Every landscape gardener knows the pattern. As soon as the daffodils break ground and the sun stays out a little longer, the phone starts ringing off the hook. Spring is, without a doubt, the busiest time of year for outdoor trades. It is a frantic race to quote jobs, schedule work, and manage crews, often leaving zero time for anything else, especially marketing.
But there is a trap in relying solely on the spring rush. When everyone else is scrambling for visibility in March and April, the competition is fierce. The most successful landscaping businesses do not wait for the weather to turn. They use the quieter winter months to build momentum, ensuring their diary is already filling up with high-quality projects before the first lawn mower even starts.
If you want to move away from the “feast or famine” cycle and secure higher-value work, the preparation starts now. By generating leads early, you put yourself in control of your schedule and your cash flow. This guide will walk you through exactly how to use the winter downtime to set your business up for its best season yet.
Why Waiting Until Spring Is a Mistake
It is easy to think that because you are not busy on-site in January or February, your customers aren’t thinking about their gardens either. That is a common misconception. In reality, homeowners begin planning major garden renovations months in advance.
When the weather is dreary, people sit inside looking at their gardens, dreaming of summer barbecues and patio spaces. They are browsing Pinterest, searching Google for ideas, and looking for trusted tradespeople to make those ideas a reality. If your marketing is silent during these months, you are invisible to these early planners.
By the time you start marketing in April, these organised homeowners have already booked their contractors. You are then left fighting for the last-minute callers which are often the ones who want the job done “yesterday” and are more price sensitive.
Marketing early does not just get you more leads; it gets you better leads. Clients who plan ahead are often looking for larger, higher-value landscaping projects. They understand that quality takes time and are usually willing to wait for a slot in your diary if it means getting the right result. Securing these jobs in winter gives you a solid foundation for the year ahead.
Get Your Website Ready to Convert Leads
Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. Even when you are sleeping, it should be working to bring you enquiries. However, many landscaping websites sit stagnant during the winter, often displaying outdated information or broken links.
Before the rush begins, take time to audit your site. Is it clear what you do? If you offer garden maintenance, hard landscaping, and tree surgery, make sure these services are distinct and easy to find. A visitor should know within five seconds of landing on your page if you can help them.
Strong Calls-to-Action
A pretty website is nice, but a website that generates leads is better. Review your “Calls to Action” (CTAs). These are the buttons or instructions that tell the visitor what to do next. Are they clear?
Avoid vague phrases like “Click here.” Instead, use direct language like “Request a Free Quote,” “Call Us Now,” or “Book a Site Visit.” Ensure your contact form works correctly and that your phone number is clickable on mobile devices. Most homeowners will be searching on their phones, so a “click-to-call” button is essential for capturing immediate interest.
Showcase Your Best Work
Winter is the perfect time to update your galleries. Go through the photos on your phone from the past year. Pick the best project images, the ones that show sharp paving, perfectly pruned trees, or transformed driveways.
Crucially, include before-and-after images. These are incredibly powerful for convincing potential clients of your skill. They show the transformation and the value you add. If you have testimonials from happy clients from last season that aren’t on your website yet, get them uploaded. Social proof builds trust faster than any sales pitch.
Use Google to Capture Local Searches Early
When a homeowner in your area types “landscaper near me” or “tree surgeon in [Town Name],” does your business show up? Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is critical for trade businesses, and your Google Business Profile is the centrepiece of this.
During the winter, your competitors might be quiet online. This is your chance to climb the rankings. Google rewards activity. If you update your profile regularly, you signal to the search engine that you are an active, relevant business.
Here is a checklist for optimising your profile this winter:
- Check your details: Ensure your opening hours, phone number, and service areas are correct.
- Upload photos: Add those project photos you organised for your website to your Google profile as well.
- Post updates: Google allows you to post updates just like social media. Share a post about “Winter Tree Care” or “Planning Your Spring Patio.”
- Gather reviews: If you finished jobs late in the year and forgot to ask for a review, send a polite message now. “Hi [Name], we’re just updating our portfolio and realised we never asked for feedback on your garden project. Would you mind leaving us a quick Google review?”
Getting five-star reviews now means that when the high-volume searches start in spring, your profile looks trustworthy and established compared to competitors with fewer or older reviews.
Turn Past Projects Into Marketing Content
One of the biggest struggles for landscape gardeners is finding content to post when they aren’t actively working on exciting projects. A muddy, half-finished site in the rain isn’t always the most inspiring image. However, you likely have a goldmine of content sitting in your camera roll.
You do not need to be working on a job today to post about it today. Treat your past projects as case studies. Write a short explanation of a job you completed last summer. What was the client’s problem? How did you solve it? What materials did you use?
For example: “Throwback to this sandstone patio we installed in July. The client wanted a low-maintenance space for entertaining. We used [Product Name] for durability and installed raised sleepers for planting. Here is the transformation.”
This approach does three things:
- It keeps your social media feeds active.
- It shows your expertise and problem-solving skills.
- It builds credibility without requiring a site visit in bad weather.
Homeowners want to see that you are capable and experienced. Sharing past successes reminds them of the quality result they can expect when the sun comes out.
Start Talking to Homeowners on Social Media
Social media is not just for showing finished patios; it is for building relationships. During the winter, your goal is to stay “top of mind.” You want to be the first business a homeowner thinks of when they decide to push the button on their project.
Shift your content strategy to be helpful and educational. Remember, your potential clients are currently in the “research phase.” Give them content that helps them plan.
Ideas for winter social media posts:
- Inspiration: “Thinking about a new driveway? Here are three popular styles for 2026.”
- Education: “Why winter is actually the best time to prune apple trees.”
- Advice: “3 things to consider before booking your garden design.”
- Behind the scenes: Show your team prepping equipment or attending training. It shows professionalism.
Consistency beats volume. You don’t need to post every day. Two or three high-quality, helpful posts a week will keep your audience engaged. Focus on educating homeowners about the benefits of booking early and remind them that good landscape gardeners get booked up fast!
Run Early-Season Offers or Lead Hooks
Sometimes, potential clients just need a little nudge to make contact. They might be 90% sure they want to go ahead but are procrastinating. An early-season offer or “lead hook” can be the catalyst that turns a browser into an enquiry.
This doesn’t necessarily mean discounting your hard work. Avoid slashing prices, as this can devalue your service. Instead, offer value-add incentives for securing a slot early.
Examples of value-add incentives:
- “Book your spring project in January and get a free garden maintenance visit included.”
- “Free planting plan with all patio bookings confirmed before February.”
- “Priority scheduling for tree surveys booked this month.”
Alternatively, use a “lead magnet” to capture email addresses. Create a simple PDF guide, such as “The Homeowner’s Checklist: Is Your Garden Ready for Spring?” or “5 Cost-Saving Tips for Your Landscape Project.” Offer this as a free download on your website in exchange for their email address.
This allows you to capture their details even if they aren’t ready to book right now. You can then email them in a few weeks to see if they are ready to discuss a quote, keeping your business on their radar.
Prepare Your Paid Advertising Before Demand Peaks
If you use Google Ads or Facebook Ads, do not wait until you are desperate for leads to turn them on. Setting up paid campaigns takes time. You need to write the ad copy, choose the right keywords (e.g., “landscape gardener leads,” “tree surgeon marketing”), and design the visuals.
Testing your ads in late winter can be highly effective. The cost per click (CPC) is often lower because fewer competitors are advertising. This means your budget stretches further.
Use this time to drive traffic to specific landing pages. If you are advertising “Driveway Installations,” make sure the ad clicks through to a page specifically about driveways, not just your home page.
By setting up and refining your campaigns now, you avoid the panic of throwing money at expensive ads in May when you are already stressed. You will know exactly what ads work and can simply scale the budget up or down depending on your workload.
Focus on the Right Type of Work
One of the greatest benefits of generating leads early is the ability to be choosy. When your diary is empty and the bills are due, it is tempting to take any job that comes along, even if it is low-value or difficult work.
However, when you have a pipeline of enquiries coming in during the winter, you can filter them. You can focus on attracting the right type of work, the projects that are profitable, enjoyable, and suit your team’s skillset.
Use your winter marketing to position yourself as a professional business. Use high-quality images and clear, professional language. If you want high-end design-and-build projects, make sure your website and social media reflect that quality. If you want commercial tree contracts, tailor your LinkedIn and website copy to speak to facility managers, not just homeowners.
By defining your ideal client now and targeting your marketing towards them, you set the tone for the rest of the year. You stop being a “jack of all trades” and start becoming the specialist that clients are willing to pay a premium for.
Consistency Beats Last-Minute Marketing
Marketing is like gardening; you can’t plant a seed today and expect to eat fruit tomorrow. It requires preparation, nurturing, and patience. The actions you take in January and February will bear fruit in April, May, and June.
Many landscapers make the mistake of stopping marketing the moment they get busy. Then, when the projects finish, they have an empty pipeline and have to start from scratch. This creates a stressful cycle of “feast and famine.”
The goal is steady, consistent marketing. By setting up your website, Google profile, and social media strategy during the winter downtime, you build a system that works in the background. Small actions done early have a much bigger impact than frantic actions taken too late.
If you build momentum now, you won’t just have a busy spring; you will have a structured, profitable year with a diary full of the work you actually want to do.
Conclusion
The quiet winter months are a gift for business owners. They offer the breathing room needed to step back, strategise, and build a marketing engine that will power your business through the busy season. By optimising your online presence now, engaging with early planners, and positioning yourself as the local expert, you can ensure that when spring arrives, you are already ahead of the competition.
Don’t wait for the phone to ring, make it ring.
If you are a landscaper or tree surgeon looking to secure a consistent flow of high-quality leads, we can help. Whether you need a website that converts, help with local SEO, or a full marketing strategy to fill your diary, our team specialises in helping outdoor trade businesses grow.
