Commercial
Landscape Maintenance in Houston, Texas
Integrity. Professionalism. Fiscal stability. Operating
efficiencies. Ethical standards. These concepts are key traits
of all top commercial real estate management companies. Not
surprisingly, they describe top commercial landscape maintenance
companies, as well.
As a commercial property manager or owner, you want to find a
commercial landscape maintenance company who will partner with
you in reaching your long- and short-term goals. With your daily
priorities of meeting the needs and demands of tenants,
establishing property security and controlling budgets, time
management is critical. Therefore, it will make your job easier
to work with a provider who honors your time. Finally, every
property is unique, and so you want to work with a landscape
service company who will maintain your property so that its
strengths are maximized and, just as important, its weaknesses
minimized.
Components of a Commercial Landscape Maintenance Program
First, the benefits. A quality maintenance program provides
these four advantages:
• Presents a positive image to your customers or tenants and
their customers
• Protects your investment
• Extends and retains tenants by maintaining beautiful grounds
• Helps conserve and enhance property value
The basic components of a commercial landscape maintenance
program involve:
Landscape design services and installation—
1. Design and installation. In the
landscape design phase,
a landscape service provider will work with you on the program
elements, permitting issues, design approach—including your
likes and dislikes—and aesthetics. The next phase may include
landscape layout, planting plans and cost studies. In providing
landscape services, a true professional should work diligently
and patiently to help you define the scope of your project,
determine the scheduling, coordinate vendors, assist in the
selection of materials, and develop a final budget.
2. Landscape lighting. A well-designed
landscape lighting system gives a commercial property
24/7 visibility. Since lighting is a big deterrent of crime, one
of the most important services that it delivers is safety,
thereby providing an invaluable service to establishments that
conduct business at night, such as hotels, country clubs, social
clubs, colleges, schools, museums, and restaurants. Ultimately,
though, the main propose of landscape lighting is to create a
beautiful nighttime vista of the landscape.
3. Irrigation systems. Money savings and convenience are
the two main descriptors of an
irrigation system. It
supplies the appropriate amount of water to the appropriate
plant material. It separates the lawn, beds and color areas into
different zones that require different watering conditions due
to the various plant types and sunlight conditions. Finally, it
utilizes controller box technologies, such as timers, time
delays and rain sensors, that let you set an automatic schedule
based on your landscape needs while, at the same time, allowing
you to switch to manual for unplanned events.
4. Drainage systems. With Houston’s heavy soils,
low-lying areas and torrential rains, a proper
landscape
drainage system is essential for three reasons: a) to
protect your property from flooding b) to protect the foundation
of the building(s) from cracking and uneven shrinkage or
swelling c) to properly drain roofs and landscaped areas to
avoid standing water that can cause slippery surfaces, breeding
grounds for mosquitoes or drowned landscaping. A landscape
drainage system should be viewed as a whole to ensure that its
appropriate functions and fixtures work together properly.
Regular maintenance—
1. Turf maintenance. One of the most basic features of a
commercial landscape maintenance program, turf maintenance is
more than just cutting the grass. It is edging, feeding and
treating—all activities that promote healthy growth. And it is
meticulous clean-up so that your tenants can quickly return to
enjoying the grounds once the crew leaves.
2. Trimming hedges and ground covers. As part of a
thorough commercial landscape maintenance program, hedges,
shrubs and bushes should be trimmed regularly to the desired
contours. Ground cover and vines should be edged to maintain a
neat appearance. The intention is to ensure that all elements
conform to the overall plan of the landscape design.
3. Tree care. A top-notch commercial landscape
maintenance company will attend to trees, which are valuable
assets. Houston summers can be very stressful for trees, so
deep-root fertilization is important because it promotes healthy
trees. Aeration also encourages root growth. Trees should be
inspected regularly for any insect infestations. Insects, such
as pine bark beetles and boring insects, can be tree killers,
sometimes striking very quickly, especially when Houston’s
weather turns hot or if trees are suffering due to construction
duress.
4. Fertilizations. Critical to plant health, regular
fertilization is a form of insurance for your plants. Commercial
landscape maintenance providers should have a methodical feeding
program that insures the health of tropical, acidic and seasonal
color plants. The feeding program may also include spring and
fall aeration of lawn areas with the application of fall rye
grass.
5. Herbicide and insecticide treatments. These programs
are also critical to plant health. Continual observation and
diagnosis of plant pests and diseases are the last part of a
complete and proactive commercial landscape maintenance program.
Seasonal Color—
1. Seasonal plantings are an important part of presenting a
positive image for any commercial property. You will want to
work with a commercial landscape maintenance company whose
extensive knowledge of plant material, color, and texture
creates eye-catching designs.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance can be your best defense against
potential landscape and property damage—or something going wrong
just when you need it to go right. In the long run, preventive
maintenance saves money.
As a precaution, a professional commercial landscape maintenance
company will make periodic surveys of your property to ensure
that everything is in good order. Items on the checklist
include:
• Tree inspection. Watch for branches touching the
building or overhead wires. Dead limbs need to be trimmed to
promote vigorous growth. Trees should be regularly checked for
disease, decay or wounds and swift action taken as needed.
• Irrigation inspection. It is critical to have
irrigation systems
working smoothly as proper
maintenance minimizes large amounts water pouring out of broken
lines and heads. Jeff Halper with Exterior Worlds says, “This
service is so important for commercial properties. For some of
our clients, it has meant savings of as much as $5,000 to
$10,000 per month.”
Whether you have a brand-new property, want to ramp up an
under-performing one or are working to improve your landscape’s
cost management, call
Exterior Worlds at
713-827-2255 to discuss your commercial landscape maintenance
needs.
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