How to Start a Backyard Nursery Garden

Starting a backyard nursery can be both fun and profitable if done correctly. There are several things you’ll need to consider before you start. Below you will find several things that will help you start your own backyard nursery.

When to Start Your Backyard Nursery?
The most important key in starting a backyard nursery is to plan what type of nursery you will have. Will it be tropical plants, houseplants, bedding plants, trees and shrubs, fruits and veggies or a little of it all. The easiest thing to do is to pick a few and go from their. For instance, consider starting a backyard nursery to sell annuals and perennials, consider starting with just that, maybe a few trees, shrubs or tropical’s if you have them on hand but stick with your main focus. You can always add to your inventory when you get your foot in the door. You can also get plenty of suggestions from your customers once your business is established. Ask them what they want!

What Will You Need to Start Your Backyard Nursery?
You can’t have a backyard nursery without the proper supplies, tools, facilities, and everything else that goes along with the business. First of all, what is your budget? What can you afford to get your started? Consider the price of soil media, seeds and starter plants, fertilizers, pots, greenhouses, advertising, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind, and possibly one of the most important is business licenses and agriculture permits. You need to contact your local agriculture extension and find out what type of permits, inspections and other regulations you will have to meet in order to start your backyard nursery. These are usually very cheap and with the proper permits, can save you money on fines and give your customers a piece of mind knowing that you are following regulations.

When Will You Begin Your Backyard Nursery?
The first step to planning and beginning a backyard nursery is to consider the when you plan to open. When do you plan to start. If you just got back from the store with your first packet of seeds, obviously you can not open tomorrow. Keep your ideas realistic. Even if you had all your supplies such as pots, soil media, seeds, and fertilizers at hand today, consider how long it will take for those seeds to develop into plants that would be of good quality to sell. Usually 45-80 days, depending on the plant, is how long it will take before your seeds are healthy, thriving plants. Consider planning to open at the peak time of the growing season for the first set of plants you begin to grow and have them well grown and ready to go by then.

How Will You Advertise Your Backyard Nursery?
No one will come to your backyard nursery if they don’t know it exists. Depending on your budget, there are many of forms of advertising.

If you plan to strictly sell wholesale to local landscape companies, nurseries and garden centers, consider stopping by and giving them information about your business. Let them know that you are local and show tell them what you have to offer. Many times, wholesale can be very profitable as larger nurseries are seeking smaller, more local companies that can save on shipping, freight, fuel and meet the local customers needs. Co-ops and local nurseries that order their plants from catalogs are great to do business with.

You can also talk with local farmers markets, flea markets and other small companies and see if they would let you pay a small vendor fee of $10-25 to see up a few days to get your name out there and sell of few plants. They usually enjoy this as it brings business to them as well. Be sure to hand out business cards and directions to everyone who stops by. Let them know who you are and what you have to offer.

Newspapers can be quite expensive, however, a small ad in a local weekly paper can run you $10-50 but can bring in good traffic. Also, signs, flyers and other printed materials work well also.

The best for of advertising is word of mouth. If you will please your customers, offer quality plants and great customers service, along with reasonable prices, they will be your best advertising. Always produce good business ethics and you will see a great number of both new and repeat customers.

As the weeks, months and years go by, you will see a great increase in the your business as well as costumer requests. This is a great time to help your customer fulfill their needs. Consider adding a new plant or species every season. You customers will love the new products and will continue to return for years to come.