10 Top Drought-Tolerant Trees & Shrubs for Commercial Landscapes

10 Top Drought-Tolerant Trees & Shrubs for Commercial Landscapes

Sure, Chicago summers can get hot with average temperatures between 78 degrees and 92 degrees Fahrenheit, heat radiating off of concrete surfaces, air conditioning blasting, sweat dripping off your brow the moment you walk outside. You get the picture.

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5 Common Lawn Diseases in Chicago Landscapes (And How to Address Them)

5 Common Lawn Diseases in Chicago Landscapes (And How to Address Them)

Sure, weeds are easy to spot in your Greater Chicago commercial lawn. They stick out with their nasty, spiky, mismatched shapes that look markedly different from your nice, even, thick lawn.

But lawn diseases are another story altogether. The right weather conditions can bring them about without warning. Most of the diseases out there resemble patchy or irregularly shaped spots in your lawn, which are symptoms that are hard to distinguish from other problems. For all you know, those marks could be from drought.

If you're in the business of maintaining commercial lawns in the Windy City, you know that keeping those green spaces looking pristine is no easy task.

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How Planting & Landscape Design Can Add Shade to Your Commercial Property

How Planting & Landscape Design Can Add Shade to Your Commercial Property

In the bustling urban landscape of Greater Chicago, where concrete jungles dominate the skyline, finding respite from the scorching summer sun can be a challenge.

Commercial properties that beckon visitors with shade and serenity can have an edge over the competition.

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6 Essential Summer Pruning Techniques for Chicago Commercial Landscapes

6 Essential Summer Pruning Techniques for Chicago Commercial Landscapes

Trees and shrubs bring more than just color to your commercial property in Greater Chicago.

They add color and greenery that people can enjoy as they shop at your retail center or work at your office park. They can ease the nerves and worries of your healthcare patients and stressed-out medical professionals. They can bring color and texture to your industrial facility or homeowners’ association grounds.

And in all of these commercial property types, trees and shrubs bring plenty of other benefits. Placed correctly and maintained well, these plants can lower energy bills, manage stormwater by reducing erosion and flooding, sequester carbon, and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Trees and shrubs can even increase spending at your retail center or boost recruitment and retention at your multifamily property.

But to continue providing these benefits, your trees and shrubs must remain healthy and strong.

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Fertilization, Weed Control & Soil Health in Commercial Lawn Care Programs

Fertilization, Weed Control & Soil Health in Commercial Lawn Care Programs

Your Greater Chicago commercial space looks its best when your lawn is in great shape – nice and thick with an emerald green color that draws people in.

On top of that, great commercial lawn areas reduce runoff, minimize erosion, clean the air, neutralize pollutants, and absorb and slow the flow of stormwater.

A lawn that looks this perfect and brings all of these benefits to your property doesn’t happen overnight. There are quite a few services that are necessary to keep your commercial turf – a living plant – healthy and happy.

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5 Can't-Miss HOA Landscaping Policies to Include in Your Community's By-Laws

5 Can't-Miss HOA Landscaping Policies to Include in Your Community's By-Laws

As an HOA property manager, you probably get a lot of questions about HOA landscaping policies. Homeowners who live there naturally want to understand what they can do and what they can’t do when it comes to managing their outdoor spaces.

Rules in any Greater Chicago HOA can vary, which can make it confusing for homeowners. In fact, they may think they can do what they did at their old HOA at a new HOA, but the rules may be different.

And these rules are for the overall good of the community; they are in place to make the HOA grounds look good and function properly for everyone who lives there.

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Key Landscaping Services to Promote Wellness in Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities

Key Landscaping Services to Promote Wellness in Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities

Landscapes can bring a lot of positivity to people.

The physical benefits of getting outside in nature are obvious, but there are also social, emotional, spiritual, and psychological benefits.

This is what makes gardens amazing additions to hospitals and healthcare facilities in Greater Chicago. They can offer so many advantages to their patients, staff, and visitors.

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The Commercial Property Manager's Ultimate Guide to Landscape Maintenance

The Commercial Property Manager's Ultimate Guide to Landscape Maintenance

No one ever said being a commercial property manager in Greater Chicago was easy. You have a lot on your plate – inside your buildings, as well as outside. But there’s so much going on, it can be easy to forget about those outside maintenance needs.

Start by taking a moment to walk through your commercial landscape. What do you see from the perspective of a visitor to your site?

You want to see a neat, tidy landscape with a lush, green lawn; healthy, blooming trees, shrubs, and plants; and no unsafe areas that could hinder guests from getting where they need to go.

And this is crucial because your property’s appearance can make a huge impact on how many people come to your location on a regular basis, as well as recruitment and retention efforts, business sales, and community reputation and perception.

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