bella terra landscapes bbb business review

What bella terra landscapes bbb business review does

Bella Terra Landscapes & Garden Center is a family-owned, full-service landscaping company founded in 2003 by Mike Schimmel and his wife Katie, headquartered in Ellendale, Delaware, and serving residential and commercial customers across Eastern Sussex County. The company's core offering spans landscape design/build, irrigation and landscape lighting, recurring property maintenance, and snow and ice management, complemented by a retail garden center that runs alongside the service operation. It is also the #1 Kress dealer on the Eastern Shore, distributing battery-powered outdoor power equipment through both its physical store and an e-commerce channel.

The business operates as a multi-revenue-stream services retailer. Installation projects are priced between roughly $5,000 and $200,000+, while recurring residential and commercial maintenance contracts start at approximately $250/month. Snow and ice management provides a counter-seasonal revenue line, and the retail garden center and Kress equipment distribution extend monetization beyond labor hours. The customer base is anchored in affluent coastal Delaware homeowners but extends to commercial accounts including banks, hotels, medical facilities, HOAs, and senior-living properties. Customer financing through Synchrony and an in-house Garden Rewards Club loyalty program indicate a maturing commercial motion layered on top of a traditional services operation.

Operationally, Bella Terra runs separate leadership for field services and retail — a Director of Sales and Growth Development and a Garden Center General Manager — and has accumulated multiple Delaware Nursery & Landscape Association awards between 2017 and 2022, along with a 4.7/5.0 Google rating across 221 reviews, signaling strong local brand equity. The company remains privately held and family-controlled, with no public financials disclosed.

Name

bella terra landscapes bbb business review

Legal name

Bella Terra Landscapes & Garden Center

Website

https://bellaterrade.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bella Terra Landscapes & Garden Center is a family-owned, full-service landscaping company founded in 2003 in Ellendale, Delaware, serving affluent residential and commercial customers across Eastern Sussex County with design/build, maintenance, irrigation, lighting, snow/ice management, and a retail garden center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Design and Maintenance Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (56173), Landscaping Services (561730), Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442), Outdoor Power Equipment Retailers (444230), Home and Garden Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811411)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting (HSAIABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Maintenance Plans & Post-Installation Care (Establishment Services) (HSAIABAL), Commercial Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance (BPABADAA), Landscape Lighting Installation & Maintenance (BPABADAM), Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL), Edging, Bed Redefinition & Border Installation (HSAIAFAF), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Garden Cleanups & Debris Removal (Bed-focused) (HSAIAFAJ)

Keywords

• Landscape design services
• Landscape maintenance contracts
• Irrigation installation
• Landscape lighting systems
• Garden center retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Landscape Design & Installation: One-time project-based revenue from landscape design and installation services including softscaping, hardscaping, drainage, and full custom makeovers ranging from $5,000 to $200,000+. A 40% deposit is required to secure a spot on the schedule, with the balance billed upon completion.
2. Residential & Commercial Maintenance Contracts: Recurring monthly or annual maintenance contracts providing weekly mowing, spring/fall cleanup, mulching, weeding, pruning, irrigation management, and seasonal color rotations. Starting at $250/month per property. Contracts renew after 12 months.
3. Garden Center Retail Sales: Retail sales of plants (annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, tropicals, aquatic plants), gardening supplies, bulk materials (mulch, stone, soil), pottery, statuary, fountains, holiday/seasonal items, and gift cards. Operates as both an in-house nursery and standalone retail shop.
4. Irrigation Installation & Maintenance Services: Irrigation system installation starting at $3,500, plus service offerings including repair (starting at $90), start-up/winterization (starting at $140 per service), and monthly inspections (starting at $90 per service).
5. Kress Smart Lawn Equipment Sales & Service: Sales and service of Kress autonomous mower systems and commercial equipment bundles. Bella Terra is the #1 Kress dealer on the Eastern Shore. Service plans include Winter Tune-Up ($199-$299), Basic Annual ($189/year), Premium Annual ($379/year), and Vacation Monitoring (from $100).
6. Snow & Ice Management: Seasonal snow removal and ice management services for commercial properties, including salt applications to maintain safe parking lots, walkways, and internal roads during winter months.
7. Garden Rewards Club & Gift Cards: Garden Rewards Club loyalty program earning 10% cash back on plant purchases. Gift cards sold in denominations of $25 to $500. Customers can also enroll in financing through Synchrony (0% interest for 25 months) for larger purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bella Terra Landscapes provides full-service landscape design, installation, and ongoing maintenance for residential and commercial properties in Eastern Sussex County, Delaware, including softscaping, hardscaping, irrigation, low-voltage LED landscape lighting, and snow and ice management. The company also operates an in-house retail garden center selling plants, bulk materials, and gardening supplies, and is the #1 Kress dealer on the Eastern Shore, reselling autonomous robotic mowers and commercial landscape equipment. Service contracts range from $90 one-time repairs to $200,000+ complete custom makeovers, plus $250/month recurring maintenance contracts.

Product overview

Bella Terra Landscapes & Garden Center is a full-service landscaping company and retail garden center serving Eastern Sussex County, Delaware since 2003. The company operates a unified business model combining landscape design/build services with a retail garden center. Core services include Design & Build (softscaping and hardscaping), Residential and Commercial Maintenance, Irrigation Installation & Maintenance, and Landscape Lighting (including smart lighting with mobile management). The company also operates a Garden Center retail division offering plants, pottery, bulk materials, and gardening supplies, plus the Kress Smart Lawn Systems (autonomous mowers) and Snow & Ice Management services. A Garden Rewards Club loyalty program and Gift Cards complement the offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illuminations by Bella Terra: Luxury landscape lighting services brand offering residential and commercial architectural lighting solutions in Sussex County, Delaware.
• Kress Smart Lawn Systems

Products and services

• Design & Build Award-winning landscape design and installation service covering softscaping (plants, drainage, grading), hardscaping (patios, walkways, retaining walls, fire features, outdoor kitchens), and full custom makeovers ranging from $5,000 to $200,000+ for residential and commercial properties in Eastern Sussex County, Delaware.
• Residential Maintenance Full-service landscape maintenance for luxury residential properties including weekly mowing, seasonal cleanups, mulch installation, weeding, pruning, irrigation management, and landscape enhancements, delivered through recurring monthly contracts starting at $250/month per property.
• Commercial Maintenance Professional landscape maintenance for commercial properties including banks, hotels, medical facilities, HOAs, and senior living facilities, delivered through recurring contracts with dedicated account managers and quality assurance programs.
• Irrigation Installation & Maintenance Customized irrigation system design, installation (starting at $3,500), and maintenance services including repairs (from $90), seasonal start-up/winterization (from $140), and monthly inspections (from $90), with smart WiFi-enabled systems offering remote control, weather-based scheduling, and water usage tracking.
• Landscape Lighting Low voltage LED landscape lighting services including string, uplighting, path, pond and fountain, architectural, deck and patio, security, and smart lighting with mobile management and color-changing capability, utilizing FX Luminaire manufactured products for residential and commercial properties.
• Snow & Ice Management Commercial snow removal and ice management with salt applications to maintain safe parking lots, walkways, and internal roads during winter months for commercial properties in Eastern Sussex County, Delaware.
• Kress Smart Lawn Systems Authorized Kress dealership offering GPS-guided autonomous robotic lawn mowers and commercial 60V equipment bundles for residential and commercial properties with app-based control, quiet operation, and precision engineering, including installation and recurring service plans.
• Garden Center Year-round retail garden center in Ellendale, Delaware offering annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, tropicals, aquatic plants, pottery, statuary, fountains, bulk materials (mulch, stone, soil), gardening supplies, and holiday/seasonal items for DIY homeowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7 out of 5.0 Google rating based on 221 reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kress (TTI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBella Terra Landscapes is the #1 Kress dealer on the Eastern Shore, reselling and servicing Kress smart lawn systems including autonomous mowers and commercial 60V equipment. The partnership includes consultation services, installation, and ongoing maintenance plans (Winter Tune-Up, Annual Plans, Vacation Monitoring). Kress provides the technology; Bella Terra provides local sales, setup, and ongoing management.
• AC Plant & Turf (Arbor Care)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing turf nutrient management and plant health care services to Bella Terra's landscape installation and maintenance clients. Recommended post-installation to ensure long-term plant and turf health. Seamless referral relationship between the two companies.
• Forrest FencingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted fencing subcontractor partner for landscape installations requiring fencing as part of complete custom makeovers. Bella Terra does not install fencing directly and refers clients to Forrest Fencing for these services.
• Barnes PowerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted electrical subcontractor partner for landscape lighting installations and other electrical needs during landscape projects.
• Lamb's Custom PaintingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted painting and power washing subcontractor partner for exterior property maintenance needs that complement landscape services.
• Carter AquaticsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted pool subcontractor partner for landscape projects that include pool installation or renovation as part of outdoor living space design. Bella Terra does not install pools directly.
• Sherman CorporationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted plumbing subcontractor partner for irrigation system installations and outdoor kitchen projects that require plumbing connections.
• One Call ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHome remodeling and repair subcontractor partner for complete landscape projects that may involve home exterior improvements alongside landscaping.
• Tri-State Tree ServiceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted tree removal and stump grinding subcontractor partner for landscape projects requiring tree removal or stump remediation.
• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional industry association providing training, certification, and industry standards. Bella Terra's team members are trained on the NALP rubric and hold industry certifications.
• Delaware Nursery and Landscape Association (DNLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level industry association for nursery and landscape professionals in Delaware. Bella Terra has received multiple awards through DNLA recognition programs (Large Residential, Small Residential, and Commercial awards in 2017-2022).
• HouzzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform partner for professional portfolio display and client reviews. Bella Terra maintains a Houzz professional profile for lead generation and social proof.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BellaTerraGardenCenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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