Inside their minds

What makes people hire a maintenance contractor? Why do they treat their lawns themselves? What are homeowners planning to do with their plantings this season? Our latest research gets inside the mind of the average homeowner to show you what she is thinking when it comes to her landscaping and lawn care.

In the past three years, nearly a quarter of all homeowners are doing more work on their landscapes – either themselves or by hiring a professional contractor. A full 70 percent of homeowners have never hired or even considered hiring a contractor to maintain their lawn. When it comes to lawn care, 89 percent either don’t do it or do it themselves. But among both the DIY set and homeowners that hire, themes of personal pride in the way the landscape looks and a general enjoyment of the outdoors came up again and again.