There’s a good chance that you didn’t do much in the way of landscaping over the winter. There’s really not much you can do, especially if it’s snowing. However, once the snow begins to melt away and the temperatures begin going back up, you’re likely going to want to get your landscape back in shape to help improve the curb appeal of your property.
The following are a few commercial landscaping ideas that you might want to consider implementing once spring rolls around:
The winter season can be a little rough, especially here in Ann Arbor. Because of this, you’ll want to walk around your property once the snow has melted away to assess the condition of your landscape. Make note of any plants or trees that look like they’ve been damaged and that may need to be replaced. Check your lawn for dead spots in the grass as well. You’re going to want to plant new grass seed if your lawn has dead spots or else it’s going to end up looking uneven and uncared for once the rest of your lawn springs back to life.
Your irrigation system should be shut down throughout winter. If it’s not, you’re going to end up having an ice rink on your property — and that’s if you’re lucky enough that your water lines don’t freeze and burst. If it’s shut off like it should have been, then it’s time to turn it back on and to make sure that it’s working properly so that you can promote the growth of a lush, green lawn throughout spring.
Clean the sprinkler spray nozzles to make sure that your system will be able to provide proper coverage to your lawn. When turning on your sprinklers, recharge your pipe system slowly so that no damage is done as a result of a water surge. Do a visual pressure test to make sure the sprinklers are working as they should and adjust any sprinklers that have been misaligned. If you have a wireless rain sensor, replace the batteries and check their function.
One of the first tasks you complete should be to clean up your property. It’s difficult to keep the yard clear during the winter when your lawn is covered in snow, which means that once the snow melts, there’s a good chance that there are branches, leaves and more littering your yard. Go through and clear up this debris so that your landscape doesn’t look messy.
Trimming the shrubs and trees on your property will help improve the general aesthetic of your landscape. It’s kind of like giving it a haircut. However, trimming tree branches is especially important since there may be a few branches that have been damaged over the course of winter. Damaged branches are more at risk of falling, and the last thing you want is to risk the safety of anyone on your property.
Adding mulch to your planting beds and to your lawn will be beneficial in a number of different ways. First of all, it adds a bit of texture to your landscape, thereby creating more visual interest. However, it’s much more than just a decorative element. Adding mulch in the spring will help to prevent weeds from growing (which are a pain to remove and don’t look that great) and will help your soil to retain moisture, thereby promoting the healthy growth of your plants and grass.
The spring season is the best time to fertilize your lawn because the soil is most likely in dire need of nutrients following the winter season. Slow-release fertilizers are generally your best bet since they will break nutrients down over a longer period, which means you’ll only need to add fertilizer every six to eight weeks. Choose a fertilizer with nitrogen to help promote the healthy growth of grass.
Because spreading fertilizer evenly throughout your landscape can be very challenging without the proper equipment, it’s a task that you’re likely going to want to leave to a professional landscaping service.
There’s a chance that your landscape was designed over the years and not all at once. This means that some of the features that were added years ago may no longer fit well with some of the other features that you’ve added more recently. For example, larger holly bushes that have grown to block parts of the sidewalk or which are obscuring the windows of your building(s). There may be fully matured trees on your property that pose a problem as well, whether it’s blocking your building from sight or simply an eyesore.
Even if you don’t remove any landscaping features, you may want to add new features to your landscape, such as plants and flowers that will thrive during the spring and summer months and that will add some color to your property. If you’re going for a more modern landscaping design, consider adding some sculptural plants to add unique visual interest, such as snake plants. A professional landscaper will be able to provide advice concerning the types of plants that will grow best in the type of soil you have.
Additionally, keep in mind that not everything has to be planted, you can add planters near the entrance of your building or office as well to ease the transition from your landscape to your building.
The lighting of your exterior area is important for any number of reasons. First of all, proper lighting is required to help keep customers and employees safe. Not only do you want them to feel safe as they walk from your property to their cars, but you’ll also want to make sure that they don’t trip over anything if it’s dark out.
While having a landscape full of green grass, mature plants, colorful flowers, and beautiful trees are certainly something to aim for, you should consider adding a bit of visual balance to the proceedings by introducing some hardscaping elements. This can include the use of gravel or brick to separate landscaping elements or the addition of stone steps or walls throughout the landscaping space. Hardscaping elements like these will add some much-needed contrast without taking away from the natural feel.
Building a small community patio area will be much appreciated by your employees. It will give them a space to enjoy those particularly sunny days during their breaks. Getting some sunlight can be very beneficial for your employees’ productivity as well, which will obviously be beneficial to your business.
These are a few ideas to help you get your commercial landscape back to looking its best this spring, thereby boosting your property’s curb appeal and helping to draw more potential customers. For professional advice on how you can improve your commercial landscape, be sure to contact us at Twin Oaks Landscape in Ann Arbor, MI today.
