Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Hitchcock.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Like most college students I didn’t know what I wanted to study. The catalog of courses and majors was once printed, and I happen to browse through all the interesting studies provided by the University of Florida. When I read horticulture sciences I knew I had to take a class! The rest is history. However, my love for being outside and working with nature came from my grandmother who let me build outdoor forts and climb trees growing up in Miami, Florida. After college I became an extension professor working for the UF IFAS Cooperative Extension Service in Orange County teaching gardening classes to the community. When I realized I was more of an entrepreneur and go-getter I looked for private industry jobs and fell in love with Chicago. I moved to become an arborist and sold tree programs including tree work like pruning but also Plant Health Care for trees. I moved back to Florida and started consulting realizing many tree companies in Florida were behind in providing quality tree work and never heard of treatments to improve health of trees. My business was set up as an independent source of information based on educational research and experience as a consultant that grew in providing the leading Tree Health Care in Central Florida. Not many tree companies provide treatments, and we fit in to provide that need direct to our clients. Servicing not only residential customers but also helping landscapers and other tree companies that did the pruning and removals. Been rewarding and we value long-term relationships by taking care of our customers trees for years to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Growing any business has its rewards and challenges. Growing, demand, how to execute the best services and being on top of paperwork are what sets any successful company from achieving their goals or not. Over time you realize you can’t do it alone. And find the best people to work with you to continue to scale and find the gaps in your own weaknesses to make a team. In general my business has to stay on educating the public as who we are and what we do and what makes us different. No one has heard of tree health care and up north it is a normal department under an existing tree care company. We put ourselves out front and have all the proper documentation and state licensing to run a pesticide company in order to be able to handle any situation for tree health when controlling insects and disease. No one is perfect but with good communication to our customers and the ability to continue to practice and improve each year we expect to stay in business a long time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known as the tree doctor, the tree lady or the tree hugger. I specialize in saving trees. I am proud of the centurion trees that are under our care over a hundred years old. We need to preserve, protect, and value trees more in what they give to our environment, property value, and wildlife. As they say in Kindergarten: they also give us oxygen! What sets us apart is listening to my customer and understanding their individual situation and how the tree comes into play in their landscape. I am a solid sounding board and expert to the outside opinions of the extreme threats of taking down trees or not doing anything at all. I am in the middle because I have solutions no one has heard of in Florida. And I hope to change that one tree at a time, saving more trees taken down unnecessarily.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is being outside in the garden with my grandmother and asking her why her feet were black (dirty). She said, “don’t worry honey, that is permanent”. A true gardener that played in the garden barefoot. My grandmother told me stories about gnomes and fairies and I thought the garden was magical and came alive at night. In many ways, the garden and the trees are still magical and will always be a part of my life.
Pricing:
- Initial tree consultations $175 for 45 minutes on site
- Telehealth appointment $50 for 15 minutes
- Large trees in small spaces start at $150
- Palm Protective program start at $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://urbantreedoctor.com
- Instagram: @urbantreedoc
- Facebook: @urbantreedoctor
- LinkedIn: @jennhitchcock
- Youtube: @urbantreedoctor
Image Credits
UF IFAS, Dr. Bahder (Lethal Bronzing Disease)
