GREEN THUMBS FOR HIRE: BUSINESS IS BLOOMING FOR PLANTS

For would-be gardeners without the time, talent or inclination to cultivate lawns or even house plants, a growing number of companies offer green thumbs for hire.

Dozens of services, ranging from simple lawn maintenance to trained landscape artists and horticulturists, keep the greenery looking good.

Mid-America Teen Challenge's lawn-mowing service is one of the oldest in town, said Richard Meyer, vocational director for Teen Challenge.

"We developed our business in 1975. There was just a need in the community to have lawns mowed," Meyer said.

The Teen Challenge crew numbers 24 and does routine mowing and lawn maintenance.

In the fall, Teen Challenge also offers a leaf-raking service, which is very popular.

Meyer said the reasons customers look for help with their lawns vary.

"Part of the reason is the age of individuals. Some are not able to do it physically. Time is a factor for some individuals who have so many responsibilities."

Meyer said lawn care equipment can be expensive. The $7,000 it might cost for a lawn tractor would pay for quite a bit of lawn care.

When Teen Challenge first started maintaining lawns, very few similar companies existed. Within the last six years, Meyer said, many businesses have opened.

But he said competition isn't keen. "Our lawn service has a very long waiting list and we are not able to really take on any other customers," Meyer said. "It seems to me like there is plenty of demand still."

David Dienstbach of TLC Landscape agreed. He and partner Robert Ralls opened TLC Landscape in April. Already, business is growing.

"There are a lot of companies here, but the competition isn't that much," he said. "We get three to six phone calls a day on new work."

Dienstbach managed a large, commercial landscaping operation in St. Louis, but decided to be his own boss.

"We purchased $30,000 in new equipment," he said. "We are doing some large commercial customers and have 15 residential customers."

The commercial tractors and other equipment allow them to tackle almost any job. They can even do much of their work in the rain.

"We do anything from installation of shrubs and trees, installation of mulch and flowers, to tree removal, mowing, trimming and edging," said Dienstbach.

He said companies find it convenient and easier to hire someone to care for lawns and plantings. "If they have to get their own personnel to do it, it's a hassle," Dienstbach said. "When they get a company like us, they don't have any headaches. They know we will do it right and do it quick."

Many families, Dienstbach said, don't want the hassle of lawn care either.

"In a lot of households, both the mother and father work," he said. "Often they don't have the energy to come home and take care of the lawns. They want to see everything done.

"Some people just don't care for yard work and some people don't like to cut into their family time."

Some tasks homeowners don't have equipment to tackle or expertise to complete.

"A lot of things they can't do, like removing limbs. Or they don't know how to go about putting in a new flower bed."

A trained person can do the job right, Dienstbach said.

Beth Scherer, with a degree in horticulture, owns Foliage Care, specializing in interior plantscaping.

She has both commercial and household accounts.

Scherer said many people believe they can't grow house plants, but she believes they have chosen the wrong plants for the environment or have chosen difficult plants to maintain.

"A lot of people tell me they can't even grow a fern. Ferns are one of the hardest plants to keep looking nice in a home," she said.

"I usually visit one a week. If they don't have plants, I make recommendations. If they already have plants, I start fertilizing and taking care of any problems they might have. I keep the containers and the plants clean."

"Usually the biggest problem is finding the right plant for the right lighting conditions," Scherer said.

Plants, she said, add to the aesthetics of an office or home. "They make it more inviting, more friendly," Scherer said.

"But people usually have too much else to do. Someone forgets to water the plants, or something is wrong with the plant, like a disease or infestation, and they don't know what to do."

"People want their plants to look good and they want their home to look good," she said. "Especially with the larger plants, people are worried they won't know how to take care of it."

Joe Touchette, manager of Plants Plus, said caring for plants does require a lot of skill.

The company does landscape design and installation, tree and shrub maintenance, pest control and fertilization, and indoor plant care.

"We will even go out and try to diagnose problems," Touchette said.

"A lot of people don't have time to do it or don't have the know-how to do it right."

"You have to know what pest there is and what chemical to use and when to use it."

He said customers are also reluctant to prune shrubs, afraid they will kill the plants.

Hiring a professional offers a comfort level that the job will be done right.

For example, the company will treat shrubs for bagworms, Touchette said.

"If you do it yourself, you might not kill the bagworms and you might damage the shrub," he said. "We offer a guarantee."