Landscaping Marketing: Seasonal Strategies That Work

Landscaping companies that only market during spring and summer are paying premium rates for the same leads everyone else wants at the same time.

The average landscaping business sees 40-60% revenue drops between November and February. Most respond by cutting marketing spend, which creates a predictable feast-or-famine cycle that repeats every year.

The landscapers pulling ahead market year-round. They pay less per lead, book projects further in advance, and enter spring with a full schedule while competitors scramble.

The seasonal economics nobody talks about

Spring leads cost 35% more than winter leads. Every landscaper starts advertising in March. Google Ads get competitive. Angi and Thumbtack raise prices because they can. Homeowners have options.

Winter advertising costs drop because most competitors disappear. The homeowners searching for “landscape design near me” in January are serious. They’re planning spring projects, getting quotes early, and ready to commit.

73% of homeowners start researching landscaping projects 6-8 weeks before they want work done. A homeowner searching in February wants March or April installation. If you’re not visible in February, you’re not getting that job.

Companies with year-round marketing spend 23% less per lead than seasonal advertisers. They build pipeline during cheap months and reap the benefits when everyone else is paying peak rates.

Winter marketing: December through February

Most landscapers go dark. That creates opportunity.

Winter is when you sell design services, hardscape projects, and early-bird spring packages. The homeowners thinking about their yard in January are planners. They want to get on the schedule before everyone else wakes up.

What works in winter

Design consultations convert better in winter than any other season. Homeowners have time to think, plan, and make decisions. They’re not rushing to get something done before the weekend barbecue.

Offer free design consultations with a deposit that locks in spring pricing. You collect revenue in January and February while building a backlog for March. The deposit doesn’t have to be large, just enough to signal commitment.

Hardscape projects work year-round in most climates. Patios, retaining walls, and outdoor kitchens can be installed when temperatures stay above 40°F. Concrete needs 50°F for proper curing, but pavers and natural stone are more flexible.

Target homeowners who searched your site during fall and never converted. They looked at your patio gallery in October, thought about it, and forgot. A postcard or email in January brings you back to mind when they’re ready to plan.

See how visitor identification helps you capture these leads.

Winter content that ranks

Searches for “landscape design ideas” spike in January and February as homeowners browse Pinterest and plan projects. Your blog should have content ready.

Write about spring planning checklists, design trends for the year, and project timelines. When someone searches “how long does it take to install a patio,” your article should show up.

Localize everything. “Spring landscaping ideas for [city]” targets homeowners in your service area specifically.

Spring marketing: March through May

This is when everyone wakes up. Competition peaks. Ad costs rise. Homeowners start calling around.

The landscapers who win spring are the ones who built pipeline during winter. They enter March with deposits collected and schedules filling up. They can afford to be selective about which projects they take.

What works in spring

Speed matters more in spring than any other season. Homeowners want their yards ready for summer. They’re calling multiple companies and going with whoever responds first.

78% of customers go with the first contractor to respond. In landscaping, that number is even higher during peak season. Everyone is busy, which means everyone is slow to respond.

An auto-text that fires within seconds of a form submission keeps leads warm while you finish the job you’re on. “Thanks for reaching out! We’re out on a project right now but will call you back within 2 hours.” That message stops them from calling the next company.

Read more about speed to lead and why it matters.

Spring pricing strategy

Raise prices in spring. This sounds counterintuitive, but demand exceeds supply during peak season. If you’re turning down work because you’re too busy, your prices are too low.

Create tiered pricing. Premium pricing for “next week” installation, standard pricing for 3-4 week timelines, discounted pricing for projects scheduled 6+ weeks out. This spreads demand and rewards the planners who book early.

The early-bird deposits from winter marketing pay off here. Those customers locked in lower prices, which means they’re not shopping around. They’re committed.

Summer marketing: June through August

Summer is execution season. Most landscaping marketing focuses on maintenance and smaller projects because the big installations are already scheduled.

But summer is also when homeowners start thinking about fall and next year. A finished patio in the neighbor’s yard triggers “we should do that” conversations.

What works in summer

Neighbor marketing is most effective in summer. When you finish a project, the neighbors see it. They watch the installation. They notice the result every time they drive by.

Door hangers on the 20 closest homes convert at 1-3%. That’s exceptional for any marketing channel. The message is simple: “We just finished a project for your neighbor at [address]. If you’ve been thinking about your outdoor space, we’d love to chat.”

Leave a yard sign on completed projects for 2-4 weeks. Negotiate this into your contracts. The sign generates leads while you’re working on other projects.

Read more about neighbor marketing strategies.

Summer content strategy

Showcase completed projects heavily during summer. Before/after photos perform well on social media. Case studies on your blog help with SEO and give potential customers proof of your work.

Video walkthroughs of finished projects outperform photos. Homeowners want to see the space in use, not just a static image. A 60-second video of a finished patio with furniture, lighting, and a family using the space sells the dream better than any written description.

Fall marketing: September through November

Fall is the second selling season. Homeowners realize their outdoor space didn’t get used enough this summer and start planning improvements. They have the rest of the year to think about it, but they’re motivated now.

Fall is also cleanup season. Leaf removal, winterization, and end-of-season maintenance generate recurring revenue and keep you in front of customers.

What works in fall

Promote fall planting aggressively. Trees, shrubs, and perennials planted in fall establish root systems over winter and thrive the following spring. Most homeowners don’t know this.

Educational content about fall planting benefits positions you as an expert and creates urgency. “Plant now for a better spring” is a message that resonates.

Bundle services to increase average ticket size. Fall cleanup plus winterization plus spring prepay at a package discount locks in revenue for the next six months.

Fall lead capture

Fall website visitors are often planning for spring. They’re browsing, comparing, and making mental notes. Most won’t convert immediately.

When you can identify which homeowners visited your design gallery in September, you can follow up in January with a targeted offer. They showed intent. They just weren’t ready to commit.

This is where capturing the 96% who leave without converting matters most. That October website visitor is a February customer if you stay in touch.

Building a year-round system

The best landscaping companies don’t think in seasons. They think in pipelines.

Winter builds the pipeline for spring. Spring generates revenue and referrals. Summer captures neighbor leads and plants seeds for fall. Fall locks in customers for the next year and builds the pipeline for the following spring.

Marketing spend stays consistent across the year. It shifts focus based on the season but never stops completely.

Maintenance agreements

Recurring revenue through maintenance agreements smooths out seasonal variation. A customer paying $200/month for lawn care, seasonal cleanups, and winterization is worth $2,400/year in predictable revenue.

Those agreements also create touchpoints. Every time your crew is on their property, you have an opportunity to notice upgrade possibilities and have conversations about larger projects.

The landscaper who maintains a property for three years is the one who gets the call when the homeowner decides to redo the backyard. That relationship compounds over time.

Review strategy by season

Ask for reviews within 2 hours of completing a project. Response rates drop from 42% to 6% if you wait two days.

Time review requests to match seasonal search behavior. A review collected in April appears fresh when May searchers are looking for landscapers. A review collected in October might feel stale by the time spring arrives.

Read more about review generation strategies.

The off-season advantage

Landscaping businesses that market year-round spend 23% less per lead over the course of a year. They build relationships when competitors are dark. They enter peak season with committed customers instead of empty schedules.

The off-season is a marketing opportunity that most landscapers ignore. The ones who use it pull ahead every single year.