We’re not psychic, but we bet we know your commercial property wish list: you want your site to be safe, secure and the best looking place in town.
That’s not too much to ask, right?
Not a bit. And it's possible — if you know the right elements to add.
We’re happy to break it down for you. Here's how to add safety, security and curb appeal to your commercial property.
Safety
It’s easy to get caught up in making your landscaping beautiful and forget about safety. But when you own or manage a commercial property, where residents, visitors and customers pass through daily, keeping your property safe is crucial.
Here’s a look at three essential elements:
— Trimmed Branches
Proactively pruning out broken, diseased and dead tree branches will keep them from falling off later, which can be dangerous for pedestrians and property.
Tree limbs, if not properly pruned, can snag people walking past or obscure security lighting.
Perplexed about pruning? You’re not alone. Pruning is an art. It’s tricky. Mistakes can damage your trees and shrubs. Professionals know exactly how to tackle this job to keep passersby safe and plants happy and healthy.
— Safe Walkways
If your property has old, cracked concrete walkways, they’re not only unsightly, they’re a dangerous trip hazard. Consider replacing portions or entire stretches of walkways with pavers that are not only safer, but can help break up the industrial look of a long stretch of concrete.
— Water Management
Have you pondered your property’s drainage lately? We didn't think so. We tend to take drainage for granted. Until it fails.
When all goes well, a property will flush excess rainwater through the public sewers, or towards naturally occurring outlets such as rivers or lakes.
But sometimes, it doesn’t.
Excess water can damage your building’s foundation, erode and crack sidewalks, driveways and retaining walls.
Too much water creates mold and mildew and causes cracks in interior walls and exterior surfaces. Damp conditions can even encourage insects and rodents to breed.
If you have giant puddles on your lawn that don’t evaporate within a few hours after the rain, pools of water on pavement surfaces, a flooded basement or cracks in your foundation that are growing larger or wider over time, you probably have drainage issues.
There are a variety of water management solutions, depending on the exact problem and the characteristics of your property.
Retention or detention ponds, bioswales or a rainwater harvesting system can help get the water back under control.
Security
Security goes hand in hand with safety. Nobody wants their property —or the people using it — vulnerable to crime, vandalism or danger.
Let’s take a look at three ways landscaping can help keep your commercial property secure:
— Landscape Lighting
Professional landscape lighting brightens your property and makes it look vibrant and appealing. But it also offers vital safety and security.
When a commercial property is well lit, criminals have fewer places to hide. It deters them from breaking in, vandalizing or lurking in shadows waiting for potential victims.
Lighting also provides a sense of security for employees, visitors and customers as they walk to their vehicles at night.
Pay special attention to entrances, walkways, parking lots, common areas and the areas around security cameras. See for yourself. Take a walk through your parking lot, paths and around your building at night. Does your lighting illuminate potential hazards, or does it need a boost?
— Tame Unruly Shrubs And Plants
Let shrubs and bushes grow too high and they can block the view of pedestrians or drivers, obscure security cameras or provide safe haven for intruders.
Are any of your property's plants growing out of control, or just planted in the wrong place, blocking drivers’ vision or endangering pedestrians?
Once you plant trees, shrubs and perennials, you can’t just forget them. Regular trimming and pruning prevents plants from becoming hazards.
— Snow And Ice Removal
Granted, here in the Raleigh-Durham area, winter goes pretty easy on us. We don't get slammed with as much snow and ice as some areas of the country. But when it happens, it’s just as dangerous — and can pose a real problem for your commercial property.
As a property owner or manager, you know it’s crucial that your employees, tenants and visitors are safe. Those sidewalks, parking lots, walkways and stairs that were safe and clear just a day ago can suddenly turn slick and treacherous. Suddenly, your liability increases. Invest in dependable snow and ice removal to keep your property clear.
Street Appeal
First impressions are everything.
Have you strolled out to the front of your commercial property lately to really take a good look? Try it.
Pretend you’re a potential tenant or a customer pondering your business. Does your property pack an impressive punch? Is this a place you'd want to rent, visit or shop?
Add these three elements to your commercial property and — bam — instant street appeal:
— Seasonal Color
We can't stress this one enough. Everybody loves bright, cheerful flowers. They make everybody pause to take a look.
The great thing about flowers and plants is there’s a host of choices for every season.
Here in North Carolina, vivid pentas flower like crazy all summer, luring butterflies and hummingbirds your tenants and visitors will love. Heliotrope is heat tolerant and offers mounds of pretty lavender flowers.
When the weather cools off, bright pansies, violas and mums flower prolifically and are easy care.
Some plants show off brilliant fall color. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ boasts beautiful red fall foliage, but also blooms from June until frost, is heat tolerant and offers pretty violet-blue flowers.
Keep your beds, planters and pots brimming with color from season to season for a landscape that gets noticed.
— Signage Landscaping
Make your property’s signage stand out with some simple but effective landscaping tricks.
Color, once again, is a go-to strategy for signage landscaping. Color attracts attention, whether with annual flowers, colorful perennials or blooming shrubs.
Keep in mind this landscaping needs to be low, so plants don't block your signage. If your sign is in full sun, it needs to be drought-tolerant, too.
Adding shrubs to each side of a sign makes the sign itself seem bigger, giving it more impact. Shrubs ground signage, giving it a sense of place.
Even if your sign has lighted lettering, don’t forget to light the landscaping around signage, too. Lighting plants adds drama and impact.
Once you install your attention-getting signage landscaping, don't forget about it. Maintenance is as important as installation.
Mulch will help keep the weeds under control, retain moisture and create a neat look.
Professional maintenance will ensure your landscaping plants stay healthy, weed-free and don’t grow so tall they block your signage or the lighting fixtures that illuminate it.
— Updated, Current Landscaping
Your landscaping might look old and tired. No offense.
It happens. If your property has been around for 15 or 20 years, it probably features lots of junipers. These tough, low-maintenance shrubs and ground covers were the go-to plant years ago. But these days, those sheared junipers look dated — and make properties look dated, too.
Or maybe you still have the same azaleas somebody planted 30 years ago. Chances are, they’re not looking as fresh and perky anymore.
Today’s commercial property landscaping trend is to use a much more captivating combination of flowering shrubs and trees, perennials and ornamental grasses.
You want an interesting layered look, with shorter plants like ground covers or low perennials near the foreground, slightly taller plants in the middle, and taller shrubs, grasses or trees for the back.
This look is more casual, contemporary, and shows you care about keeping your business current.
Trust Your Commercial Landscape to Greenscape
Greenscape Inc. has been meeting the full-service landscaping needs of commercial and residential customers in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary areas for more than 35 years.
We offer landscape management and lawn care, design and build services, irrigation, landscape lighting and more.
Call us at 919-552-7742 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation and learn how we can transform your landscape.
We can't wait to hear from you.
