Commercial Landscaping

As a property manager, I need to know about commercial landscaping. What can Exterior Worlds tell me about commercial landscape design?
We have helped our commercial clients with their landscaping needs for more than 20 years. A commercial landscaping project begins with design. During this phase, landscape designers or landscape architects bring together your program elements, permit issues and desired aesthetics, likes, dislikes, opportunities and limitations. In providing design services, a well-versed landscaping professional creatively and diligently works to help you define the scope of your project and stay within budget. They also assist in the selection of materials, scheduling of vendors and coordination of work flow.

Two necessary features of any commercial project are drainage systems and irrigation systems. Landscape drainage is essential for commercial properties in Houston due to our dense soils, low-lying areas and unpredictable rainfall. A proper drainage system protects your property from flooding by carrying water away from roofs, paved areas and landscaping, thereby avoiding standing water where people can slip and fall and mosquitoes can breed. Drainage contractors can provide a holistic approach to ensure all the pieces work well together. Irrigation systems save money by supplying appropriate amounts of water to plant materials, thus protecting your landscape investment. They perform this function by separating the lawn, flower beds and planters into different areas that require differing amounts of water.

What are the benefits of a well-designed commercial property?
Expert commercial landscaping preserves and enhances your overall property value. A well-designed landscape makes a positive first impression on prospective tenants. It also helps keep your current tenants happy by giving them a pleasant ambiance.

Landscape lighting is an important attribute of the well-maintained commercial property. It is a proven deterrent to crime, providing an invaluable benefit to businesses that are open at night. Additionally, a well-designed landscape lighting system gives your property 24/7 visibility.

The addition of seasonal color creates an updated image for your property. Your Houston landscaping services company needs to have a creative skill with plant choices, color and texture that make your property memorable.

What about ongoing maintenance?
An important partner for you as a property manager is a commercial landscape maintenance provider who can work efficiently and effectively without continual oversight, as Exterior Worlds does for our clients. Your maintenance contract should cover duties such as mowing, edging, fertilization and disease treatment. Bushes, hedges, small trees and ground cover need to be trimmed so that they conform to the original design’s intent. Large or mature trees deserve special treatment such as regular deep-root feeding and aeration (to promote healthy roots). Plant materials and trees are susceptible to pests and diseases and therefore need systematic observation and treatment.

You also want a commercial landscaping partner who handles preventive maintenance. For instance, proper maintenance and regular inspections of the irrigation system will detect such problems as broken lines and heads. This service is absolutely critical for commercial properties. We have saved some of our clients as much as $5,000 to $10,000 per month because we early on caught problems with their irrigation systems.