Vas has a perfect day!
It’s been a while since I’ve had a perfect day but this past weekend I got lucky. So far it’s been a strange spring with the current pandemic affecting our normal lives.
Normally working an extra Saturday session wouldn’t be a big deal but with the Canadian economy stalled, it was a minor miracle to pull off an extra day. And it wasn’t just any day because we completed a landscape renovation project.
Commercial renovation
Renovation projects are a lot of fun because you get to see the before and after pictures. More on that later. Aside from the extra income, it’s important to note the various tasks I got to do on one project.
I got to chainsaw and remove unwanted Rhododendrons and mugo pines. All of the plants were healthy but unwanted because nobody pruned them and they got much too large for their space.
Weeding is a given on most projects and it doesn’t phase me. It’s just weeding.
Planting is a lot of fun. I planted two rows of boxwoods and Azaleas where earlier all you could see was stumps and one sickly pink Azalea. After planting we top-dressed the bed with fresh soil to help the new plants and to give the bed a great fresh look.
Around the corner I had to remove a layer of sandy soil and prune damaged Rhododendrons. Never tolerate damaged plants, instead prune them back into something more acceptable.
On the boulevard we removed old compacted lawn which was the most tedious part of the whole project. What lawn remained I scarified with a hard rake and over-seeded.
The final step always involves a clean-up blow.
Side-gig
As soon as we completed the renovation project, I drove out to meet new clients.
This is the reality in 2020 Canada: if you want to make six figures as a landscape worker, you will have to accept side-gig work.
And I happily accept side-gigs, especially during a pandemic. While my day-job provides steady work with good pay and benefits, my own projects add extra fun, blog post ideas and income. You can do both as long as you manage your time and energy.
It’s a minor miracle to find working clients during a pandemic, looking to off-load garden maintenance on a professional referred to them by a neighbour. And it’s all year and on-going which means you get a chance to develop a relationship with new clients.
There will be some hedge pruning, a bit of lawn care and weeding. It’s all fairly routine and I look forward to it. (My daughter needs C$7,400 braces!).
Chess
As soon as I finished my meeting I rushed home because I had an online chess league match. And not just any match: I played board 1 on four-man team and we faced the leaders.
I was afraid that my renovation work and meeting would drain me before the match but I actually played on a high and won a nice game. We won the round 3-1 and now lead our group with one round left to play.
Before I logged off I experienced miracle number four when a grandmaster challenged me. Usually you have to pay to play against grandmasters but this was a blitz game and I won it! That made me smile and it concluded my perfect day.
Conclusion
Say yes to landscape renovation projects and to side-gigs, especially if your aim is to make six-figures a year. And don’t neglect your hobbies!
