Avoid These Landscaping Mistakes in Your Commercial Project

by Robert Markley | Apr 21, 2021

Robert Markley

Robert Markley is a licensed Landscape Architect with over 20 years of experience working with clients to provide excellence in landscape design, project management, and installation services. He also possesses a rare combination of skills as a horticulturist, licensed Landscape Contractor, and licensed Irrigation Contractor, equipping him to provide a comprehensive and practical approach to any project, big or small. He takes pride in helping our clients envision and create amazing outdoor spaces that are enjoyed now and for years to come.

No one questions the importance of good landscaping for a residential property’s attractiveness and value, but sometimes people overlook that the same holds true for commercial properties. Great commercial landscaping makes a site look better, which attracts more customers, but it also plays a role in function, mobility, and safety. To that end, there are some landscaping mistakes that any business owner, property manager, or facility manager should absolutely seek to avoid. Here are 7 big ones, and we’ll cover 3 more at the end.

Installing Poor Lighting

Correctly placed lighting makes a business look more inviting, but the importance of good lighting goes well beyond that. Customers need good lighting along walkways, stairs, and entrances, and they need it in parking areas as well. This makes them feel safer because they can see where they’re going and they worry less about crime.

Neglecting Water and Drainage Concerns

Plan your landscaping so that when there’s rain, the parking lot and walkways aren’t harboring areas of standing water. These problems make access unpleasant for customers and employees alike, and they increase the risks of personal injuries and property damage.

Water collecting on the grounds creates conditions for harmful fungus to grow and for insect pests to breed and shelter.

Neglecting Traffic Flow

You might have the most beautiful landscaping seen since the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but if it’s impeding foot or vehicular traffic (including parking and visibility), that’s a problem. Frustration and safety concerns may cost you customers.

Choosing the Wrong Plants or Not Giving Them Space To Grow

Select flowers, plants, and trees that fit well with the climate and the soil type. Ill-suited plants are just going to cost you time and money, and you might end up having to replace them.

Also, plant smart. For example, a tree shading an outside AC unit can make it run more efficiently, which will save on energy bills. Likewise, allowing sunlight to penetrate on winter afternoons can put less stress on the heating system and will brighten not just the building but everyone’s mood as well.

Further, make sure your plants have plenty of room to grow; cramped plants will detract from the property’s appearance, and you also don’t want plants, especially trees, growing too close to windows, roofs, and foundations.

Finally, installing the right plants in the right places makes it harder for insect pests to flourish outside and get inside. That’ll save customers and employees discomfort, and it will save your business money on exterminator costs.

Not Prioritizing the Front Entrance

The area around the front entrance is probably going to be the first physical impression customers get of your business, so make sure it’s a good one. A well-maintained and attractively landscaped front entrance creates a pleasing effect and also establishes an expectation of professionalism and value.

Overlooking the Value of Outdoor Amenities

If your outdoor spaces support amenities such as walkways, seating areas, and shade trees, these are great things to include. Customers will find the property nicer to begin with, but even better, it will give employees nice places to go when they are on breaks. This leads to higher morale, which has a proven correlation with increased retention and productivity.

Not Having a Plan

The best way to avoid all of the above mistakes is to have a detailed plan that encompasses everything about your commercial landscaping from start to finish and includes the “after.” A good professional landscaper can help develop a plan that’s perfect for the individual business.

Just contact us today to get started!

Some other mistakes to avoid are working with more than one company and putting cost savings ahead of safety concerns. An even bigger mistake, maybe the biggest one of them all, is not going with a qualified professional landscaper. Making these mistakes can result in huge costs and unsightly messes to fix. If you are about to take on a major commercial landscaping project, look to LandArt, where landscaping is more than just a business. To us, landscaping is an art form. Our qualified professionals will work with you every step of the way to create the best landscaping for your commercial property in the Fayetteville region.

LandArt Solutions-- Qualified Professional Landscaping Services