Planning an industrial landscape requires a multi-faceted approach, and many sites lack features that are critical for safety, employee satisfaction, environmental compliance and the overall sustainability of the property.
The problem is, these landscape offenses can actually degrade your property value, turn off customers and cost you money in maintenance and repair.
If your industrial property includes these common offenses, you’re not alone. We see these mistakes all of the time — and they’re problems a professional landscape firm can address.
Here are five common industrial landscaping offenses you can file under what not to do.
Forgetting ‘Front Door’ Appeal
The front of your property is the first impression builder. It’s what customers see first. It’s where people enter, and we know they’re making snap judgments. If your landscape beds are overgrown and unattended to, visitors might wonder how you handle the rest of your business.
What we are saying is, yes — curb appeal matters. A lot. Pay close attention to the customers/stakeholder-facing entrance of your industrial property. A professionally landscaped front entrance elevates the appearance of your property and overall brand.
Overlooking Employee Amenities
Where will employees go if they want to eat their lunch outdoors or step out for some fresh air?
Provide a patio or gathering space that offers shade and seating. Walking paths can lead to common areas or stand alone, punctuated with seating, to provide an outlet for your people to get out in nature.
These employee amenities go a long way toward improving morale and creating a happy work environment.
Budgeting for a Static Landscape
The seasons change, and so should the landscape on your industrial property. If landscape beds are always the same, visitors lose interest. Also, a static landscape quickly looks irrelevant.
We encourage the use of seasonal color by planting annuals in beds, incorporating vibrant containers into the landscape and selecting perennials that bloom in waves.
You’re investing in a professional landscape, so keep it engaging with design principles like layering bloom time, including pops of color and combining hardscape and softscape (plants).
Ignoring Irrigation Maintenance, Repair and Upgrades
Irrigation systems require regular maintenance to run efficiently. Leaks and breaks can add up to costly water bills and harm plant health. Like any sort of infrastructure, irrigation systems need TLC for optimum performance.
You invested in the irrigation system and the plants on your professionally landscaped industrial property. A professional landscape firm with experienced irrigation technicians will help maximize the return.
Missing Safety and Environmental Services
We’re talking a lot about the entrance and other highly visible areas of your industrial property. But remember, there’s a back stage with infrastructure that needs attention. We’re talking about stormwater management, brush, wide-area mowing and proper lighting.
All of these considerations play into the overall safety and environmental stability of your site.
What would customers think if they peeked behind your building and saw an out-of-control mess?
The lack of maintenance behind the scenes could spoil the reputation you create with an attractive entrance. These safety and environmental services are not as exciting as planting statement beds, but they are just as important.
Focus on Your Business and Trust HighGrove Partners to Manage Your Landscape
The reason we see these common landscape pitfalls so often on industrial properties is because you’ve got a business to run — and it’s not a professional landscape company. That’s our job. We take pride in guiding property owners toward landscape solutions that align with their brands, enhance the customer and employee experience and raise the value of their properties.
Contact us any time for a free site assessment at 678-298-0550. We’re looking forward to finding ways to improve and maintain your industrial property.
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Last modified: July 12, 2016
