The 5 Key Elements to Maintaining Your Landscape Design

Creating a beautiful landscape takes time and effort. Even the smallest yards require work and commitment to look good throughout the year. There are five key elements that are essential for a healthy, beautiful landscape design. Regular Lawn Maintenance Regular maintenance is essential to a lush green, healthy year-round landscape design. Without it, the landscape can quickly become overgrown creating an eyesore for your home and an invitation to all kinds of diseases and outdoor pests. To ensure a healthy, well-maintained landscape, plan for regular maintenance:

• Weekly or bi-weekly lawn mowing
• Regular weeding
• Regular feeding and seeding
• Cleaning of hardscaped surfaces and flower beds
• Border edging for walkways and driveways
• Tree, shrub and plant care

Fertilization A landscape must receive essential nutrients to keep grass and plants green and healthy, however most soils don't provide enough nutrients throughout the growing seasons. Proper nutrients promote healthy root systems, new leaf growth and stable plants that can fight off environmental stresses like heat, cold and drought. A landscape design plan should include a regular feeding schedule throughout the year to keep grass, trees, shrubs and plants green and healthy. Mulching Mulching is a simple way to provide great landscape benefits. It adds a protective layer to the soil that keeps grass, trees, shrubs and plants thriving year-round. Whether you use organic or inorganic mulch, the benefits for the landscape are huge:

• Retains soil moisture
• Maintains even soil temperature
• Prevents soil erosion
• Reduces soil compaction
• Prevents weed growth

Pruning Regular pruning of trees, shrubs and plants is essential to a healthy landscape. Overgrowth creates an ill-maintained landscape with falling branches and debris and the potential for diseases and outdoor pests. Regular pruning is important, but proper tools must be used to avoid damage, and pruning should be done at the right time of year. Typically, trees and evergreens are pruned during late winter or early spring, while flowering plants are best pruned after their blooming season. Irrigation Lawns need one inch of water every week, either from a sprinkler system or natural rainfall, however irrigation needs vary with grass type and soil conditions. Lawns with sandy soil drain quickly and require more frequent watering, while lawns with clay soil are slow-draining and need much less water. By choosing native plants for your Texas landscape design, you can create a beautiful, healthy landscape that conserves water and maintenance costs.

Benefits of Commercial Landscaping for your Business

As a business owner, you are probably always looking for ways to improve your business and your bottom line. One way to do this is by improving the landscape around your business. Consider these benefits of commercial landscaping and grounds maintenance: The Draw of Increasing Your Curb Appeal By making the outside of your location look more attractive and inviting, potential customers will be drawn to your business. Many customers consider that businesses that take the time and effort needed to enhance their commercial landscape are more pro-active and detail-oriented. Customers want these things from the companies that they do business with. Happier and More Productive Employees Not many employees look forward to going to work in drab surroundings. A relaxing campus landscape of colorful flowers, trees and green areas help improve employee morale. Happy employees are employees that are more productive. Showing that Your Business is Eco-Friendly A carefully planned commercial landscape with drought tolerant plants help show your customers you are committed to the environment. With so many options for native plants, your business can have its own unique landscape while contributing to the beautification of your community. Boost Market Value of Your Business Maintaining the value of your business property is not limited to just maintaining your building. Enhancing and maintaining your commercial landscaping helps to improve the market value of your business, while improving your standing among your competitors. Picture Perfect Lawn & Landscape specializes in commercial grounds maintenance in Waco, Texas. They also perform climate friendly commercial landscape design in Waco, TX.

Top 3 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Lawn Care Service

Pick a reputable lawn care service to deliver quality work while maintaining maximum home security. Landscaping and lawn care crews often have three or more members - strangers who homeowners must trust for guaranteed results and hourly productivity. Before choosing a local contractor, interview at least three prospective companies to confirm fair pricing and other known qualifications of professional lawn care service. Remember, family safety and exterior curb appeal depend on high-quality work. Consider the following factors during the hiring process:
 

1.   Licensed Contracting Services

Ask for proof of professional licensing before discussing pricing, project timelines or any product specifications. Licensing ensures the necessary knowledge and experience for current business operations. On the other hand, hiring an unlicensed lawn care service may lead to wasted time and money.
 

2.   Professional Landscaping Experience / Project Portfolio

Look for professional experience related to all current and future projects. Lawn care maintenance and specialty landscaping companies offer an array of services, which may not overlap. Request a project portfolio, information on services provided/project familiarity and the years of business operation. Popular services include:

• Mowing, edging and weed eating
• Flowerbed maintenance
• Sod installation
• Sprinkler Systems/Watering/fertilizing

3.   Project Timeline

Set ideal project start and end dates before interviewing prospective lawn care companies. Professional contractors should supply an estimated project timeline based on their crew size, the weekly weather forecast and ability to acquire local materials.

Rely on these three factors to determine the best lawn care contractors and crews. In addition, consider requesting information on complementary guarantees, product warranties and continuing grounds maintenance. Every detail puts homeowners in control.