Get 'Em Talking

I met with a client this afternoon about a rain garden for the apartment he owns. It was a brief encounter, but (I think) fruitful. He sort of gasped when he saw the estimate, because the labor is pretty pricey. The plan involves regrading and excavating the site for a dry stream bed and a rain garden. I got him talking a little, and realized that his dilemma is choosing where to sink his money. He could put money into the apartment building that he wants to sell, or he could put a lot of money into his Lake Minnetonka property. Lake Minnetonka, peoples!!! He owns the land, but hasn't built the house yet, and he's already pretty overwhelmed, because Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is making him plant a buffer zone along the lakeshore. I reassured him that we've done quite a bit of lakeshore restorations, including buckthorn removal, and his ears perked up. He had no idea that people like us existed and did that kind of work. It was really affirming to tell him, "Yeah, we do that, and we'd be happy to help you."

So, I'm not sure if he'll progress with the apartment rain garden, but he could be a potential client for a restored shore.