When planning out your industrial property, there are hundreds of factors to consider, but forgetting one of the most important can be detrimental to your business – that’s right, we’re talking about landscape. It might seem kind of funny to consider landscaping your industrial property – it’s supposed to look, well, industrious, right?
You might think that spending a bunch of money on landscaping your industrial property is going to be a waste, but really, taking the time and making the effort to do so can help your property in the grand scheme of things. In other words, lacking the landscape features that provide your employees with a space, beautiful space to take a break, security, and environmental compliance characteristics can actually, in the long run, devalue your property significantly.
With about 150 years of combined experience in the landscape game, we like to think we know a thing or two about our industry. Want to find out more about what we’ve got to say about landscaping issues your industrial property might be dealing with? We thought you might. Read on to discover some of the mistakes you might be making and how to remedy them in a snap.
Front Entries Still Matter
Yes, yes, we get it – you’re an industrial landscape, so you might not see the value in spending a lot of money on flowers, plants, water features, lighting, etcetera. But it’s likely that you have clients visit your site from time to time, and even more importantly, your employees have to enter and exit your property every single day. Why wouldn’t you want the front entrance to welcome in clients and employees with open arms? Not only is this a huge morale booster for your workers, it’s also a hugely important first impression for potential clients.
That being said, make the extra effort to give your front door, front entry, signage, and more the royal treatment. When it comes to your signage, try to make statements with flowers and shrubs and ensure that you’re focusing on rotating them every few months to keep the excitement alive. Focus on pops of color that best complement the theme of your landscape, try out water features, and even implement some subtle, but effective, lighting for your signage.
As far as front entries go, try to implement a symmetrical lead in to your front door with brick pavers lined with flora and fauna. Consider benches, lighted walkways, tiny meditation gardens, and more for a unique, welcoming front entryway.
Seasonal Rotations Matter, Too
Industrial area, commercial space, or residential property — no matter what kind of property you’re dealing with, seasonal rotations can never be ignored. As an industrial property, you’re probably wondering why it matters if you rotate out your flower beds seasonally or change up our mulch ever year. Aside from the obvious answer that it’s going to keep your property looking tidy, fresh, and renewed, when done right, it can actually save you quite a bit of money. In other words, seasonally rotating your flower beds, shrubs, and other plants can help you keep the same flowers on rotation for a few seasons in a row, dramatically reducing your expenses.
Seasonal flowers will boost your curb appeal, surely, but they’ll also allow you to divide and transplant flowers in order to keep your original batch healthy for a much longer time. Further, it gives your landscape a little pizazz and helps to welcome in clients and employees.
Upgrades Cannot Be Ignored
Just because you went the extra mile to implement fancy irrigation systems doesn’t mean your work can stop there. Sure, your irrigation tool might be a top-of-the-line piece of machinery, but that doesn’t excuse you from making sure you’re doing the regular checkups. No matter what kind of irrigation tools you’re using, a regular maintenance check is gong to make all the difference in the world.
Not only does neglecting your irrigation maintenance put your expensive, timely landscape at risk of not getting the TLC it needs, but it also puts you at risk for dealing with costly leaks and breaks that can slowly but surely add to your water bill every month.
As a side note, make sure you’re implementing extra caution as winter approaches. “But what don’t have winter in Florida,” you might say – listen, even though are winters are mild, there are still changes in our landscape, and we need to make sure we’re taking care of irrigation issues before they get out of control. This certainly includes even the mildest of Florida winters.
Safety and Security Can’t Be Overlooked
As far as the actual landscaping goes, you’ll need to make sure that none of your features are going to compromise the safety or security of the landscape. For example, tree roots should never be left to raise sidewalks or crack pavement, fountains and water features should never be ignored to sprout leaks and create mold issues, tree limbs and hedges should never block driver or pedestrian views or be in danger of falling into your building, and your landscaping (near your parking lots and in general) should never be left too dark to see. Adding in regular maintenance to care for these issues, and including lighting in your industrial landscaping budget, can make all the difference in the world for your employees’ safety and your property’s security.
For additional privacy and security, consider adding in privacy fences, big, leafy trees, and tall hedges to block views and prevent strangers from entering your industrial property.
Your Employees Deserve a Space to Relax and Enjoy, Don’t Leave Them Hanging
Industrial employees know the line of work they’re getting in to isn’t always going to be the prettiest, most relaxing, or cleanest, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve a place, like other employees, to rest, relax, and enjoy. Providing your employees with an outdoor space that promotes happy attitudes, a laid-back break from work, and a positive outlook is going to be hugely instrumental in your company’s overall performance, but also to your landscape. Adding in things like a shaded outdoor patio for lunch time, a pond or a fountain with coy in it, a lighted barbecue area, or a meditation garden can dramatically boost morale for your workers and add immense monetary value to your property.
Did our article give you a little insight into how you could better your industrial property’s landscape? Do you want even more insight on how to do this? We thought you might. Give our office a call at (727)-201-3947 to chat directly with us about how we can help. Want more landscaping advice, inspo, and ideas? Have we got good news for you! Our blog is updated every week to bring you the tips and tricks you’ve been dying to get your hands on. Get to reading!
Michael Tomaino
