Starting a nursery center can be a great way to transform your passion for plants into an income stream investment. Nurseries have become a popular financing tool, particularly in the small-scale sector. And it’s highly attributed to the combined interest in “green” consumer trends and DIY projects.
An estimated 75% of all U.S. households engaged in DIY lawn and gardening projects in 2015 both indoors and outdoors. Certainly, this shows just how much important garden and backyard spaces mean to people. When people think of landscaping products, the first point of reference is their local garden center.
Garden centers serve both residential as well as commercial landscaping needs with a wide range of plants from perennials, trees, bulbs, shrubs, roses, grasses to climbers. Therefore, if you are considering starting a productive nursery center, you need to specialize in plants that not only on demand but do well in your region.
Here are three types of plants to start your garden center business.
1.Ground Covers
Nothing transforms a dull space and minimizes garden maintenance like ground cover plants. They have an average net return of $20 per square foot, another reason why ground covers make the ideal nursery crop. With little maintenance and ability to conserve water, ground covers are the best plants to landscape as they help reduce soil erosion and keep the soil moist.
Apart from being a high-value plant, ground covers are also easy to cultivate and easy to sell. Most of these low growing perennials are sold in pots, and you can choose to wholesale them to other growers or landscapers. Examples of ground covers you can have in your nursery center include creeping phlox, lamb’s ear, Corsican mint, miniature brass buttons, mazus and blue star creeper. Most of these plant blooms and forms a sturdy carpet of vibrant floral color and interesting leaves.
2.Ornamental Grass
Few plants compare to ornamental grass when it comes amazing textures and visual impact. These plants are becoming a popular choice for most modern landscape designs as ground covers, in borders or specimen plants. Ornamental grasses grow in a range of sizes from as low as six inches to 20 foot, and unlike other grasses, they’re meant to grow freely, meaning no mowing whatsoever.
In addition to their striking form and beautiful colors, ornamental grass requires less maintenance and can withstand a wide range of conditions even during the dormant winter season. They also easy to grow, propagate and sell. Examples include desert plains fountain grass, Mexican feather grass, Toffee twist sedge, Golden Japanese forest grass and Bue oat grass.
3.Landscaping Trees and Shrubs
Other high-value crops to grow in your nursery center are trees and shrubs ideal for landscaping. They have a ready market and attract high profits due to their popularity among the landscapers. You can either grow them from the ground or in specialized containers, which can range from 3 to 5-gallon sizes.
With these three high-value crops to consider, you are sure to have the best and most productive garden nursery where you can turn your venture into a successful financial engine.