The 7 Deadly Sins That Can Doom Your Commercial Landscaping Design

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Part of making any commercial space pleasant and attractive is good landscaping. But, all too often, property owners make major mistakes that impede the goal of sustainable, affordable commercial landscaping designs. Are you among them? Here are the seven deadly sins you’ll want to avoid:

  1. Greed: Pinching Pennies
    First of all, you need to head into any landscape project thinking of it as an investment. Yes, landscaping is a $74 billion industry in the U.S. and it’s easy to get carried away, but trying to penny pinch on a landscape design often leads to increased costs or missed savings opportunities down the road; the shading produced by good landscaping, for example, can lead to a 50% savings in air conditioning costs.
  2. Sloth: Neglecting Maintenance
    Don’t wait until your plants are dying to take care of them. A regular maintenance plan will extend the life of your landscape design and maximize its impact on tenant satisfaction and property value. Keep in mind that snow and ice removal are also an important part of maintenance (for both plant health and human safety reasons) if you live somewhere with winter weather.
  3. Lust: Ignoring Your Ecosystem
    Do your best not to fall in love with plants that aren’t native to your climate. If you talk to a local landscaper, you’ll almost certainly find there are beautiful plants that won’t have to struggle to survive in your region.
  4. Gluttony: Overwatering
    Commercial irrigation systems, in particular, need to be carefully designed so as to not waste water. This concern is part environmental, but it’s also smart when it comes to your finances, especially as water prices may increase as drought conditions spread across the country.
  5. Envy: Not Copying What’s Good
    Don’t just envy good designs; instead, take proactive steps to make sure your property looks just as nice. Most commercial buildings aren’t located in areas where plants will take care of themselves, so you should expect to put in a little effort.
  6. Wrath: Getting Frustrated
    Whatever you do, don’t get frustrated and give up. Yes, landscaping can be challenging (especially in certain climates). But it’s worth it in the long run.
  7. Pride: Trying to Do It All Yourself
    Don’t be too proud to call in a professional landscape company. Commercial landscaping services can help you avoid common pitfalls and even save you money in the long run — not to mention some major headaches. Between commercial landscaping services and residential landscaping services, there are 401,473 landscape-related businesses in the U.S., employing 888,426 people. So there’s plenty of help available.

Are you already working with commercial landscaping services, or are you trying to go it alone? Confess your landscaping sins and discuss in the comments.