FAQs
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I started a landscaping company to help put myself through college when I was 18. I started out with a station wagon, wheel barrow and a couple of rakes. The company grew as I made my way through college as I finished with a pickup truck and a sizable cache of tools. After graduating with a business and English degree I went on to be a newspaper reporter for several publications around the Capital Region for the next seven years. I kept the landscaping company as a side business and truly enjoyed my time outside working with my hands. As much as I loved being a reporter, I eventually tired of the long and late hours, as well as the pittance of a salary, and decided to switch things up and return to running a landscaping business full-time and write part-time. I am still a freelance writer to this day for a couple of area publications, but love being able to work outside and make my own schedule.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
The most common types of jobs for Parkview Landscaping and Home Improvement involve basic property maintenance but also include specialty hardscape designs, such as retaining walls, walkways, and brick work. We do various outdoor work such as planting, mowing, mulching, fertilizing, weeding, topsoil delivery, tree and shrub trimming, as well as light remodeling and construction projects like painting and building large planter boxes and arbors. In addition to these services we also do foundation work such as waterproofing and resurfacing.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
My main advice is to make sure they have insurance above all else and try to talk to them in person (or at the very least on the phone) before committing to a major project. You can tell a lot about a person -- how they carry themselves, how professional they are, and many other personal characteristics -- from a quick conversation. This will put you at ease and let you know they are trustworthy or at least personable ... especially if this person is going to be working at your home for any length of time.