Maintenance programs are the best way to protect your investment in landscape design.  They are intended to save you money by consolidating all necessary services into a service contract with a fixed price point.  Maintenance programs also can save you a fortune on replacement costs.  The price of a stately tree, or the cost of replanting an entire parterre garden, are astronomical compared to the considerable, yet still very reasonable cost of a service agreement that is customized to the specifics of your yard and maintained by the professionals who know it best—the team that initially landscaped.

Maintenance programs begin with lawn service.
Your lawn requires a great deal more attention than you might think.  It requires weekly trimming in the summer and bi-weekly trimming in the winter.  It also needs to be aerated regularly in order to keep the clay-like soil of the Gulf Coast from suffocating root systems of the grass and shutting off the flow of water and nutrients.  Fertilizer should be applied to your yard by a professional every three months. 

Irrigation and drainage is another vital line item that should be on every maintenance program.
Do not wait until your drain is clogged or your plants begin to wither to call a service company who may not even be familiar with your type of drainage system.  Water drainage is a very complex science on the type of flat terrain that we have here in Houston.  Drains must be cleaned periodically throughout the year to keep them free of debris.  One clogged drain on the day before a storm can result in a flooded landscape on the day after the storm.  Irrigation systems need to also be checked regularly during months when there is little rainfall in order to ensure consistent and adequate water delivery. 

Pruning of trees, shrubs, and hedges are recommended components of maintenance programs.
Pruning brings great benefit to the health of trees and shrubs, and it has an amazing impact as well upon their aesthetics.  While you may think that the larger elements would need the most attention, it is the smaller shrubs, trees, and bushes that often need the most attention and care.  Many of the smaller species, though short in stature, are very hardy plants that are continually growing new leaves and branches.  Pruning them helps maintain their shape and contour and keeps your yard looking neat. 

Ground cover and flower beds often need weekly attention, and can be covered under maintenance programs as services conducted at the same time and day as lawn care.  It is important to have your landscape design company do this because lawn companies seldom know how to properly weed exotic flower beds, nor do they know how to prune and edge many of the vines and ground cover species we plant without doing more damage than good.

Deep root tree fertilization should be done on any property that has very large trees with extensive root systems.
Larger trees often have roots that span more area than their branches.  Maintenance programs should include annual deep tree root fertilization services to ensure the health, vitality, and longevity of the tree.  Never allow anyone do this other than a landscape professional.