The “100 Days of Hard” (And How It Affects Your Experience)

March 15th. The sun is shining, the days are longer and warmer, and the birds are chirping again. Spring is on the way! And most people, yourself included, are excited about it.

But for those of us in the landscaping profession, while we may be excited that the weather is finally turning…we’re also entering a time frame we call the “100 Days of Hard.”

Here’s why we’ve given this time period its nickname and why it matters for you as our client.

What exactly are the “100 Days of Hard”?

When the snow melts and you look at your property again in the sunlight, it’s going to be in its worst possible state: the grass is gray; sticks, leaves and debris emerge from underneath the melting snow; and your trees, shrubs and gardens look bare and brown.

This is when it begins. The 100 days from March 15 to mid-June is when…

• Everyone sees their yards and starts thinking about landscaping again.
• The ground thaws and the snow melts, so we’re able to start doing regular landscaping work. But snow still falls on occasion so we also need to deal with snow & ice management. We run almost all of our seasonal services simultaneously!
• It’s both the busy season and the rainy season, so we experience inclement weather delays and setbacks…which often impacts your experience with us.
• Our crews make a transition from snow & ice management to landscaping work…which is tough and takes some time to get back up to speed! (We call this first month back in the field the “first-month blues” because it takes a toll on our crews.)

In short, we’re often overwhelmed. Some have gone as far as to say that landscapers do 50% of their work during these 100 days!

So why are we telling you about it? The reason is two-fold. The first is simple: we want to be upfront and transparent with you. This is a relationship, after all! If you’re aware of the challenges we face, you’ll understand some of the impacts you might experience as a client.

Second, this post serves as a reminder — the best time to nail down your landscaping services is now!

Five ways we work with you to plan around the “100 Days”

Our goal as a company is to mitigate any and all negative impacts on your experience with us during the “100 Days.”

Here are five things we do with you before the busyness of spring arrives.

1. Set goals and develop a strategy for the year.

While we plan for the growing season, your account manager or business developer will iron out all the details and review your goals for the year.

If you’re a returning client, we’ll do a walkthrough of your property and discuss any issues that came up during the year. If you’re new, we can evaluate your site and how best to manage each of its spaces.

Throughout the year, we perform regular service audits to ensure your services are being completed to our standards (as specified in your contract).

2. Recommend and review any enhancements to be made in the coming year.

All of our clients have access to a yearly Property Improvement Plan, which outlines ideas for an enhanced experience. This can include anything from repairs or refreshes to patios or gardens to a suggested enhancement like a new irrigation system.

3. Confirm pricing and budgets.

When it comes to landscape maintenance services, budgeting is crucial. With an early meeting long before the “100 Days,” we can confirm pricing for the year ahead. (By the way, we’ve made it simple to see our contract options here.)

4. Secure the proper equipment and materials.

The size of your property can impact what equipment we will need to have in place for both the growing season and the winter. Early planning (and commitment from you) allows us to secure the best equipment and materials for your property and needs.

5. Build a good working relationship.

At ND, our team values the relationships we have with our clients above everything because without them, we would have no reason to go to work each day.

Planning early, in a proactive and professional way, should reflect (and set the tone for) how we communicate in our working relationship with you. Waiting till the last minute (or in the middle of the “100 days”) to finalize plans and contracts goes against our mission and values as a company!

As you can see, early planning comes with some key benefits. Any time before the onset of spring — and our “100 Days of Hard” — is a good time to sit down with us to discuss a plan for your property.

If you’d like to get a better idea of what’s included in our four-season landscape management packages, you can see them here. Like what you see? Book a consultation when you’re ready.