We spoke to the friendly plant himself, Craig De Necker.
Craig is a true nature lover.
“Since I can remember, I have enjoyed spending time out in nature. I find that when I get away from the city, the pace of life slows down,” he says. Stepping into nature allows him to step out of the rush of every day.
The plan…
He studied B.com with the intention of starting a business, however he had no idea which type of business at that time. “I just had a fascination with the process of running a business”
After finishing his degree in the early 90’s he started working in the green industry.
Initially he bought a piece of land, and targeted large-scale plant-buying customers like nurseries and developers. “I started propagating and growing plants and I still run this business today.”
The Friendly Plant starts growing.
Realising there was a demand for professional landscaping services, he founded The Friendly Plant in 2006. “My objective was to offer a professional turnkey landscaping service. Landscape design (both hardscapes and softscapes), installation, and related construction work all under one roof.” Initially he was a one-man team managing garden installations during the day, designing gardens, and calculating quotations at night.
He now has four in-house designers as well as installation managers to facilitate the garden installations. “The focus has always been on offering a bespoke service and trying as much as possible to manage client expectations.”
Incorporating technology has helped a lot.
“We offer our clients a ‘test-drive’ of their design at our 180,000m2 plant farm. Our test drive includes a 3D walk-through of the mature garden on a massive projector screen as well as setting out a display area of the plants used in their design as they will look on installation.
His marketing prowess has helped the business grow and his obvious passion for this career shines through in his commitment to The Friendly Plant.
“We have had our work featured in well over 200 articles in magazines and hardcover books and been on numerous television programs as well as many radio interviews.
As bespoke as their services are, Craig works with his clients to establish a budget and stick to it as much as possible.
It is important to note that a ‘great’ or ‘beautiful’ garden is very subjective. Cost alone won’t be the reason why a garden works or doesn’t work in a given space. Lifestyle of the client is very important and the garden should cater to this.
“Your garden should be as close to budget as possible without compromising on the aesthetics or functionality.”
According to Craig, many home gardeners do not plan properly.
He suggests drawing even the most basic design that shows where you would like a tree, where you require privacy screening, lawn etc. Then make it actionable.
“If your design includes trees, are they to be bushy and evergreen? Should they rather be deciduous to let the sun into the house in winter? Should they be palm trees that offer a dappled shade without taking up too much space on the ground?”
The Friendly Plant has grown exponentially over the past three decades.
“We currently employ four full-time designers and have a staff compliment of just under 50 people.” They design, as well as manage installations and construction. “We do not sub-contract our work.”
For Craig, a garden is the biggest room in the house, and should support the lifestyle of the homeowner. “A garden space must resonate with me as far as aesthetics and function. Personally, a braai area, however basic it is, is a must!”
The South African business landscape.
According to Craig, the poor state of the economy as well as the constant feed of negative news is not ideal for business “People are more likely to spend money when they have a positive state of mind. This is especially true when considering embarking on a project such as landscaping.”
In these times, clients look for reputable companies that have a proven and lengthy track record rather than taking a chance with an unknown entity. “This provides well-established businesses such as ours a better chance of weathering the storm.”
On the upside, people opting for a “Staycation” instead of a big family holiday may end up investing in landscaping to create a beautiful, functional garden to enjoy all year round.
Landscaping design is a year round industry
“People think they must wait until spring or summer before planting their garden.” This means clients get turned away as we do not have the capacity to install during peak season”.
As Craig says, spring plants would have been kept outdoors in harsh conditions at nurseries all winter long, sometimes for a number of years. “Unless you are in a specifically cold area next to a river for example, the plants will be in a gentler environment in your garden than they would be sitting in a bag outside on a slab of concrete or in the dirt at a nursery. To plant a new garden, the right time to plant is now. Whenever you ask me, no matter the time of year, the answer will be, “Now”.”
He loves working on residential gardens with enthusiastic clients.
He has worked on massive resorts, commercial gardens and even public parks, but nothing beats a home garden for excitement and client satisfaction. The Friendly Plant does everything from small townhouse gardens all the way up to massive multi-hectare properties. “We create gardens and outdoor spaces for our clients which will become their very own paradise at home – a place where memories will be made.”
Craig is extremely proud of his team and the business they have built.
“I love when we receive an unsolicited message or photo from a client thanking us for the garden that we have created. This shows us that what we are doing matters and that we are doing it properly.”
