Landscapers and spouses share tips for work-life balance

Pictured above: Brett and Denise Lemcke visit the R.M. Landscape office. 
© Kate Melton

Before dating or marrying a landscaper, people might enter into the relationship with some misconceptions on what a landscaping job entails.

“You hear landscaper and think mowing lawns and planting flowers,” says Denise Lemcke, an assistant principal at an elementary school in Webster, New York.

Lemcke started dating and eventually married a landscaper, which showed her other aspects of the industry, though. She watched her husband, Brett, team with his dad to grow R.M. Landscape, their father-son landscaping business in Hilton, New York. Also, with Brett involved in the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), she learned the size of the industry.

“I didn’t realize how big the entire industry is,” Denise says.

Living with a landscaper has also given her a new appreciation for landscape design and the impact it has on a home or business.

“Before Brett, I never paid attention to any of that,” she says. “Now, it’s hard not to pay attention. You appreciate beautiful landscape work and when something is lacking, you recognize the need for it.”

Read the full story from the April issue here.