The Basics of Good Commercial Landscaping

Everyone knows that a well-designed and well-maintained landscape adds great curb appeal and value to a home. The same holds true for commercial landscaping. From lush green expanses to eco-friendly alternatives featuring boulders and native species, a beautiful landscape makes a commercial property more inviting to customers and employees alike.

The Value of Commercial Landscaping

If you use a professional landscaping service for your Rohnert Park home, you know that it involves much more than basic mowing and trimming. That’s doubly true for commercial landscaping services.

Both types of services offer similar benefits: to enhance a property’s comfort, functionality, and value through the use of walkways, trees, shrubs, and green lawns, whether natural grass or high-quality artificial turf. Some commercial property owners go even further, adding perennial gardens, water features, and energy efficient lighting systems.

The options are limitless, but the results are the same. Employees and clients get to enjoy a beautiful environment while your business presents its best face to the world. Other, non-aesthetic benefits to commercial landscaping include:

• Increase in property value
• Reduced water and electricity costs
• Mitigating property damage caused by erosion

Any type of business can reap the rewards of a good commercial landscaping project. Offices, retail stores, health facilities, restaurants, home associations, and industrial complexes are just a few. Going above and beyond traditional commercial landscaping lets people know you take pride in your business and value their joy and comfort.

Commercial Landscaping Basics

Good commercial landscaping should be both easy to maintain while seamlessly complementing the design and style of your property. Here’s how to get it right.

• Define your message. Even if you don’t think of it this way, your business and building have a brand to project. What do you want people to feel when they enter your business? Whether it’ professional, healing, fun, or edgy, you can use landscaping to deliver that message. For example, dancing fountains and brightly colored flowers project a light-hearted approach while green roofs say you care about sustainability.
• Find a purpose. Landscaping can both encourage people to linger or keep them on the move. How? Benches, tables, and low seating walls invite people to stop and enjoy their surroundings. A more straightforward design that uses direct pathways, low shrubs, and strategic lighting make a beautiful statement, too, but urge people to move to the entrance.
• Complement the architecture. Both soft and hard landscaping features should be chosen to highlight your building’s best features. For instance, older, more classic structures may look best with wood or brick elements. Modern buildings might be better accented with metal and concrete elements. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules here. What’s important is to create a cohesive look that people find attractive.
• Think environmentally. Commercial landscaping has come a long way in embracing the concept of water and energy conservation. Shade trees help keep interiors cool in the summer and block chilly winds in cooler weather. Green roofs help reduce heating and cooling costs while helping to control water run-off.

It’s also important to think about how much ongoing maintenance will be required to keep your landscaping looking great. An experienced commercial landscaping professional can advise you about which plants and other outdoor features can provide the benefits you desire while keeping maintenance costs within budget.

How to Choose a Commercial Landscape Company

Depending on your needs, commercial landscaping can include design and planning services as well as installation and long-term maintenance. Design services include consultation, site survey, and conceptual drawings. A typical design includes:

• Plantings
• Irrigation
• Hardscaping
• Lighting
• Ornamental features

During the design phase, a good designer will advise you of any erosion or drainage issues and help you choose plantings and other features that make the most sense for your goals and budget. These three questions should help you choose the right landscaping professional for your project:

1. Do the services offered match your goals? Different landscapers offer different specialized services such as xeriscaping, the practice of landscaping that requires little or no irrigation. A full-service commercial landscaping company offers design, irrigation, enhancement, maintenance, and lighting services.
2. Do you value environmentally sustainable practices? Make sure the landscaper does, too. Ask if they encourage the planting of native species, where they get their plants and landscaping materials, if they use water-conservation techniques, if they recycle and/or repurpose landscaping materials, and if the lighting systems they install are energy efficient.
3. Do they have all the right qualifications? Be sure to check both the company’s website and independent review sites. Ask for references from former and current customers. Confirm they are licensed to perform commercial landscaping in your area and ask about any industry certifications and/or qualifications they have. Ask, too, if they perform all their own work or if they subcontract it out.

It’s also important to talk about what maintenance services a company offers. Though ongoing maintenance plans vary from business to business, the basics generally include:

• Regular mowing, weeding, and pruning
• Seasonal plantings
• Mulch application
• Fertilization
• Integrated pest management

Some companies also offer tree removal. Whatever your specific needs, the landscaping company you choose should be willing to come up with a maintenance routine that’s tailored to your property’s needs and your budget.

Time to Plan for Your Commercial Landscaping Project?

Investing in professional landscaping for your business gives you the peace of mind you need in knowing you’ve chosen the right plantings and other landscape features to create the atmosphere and environment you want for your property. Choosing a landscaping company with a broad range of services helps you save time and money and allows you to work with one company to complete the job. This ensures the result is a cohesive, functional design.

With the help of DK Landscaping, the design, installation, and maintenance of your commercial landscaping project will meet all your expectations. To learn more and to schedule a consultation, contact us today.

Tagged: Commercial Landscaping, rohnert park landscaper, Santa Rosa Landscaper