Builders Eye New Landscape Technology to Maximize Curb Appeal

LOS ANGELES, Calif – As builders seek ways to maximize and maintain the curb appeal of their projects, they are increasingly focused on helping new homeowners maintain the landscape's delivered condition. A new device that fertilizes the landscape with every irrigation cycle promises to make it much easier for busy homeowners to keep their lawns and gardens green, while providing builders with a new revenue stream.

DECREASED LANDSCAPE REPLACEMENT COSTS. The device, an injector unit developed by Garden Promise Co. (GPC) of Los Angeles, Calif., attaches to each landscape irrigation valve delivered with the home, and uses liquid organic fertilizer cartridges. Homeowners simply load the cartridge, which resembles a small upside-down plastic bottle, into the injector and turn a dial to set the desired rate of application.

Water pressure from the irrigation valve releases the precise amount of fertilizer into a chamber where it mixes with the water, and is sent through the sprinklers during the first two minutes of the watering cycle. The 32-ounce cartridges last approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

“Builders understand that attractive green landscapes – both on units they’ve sold and units for sale – contribute significantly to perceived value of their projects," said Wilbert McHenry, a landscape designer based in San Marino, Calif. “They want to keep landscape replacement costs as low as possible. As a result, we've seen a number of leading builders recently looking at technologies that reduce the effort required by homeowners to maintain their landscapes. The GPC system is attracting a lot of interest, simply because it's easy for the builder to install, easy for the customer to use, and inexpensive to operate."

ZONE-SPECIFIC LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE. Because the injectors install 6 inches downstream of each irrigation valve, the homeowner can selectively fertilize each landscape zone with the appropriate nutrients. For example, a lawn food cartridge can be attached to the zone 1 injector, while a garden formula cartridge can be attached to the zone 2 injector.

“This device seems so simple and makes so much sense, people are always asking me ‘why didn't anybody think of this before?’" said Anthony Bowles, Garden Promise Co. founder and CEO.

Bowles came up with the inspiration for the Garden Promise System after accidentally spilling a large bottle of insecticide on his arm while tending to his own landscape. The spill sent him to the hospital and started him thinking about ways to make landscape upkeep easier and safer.

“As simple as the system is to install and use, there's a lot of engineering and research we've put into it,” he explained. “We worked with Johnson Engineering in Carlsbad, Calif. on the design and have three patents pending on it.”

ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE FERTILIZATION. Garden Promise has signed agreements with leading lawn care manufacturers to provide environmentally safe fertilizers and insecticidal soaps in GPC-compatible cartridges. McHenry sees this as a smart move that will appeal to the building industry.

“The builders have been heavily focused on environmental issues – water conservation, runoff from lawn chemicals, and just plain old safety of family and pets,” he says. “So the organic-based approach, combined with recyclable cartridges, makes a lot of sense.”

“Organic products have always been very effective," explained Ignacio Cano, a Los Angeles-based landscape contractor, and co-founder of Garden Promise. "They promote an increased level of soil microbial activity, which helps plants defend against disease and insect infestations. They don't leave rust spots on the concrete and they're more readily absorbed by the plants, so less water is needed. The trick to using organics is consistent application – and our system makes that easy."

ONGOING REVENUE FOR BUILDERS. The Garden Promise injectors will retail for $18.50. Cartridges containing environmentally safe fertilizers and insecticidal soaps will retail for $6 to $7 each. Bowles and Cano are working with leading builders to install GPC systems within new housing developments.

“Builders see this as a very attractive opportunity not only in terms of the practical advantages, but also from a long-term revenue standpoint,” Bowles explained. "The average new home will require 4 GPC injectors, and if the homeowner resides in an area where landscape maintenance is a factor for 10 months out of the year, they will consume 30 to 40 fertilizer cartridges annually.”

The revenue from cartridge sales is shared with the builder, and builds over time, as more and more installations come online.

“It's a winning proposition for the homeowner, the builder, and the environment," Bowles concluded.

Garden Promise Co. will be previewing its fertilization system at the Green Industry Expo, November 4 and 5 in Orlando, Fla.