Thats a tough one. When my children were younger I chose plan B. I now am the owner of a very strong business with more than enough income that I can take winter "off". But right now, in the beginning of spring I am working 12 hour day, 7 days a week. Here's a few thoughts I have coming from that perspective: -there is the possibility of finding a lower paying job, closer to home which would give you time to grow your business. -Last year, Matt Nathanson, singer, spoke at our high school's graduation. He gave some of the best life advice I have ever heard. EVERY DAY I think of his advice "get comfortable being uncomfortable". To be successful you have to push the envelope all the time. I linked his speech below...well worth a watch. -if you decide to do Plan B- the key to being successful is keeping all expenses very low. Don't run out and buy trucks, rent an office or any of that off the bat; I have seen sooo many landscape companies come and go because of that. On the other hand, its important to spend money on product that you know you can sell. Planters, shrubs, trees and the bigger the better because there is more money in it. -I don't use CAD anymore. It was an expense I couldn't justify considering that hand drawn is usually just as good. Actually better if you are designing perennial gardens. I also don't advertise, its never been a necessary expense. I treat my customers well enough that they are excited to share my name. -My initial business plan was not only to provide flexible employment for myself so I could prioritize my family, but to provide flexible employment to other moms. Right now I have a mom working for me who can only work random hours, but if she can get herself to and from our job site, why would I tell her she has to work the same hours as everyone else? Its important to be outside the box and creative about making a business work. I have a local friend who is in virtually the same business, and for him, his crew needs to be ready to go at 7am until 4pm everyday. If they are late he is furious. I personally don't understand that. I am very flexible and my crew always appreciates that and respects me. -I don't think about my business in a competitive way. "All boats rise" is my motto. Meaning that the more good landscaping there is out there, the more people want their landscaping to look that good and the more business there is for everyone. Very very few home owners get competitive bids on work. This year I had one, yes one, competitive bid situation. Ironically my price came in at HALF what the other landscaper bid. I think that tells you a lot about how pricing works in this business. -For a while, I was very successful providing "elite" services. I was considered the landscaper that all the wives in the richer part of town wanted to have do their gardens. It didn't matter that my prices were higher than other garden designers, actually it helped. I say for a while, because that effect has diminished in this recession. But it is an interesting thing to consider. Think Martha Stewart doing your gardens... -I don't think a website is necessary but an internet presence is important so customers can google you. Websites can get really really expensive especially if you are working all the time to stay on top of the search engines. I use Facebook as my website. It comes up if people search my name and you have a built in audience. Last year I got two jobs, one the biggest job we had all summer, off of Facebook. Post some pretty pictures of your work a couple of times a week and you reach however many friends you can find on there. A website just sits there but FB is interactive. I LOVE my job but I especially love the business part of it. I love to challenge the way people think about running a business and proving them wrong in their traditional thinking. I think liking the business part of it is important; its not just planting flowers. Okay, I know that was just a random bunch of thoughts, but i hope it helps. Good luck and i think you should be comfortable being uncomfortable and choose plan B. Here is a link that might be useful: Matt nathanson, hes on FB too.

We had a MAC growing up & on our old garage roof that did the same thing - one year there were green weeds growing! Our roof is tar & gravel, but that is the replacement roof. When we moved here no one used the garage because the blackberries had made soil on the roof, rooted in it, and the roots had penetrated the roof eventually, and were hanging down inside of the structure! Isn't Mother Nature amazing? That's what I say to those who worry about the exact type of compost & fertilizers to use (not on top of buildings) - if you leave the leaves, plant food and compost magically appear - ever noticed how forests & jungles survive w/o humans running around spreading compost & fertilizer? Jackie

in times like that I convince myself by saying what if, what if it's not one of the ones I have, what if it's something that's not in circulation , what if it is one that I have on my list or two or three and I can get them all right now, what if my wife is not home and I plant them really quickly then she'll never know. That's the best one of all cuz then were both surprised when they bloom.

Hi!! You have mail. I forgot to ask if you could also include some of the fruit and some of the shrub seeds. Thanks much.