Flowers have bloomed and retreated for winter, the trees have changed and fallen to the ground, our days are getting shorter as the sun sinks lower earlier and earlier– all of these are nature’s signs of telling us that another 365 days have almost flown completely by us.

As 2018 comes to a close (it’s still blowing our minds how quickly the days have passed), us folks at Landcrafters have begun tapping into our sentimental sides (hey, landscapers have emotions and feelings, too, okay).

At Landcrafters, reflection is important to us – it helps us evolve, better ourselves, and improve how we serve you. To continue this effort, we’ve reviewed, reflected, and analyzed what we believe we’ve learned over the past year from our clients, our experiences, and our industry in general.

Whether you’re a current client, a prospective one, or even just someone who happened upon our blog, we want to thank you for an exceptional year in landscaping. We wouldn’t be who we are without who you are, and we think that the success behind great companies lies — mostly – in the hands of the great people they get to serve.

So, to thank you folks for being the great people we have the honor to serve, we wanted to share a few of –what we think – were the most important lessons we learned in 2018! Check out our list here, reflect with us, and enjoy these hard-earned lessons we discovered (or got reassured of) in the last year.

Quality Commercial Landscape Really Turns a Business Around

We’ve always known this, but this year really cemented this thought in place – great commercial landscape can make all the difference, especially in the retail world. Quality commercial landscape doesn’t just provide your company with the aesthetic edge you need to draw people in (it definitely does that), it also provides practical and cost-effective solutions for problems (like energy bills) and helps to solve liability issues before they arise (a well-kept sidewalk and surrounding foliage means no tripping on roots and no suing your business!).

Seasonal Preparedness Can Save You a Ton of Grief (and Money!)

As we said a ton this year, Florida DOES have seasons — they just look a little bit different than other states’ seasons (we’re lookin’ at you, Hurricane Season). No matter what anyone says, Florida definitely has seasons, and because of this, seasonal preparedness is a huge boon to commercial properties. Whether it’s preparing for Florida winters by getting your irrigation systems checked out, mulching, and covering up your valuable plant friends to pruning away potentially harmful tree canopies for hurricane season, being ready can save your commercial property a lot of grief (and a lot of repair money, too!).

A Well-Kept Commercial Property is More Marketable

Whether you’re legitimately trying to sell your commercial property or you just want its property value to increase or maintain, we found that great commercial landscaping services can really boost marketing value! As you know, great landscaping can provide wonderful curb appeal, focus on maintenance (to keep your property looking prim and proper), and even help you implement green solutions to allow your property to have a progressive edge.

Good Landscaping Keeps Tenants Happy (and Coming Back for More)

If you’re struggling with finding new tenants or feel that you’re shaky on your tenant retention rate, know that a focus on great commercial landscaping can be just the ticket to nail down those incumbents you need! A strong focus on landscaping shows that you care about your tenants’ feelings and desires, especially if you’re working to improve their community areas. It also allows you to make promises that make a difference to them – increased property value, a decrease in energy bills, and a boost in property perception!

Every Commercial Landscape Needs a Few Special Features

This year, we learned that as helpful as maintenance and routine landscaping are for commercial properties, there’s something super special about adding in unique features to your commercial landscape. We’re talking exciting, flashy, and new additions like playgrounds, gazebos, and barbecue areas. There are also options like Zen gardens, shaded outdoor kitchens, rose gardens, and meditation spaces. Or, you could take resources you planned to allocate toward adding new features and dedicate those toward new security measures.

Rotating & Maintaining Can Keep Your Landscape Fresh

We also found that keeping a special focus on your mulch beds, flower beds, and other flora and fauna areas is hugely important! Don’t forget to rotate for seasonal spark! People care what your gardens, lawn, and other landscape features look like, so by showing that you’re paying attention to landscape care and then going to extra mile to rotate for seasonal effect, you’re putting yourself above and beyond the rest. By caring for your commercial landscape, people notice that you’re dedicated toward upkeep – a worthy characteristic for a commercial space.

Reminders: The Need for Commercial Landscaping is Bigger Than Ever

No matter what we learn in every new, exciting year, one thing remains the same – commercial landscaping becomes an increasingly important factor for commercial spaces to invest in. As a commercial property owner, you have enough on your plate – adding in the consistent upkeep, new ideas, and innovations to your landscape on your own time might not always be feasible. Partnering with the right team can make all the difference! Chat with us about turning your commercial landscape around in 2019!

We hope you enjoyed reading a little snippet of our year in review lessons as much as we enjoyed putting it together! At Landcrafters, we believe the key to success is constant evolution and consistent efforts toward bettering ourselves and how we serve you – that’s why reflecting on and analyzing what we learned in the past year is so important. With this, we’re better able to serve you and perfect our business in the coming year! To chat with us about how we can help your commercial business perfect its landscape, answer questions, or even just discuss ways your property could improve, give us a call at (727)-201-3947. Want to get a head-start on your 2019 commercial landscape plans? Take a peek at our regularly updated blog for landscaping tips, tricks, and inspirations! We can’t wait to bring you better service and greater quality in 2019!