EDITORIAL: Spotlighting Design, Installation

Nothing changes the look of a residential or commercial landscape better than a new design or installation. Whether an outdoor entertainment area is desired by a homeowner, or a park-like setting is requested for a corporate office, landscape enhancements make visible improvements and scenic changes to the environment.
 
What brings these landscapes to life starts in some cases with a blank slate or in other cases a mature landscape that needs an update. Landscape architects, landscape designers, sales people, supervisors and owners all contribute to the evolving plan, which results in a breathtaking landscape.
 
Landscape design, installation and maintenance services have been integral portions of Lawn & Landscape magazine’s editorial since the marketplace evolved from niche services to full-service landscape companies through the late 1980s and early 1990s. These full-service lawn and landscape professionals grew their businesses by strategically balancing their revenues and portfolios between design/build and maintenance services.
 
Ideally, the recurring revenue from maintenance services will offset the cyclical nature of design and installation projects. Thousands of companies exist and thrive today based on this successful formula.
 
Because design and installation remain the fastest-growing service offerings for the readers of Lawn & Landscape magazine, we’re placing more prominence on the subject through our new supplement, Professional Landscape Design. The content in this publication is designed to highlight the wide variety of designs and installations that transform landscapes across the country as well as provide detail on the steps involved in implementing landscapes, big and small.
 
It’s also the mission of Professional Landscape Design to elevate the profile of landscape architects and landscape designers working within landscape firms as they continue to innovate and meet the challenges of today’s economy and blueprint for sustainability.
 
Despite concerns of slowing growth, design/install firms that we surveyed indicate the marketplace remains resilient. Our survey of companies with design/build services representing nearly half of their annual revenue showed that 83 percent expected the number of projects they complete this year to increase over last year. And, despite the housing slowdown,  business publications report that the majority of Americans are paying their mortgages and are making improvements to their homes both internally and externally. Certainly, contractors, consumers and businesses are exhibiting caution in 2008, but through backlogs and new sales, the design/installation industry should continue to create breathtaking landscapes this year.
 
We hope you enjoy this new issue. Please send your comments to ccode@gie.net.