Vent: A kid's school project fixed my take on tree labels with clients

I was trimming a big willow in a backyard last month. The lady of the house called it a weeping birch the whole time. It got funny when her daughter came out with a leaf collection for class. The girl held up a willow leaf and said, 'Mom, this is what we have.' The mom went quiet, and I just nodded along. That awkward minute made me start using simple name tags for trees on estimates. I always said they were extra stuff, but they stop mix-ups cold. Now I keep a pack of basic tags in my truck. Saves face for everyone, and the kids get a kick out of it.

5 comments

5 Comments

beth27614d ago

Kid's leaf collection, best assistant you never paid.

aaron_mitchell29d ago

That kid's leaf collection basically did your job for you. How many times have you had a client insist on a wrong tree name before? I had a guy call a red maple a Japanese maple for two years until his neighbor corrected him. Do you find people get defensive when you gently point it out, or are they mostly cool about it?

logan52514d ago

Get a mix of reactions honestly. Some folks are grateful for the info, others double down like they're protecting family honor. Had a lady argue her "flowering dogwood" was a magnolia for months.

michaelgrant1mo ago

My own plant ID skills peaked in second grade with a dandelion, so I totally get it.

the_max1mo ago

Remember when we thought all green plants were basically the same? I learned the hard way that's not true.