Iowa Landscaping Industry Improving

A landscape contractor moves pallets of block to the backyard of a home in Cedar Falls, Iowa in preparation for a backyard retaining wall and landscaping project.

A ray of hope is beaming down on landscaping companies in Iowa as business is picking up.

Cedar Valley (Iowa) landscaping companies are booking full schedules of backyard improvements, and many involve building water features, fire pits, patios and decks, and the accoutrements that go with them.

Some landscapers are speculating that some clients are looking to add outdoor amenities and greenery to their homes, rather than take to the roads this summer.

“Everything just keeps coming in; we have a decent backlog,” said Craig Gibleon, senior designer with Matthias Landscaping Inc. in Waterloo. “If there's anything that's a little slow, it's actual planting on commercial projects.”

Residential bookings are plentiful, Gibleon said.

“It’s been pretty brisk; we have not seen a slowdown at all,” he said. “We have more calls from people wanting patios and decks and projects like that, if for no other reason than to improve the values of their homes.”

Clients are looking to shore up retaining walls or add patios, fire pits, fireplaces and other niceties that enhance backyard functionality or, as Gibleon said, “anything that makes their backyard a little more desirable to be out in.”