By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

VERSAILLLES, Ky. — As greenery comes back to life from a long winter’s sleep, the sound of lawnmowers and the sight of people working in their flower gardens can be found nearly everywhere.
This activity has spawned a whole industry of lawn and garden professionals, many doing it as a sideline business and making extra money that is especially helpful during bad economic times. According to the Professional Lawn Care Assoc., more than 22 million households spend $14.6 billion on professional landscape and lawn care services.

Entrepreneur Media states “the advantages to this business are that you can start on a shoestring, you’re out in the fresh air every day with no ringing phones or clattering keyboards to interfere with the birdsong and if you enjoy physical labor and the accomplishment of putting in a good day’s work, then this can be a rewarding field.”

Brian Miller is one reaping those rewards, and more.

What began as a way to make a little extra money as a teenager has continued through the years and now serves as a mostly summertime sideline that fits well into his schedule being a full-time teacher.

“I started doing this when I was 15, riding my bike six miles to our church to cut the grass there. I grew up on a farm and it was easier than working in tobacco,” he said.

“Later I picked up a couple of other jobs mowing cemeteries that were near the church.”

Miller, a Breckinridge County native, always enjoyed the work even after going to college at the University of Kentucky (UK). “I kept doing the church job on weekends when I came home,” he said.
It was after college that Miller left the lawn care business behind to spend several years – 12, to be exact – coaching basketball at the high school level. But his love for the work never left and upon moving to Woodford County, he began again.

“I started doing a neighbor’s yard, then another, and the business went from there,” he said.

That was about five years ago and now Miller said he has enough extra business to keep him busy. In fact in the spring and fall, he really keeps long hours because of his teaching duties.

One thing that has helped is the addition of his father, Eli, to the business. The elder Miller spent 30 years at the UK College of Agriculture and since retiring has aided his son in those crunch times of the year.

“It is my dad that knows a lot and has taught me a lot about lawn care and landscaping,” said Brian Miller. “When I get behind or have a lot to do on any particular day, I’ll call him and we work together. He’s my Weed Eater Man.“

The kinds of services Miller offers his customers has grown with the business, as well. “I really started out just doing lawns, but now I do landscape management and power seeding,” he said.
Equipment-wise, he began his

business like most, in a small way, and has added more over the years. “I bought a small trailer and a used commercial mower at an auction when I first started,” he said.

Miller now owns a couple of the larger commercial mowers as well as two power trimmers, a couple of push mowers and blowers, along with the smaller tools that go with the trade.

Having 19 years in the education profession, he will be eligible to retire in fewer than 10 years and thinks the lawn service will still be around. “I’ll probably still do it to make a little extra money,” he said.

Miller added that he hopes his six-year-old son will become interested in the business, to make money for college – that is the plan, anyway.