Clients often come to us looking for answers to improve the appearance of their property. If the property hasn’t been properly looked after, it’s easy to spot the brown patches in the turf, dead tree limbs, and overgrown hedges.

But where do you start if your landscape challenges aren’t so obvious?

Maybe you just want a fresh look for your community or building. Maybe neighboring properties have made some improvements and you’re feeling a little left behind.

Here are a few things to consider, if you’re thinking that it might be time to re-evaluate your property’s landscape service needs.

START WITH THE ESSENTIALS

For any landscape service provider to deliver the look you want, your property’s essentials have to be in good working order. Start with a thorough evaluation of your irrigation system. If your property hasn’t had a landscape service that performs regular preventative maintenance and system checks, your irrigation system may be a patchwork of quick fixes done by whoever could get there to repair it the quickest.

Just as we can’t survive without water, your landscape isn’t going to make it long without regular irrigation. Getting your property’s irrigation system up to par should be priority number one.

Once you have irrigation under control, make sure that your landscape service is providing appropriate fertilization and pest treatments to keep your landscape thriving and free from diseases and harmful insects.

Regulations and requirements vary greatly by area, so be sure that your landscape service uses qualified, licensed technicians to apply your property’s fertilization and pest prevention on a regular schedule, and let you know before your applications are performed.

MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT

After you have secured water and your landscape’s health essentials, it’s time to move on to deciding where you can make the most impact for your property. Entryways are a great place to start. Whether you are managing a residential community or a commercial real estate property, your landscaping service dollars will deliver the largest impact when spent on your property’s entry areas.

Annual flower arrangements can blow your landscaping budget if you’re not involved in the planning, but with some creative thinking, you and your landscape service partner will be able to create a plan that keeps your property’s entry fresh, season after season. Another great option for immediate improvement – create a new outdoor social area for your property’s guests.

An ongoing trend in residential communities has made its way to commercial properties recently. No longer content with clubhouses or break rooms, people increasingly expect properties to offer outdoor gathering areas.

You may have an area like this already, but could you add some natural color to draw people to it more frequently? Survey your property to find where people gather, then ask your landscape service partner to create some ideas to make these areas more appealing.

THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE

As a green industry company, we think a lot about sustainability and the future results of our work today. Do you ever think about what your property will look like 10 years from now? Maybe even 50 years from now? It’s important to partner with your landscape service and put in place a defined program that revitalizes your landscaping in small steps each year.

All plants, even perennials, have life expectancies that should be considered when you make decisions about how you maintain your property’s landscape. Established communities retain value when they keep themselves fresh and looking their best year after year.

Your landscape service needs will change over time – make sure that you and your landscape service partner communicate regularly to prioritize your property’s landscape services for success.

Once you’ve identified the areas of your property’s landscaping that are most important to you, you can begin to think about setting your service expectations and communicating with your landscape service partner. Look for tips on setting service expectations in an upcoming entry.