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I agree with FMG in that these are all different specialized areas.
One thing that I see all of the time is that beginning landscapers are much less "specialists" than they are "limiting their services" to what they think they can make more money on or because they think they can handle those limited pieces of landscaping. Very soon they find out that they have to offer wider ranges of srvices to keep busy and that it is very difficult to become a specialist.
Most specialized landscape companies have moved from broader ranges of services into the specializaton as they established a reputation from what I have seen.
I don't believe that a couple of college kids are going to take work from established landscape companies based on marketing materials. There is just too much advertizing out there for the limited clientel to to bite at right at the time that they are ready to buy. People shopping for these landscapes generally call in more than one company to discuss the project. Every other company will have a portfolio of built work, these guys don't. The others will have more knowledgeand experience and will be very much more used to getting that across to their prospects.
This is one business that your customers find you much more than you finding them.
My opinion is that if I were a college student looking to get something going over the summer, I'd work friends and family a lot harder than anywhere else. This stuff is bought based on confidence that the job will come out right. The one who removes more doubt from the client is the one who gets the job. Friends and family will trust you more and are more likely to buy on potential alone than any person who does not know you. All you need is 4-5 weeks of work (which will take 8-10 weeks to do without experience and equipment).
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