to draw attention?)

Do you offer deliveries as well?

We do not do deliveries of individual pots or inserts at this time, our focus is on-site installations at your home or workplace.

Do I get to choose the colors that I want?

Absolutely! Our Container Designer will contact you to learn any requests you may have for things you like or dislike and use that to come up with a custom look just for you. It is helpful to let us know if you have any strong plant preferences, and while we can't guarantee our suppliers will have exactly what you want, we try to find substitutes that will give you the same feeling.

If you don't have an opinion and just want to let us design what we think is best, that is totally fine - we love having the freedom to make something beautiful just for you.

Get Started With Us!

Fill out our short questionnaire to give us more information about your property or project.
Book a FREE 15 minute landscape consultation to help determine if we’re a good match for you.
We’ll schedule a Site Visit to review your goals, walk your property and discuss which service package works best for you.

Fill out our new client questionnaire