You want your Greater Chicago commercial property to look appealing.
This usually involves lush, green grass, well-formed trees and shrubs, colorful containers at entrances and focal points, tidy landscape beds, and clean, smooth pathways that guide visitors safely from point A to B.
While maintaining a beautiful landscape is important, cost savings are also a priority. We understand—you have a budget to consider.
As a property manager, you’re probably exploring ways to cut landscaping costs. Here are some ideas to help you achieve an attractive commercial property while keeping expenses reasonable.
Ideas that Reduce Commercial Landscaping Costs
Whether the economy is impacting business and keeping budgets tight or your dollars are being pulled in different directions, cutting costs is sometimes necessary.
Having a reliable service provider partner is essential. This helps you gather ideas that match your aesthetic preferences while also saving money when needed.
Try these four tips to lower your commercial landscaping expenses.
Make Your Mulch Last Longer
Applying a fresh layer of mulch annually can greatly enhance the appearance of your commercial property and offers numerous benefits.
Mulch helps insulate the soil, keeping it cooler during summer. It preserves soil moisture, shielding your plants from drought conditions. Additionally, it suppresses unwanted weeds and enriches the soil as it decomposes.
When trying to cut costs in a year, a simple mulch trick can help you save money and reduce landscaping expenses.
Turning or fluffing up mulch can revitalize it, extending its usefulness. If you're not ready to lay new mulch, this method ensures you continue to enjoy many of its benefits for an additional year.
Limit the Number of Landscape Beds
Landscape beds full of lush plantings that add color and texture are great additions to your commercial property.
They can draw your eye to entranceways, create inviting spaces for relaxation, add color to outdoor meeting or dining areas, bring life to school grounds, or add healing touches to health care facilities.
However, they require some additional upkeep. In a year when your budget is tighter, you can minimize your landscape beds by cutting back on plants, adding stones or mulch, or concentrating on turf.
Planning your landscape beds during a lean budget year can help manage your commercial landscape maintenance expenses effectively.
Plant Perennials Instead of Annuals
Perhaps you want to retain your landscape beds without sacrificing the benefits they offer your commercial property.
That’s perfectly fine, as there are alternative methods to lower landscaping costs.
Using annuals is an excellent way to add vibrant color to your commercial landscape. These plants grow quickly and bloom throughout the season. You can replace them during spring, summer, and fall to refresh your color scheme, increase visual interest, and keep your landscape lively and appealing.
Additionally, they tend to be affordable upon initial planting.
Annuals often cost more overall because they last only one year and need to be replaced, which incurs recurring expenses. They also typically need more frequent watering and additional maintenance to keep blooms coming.
In contrast, perennials offer great diversity to a landscape bed and help save money.
They return each year after going dormant during Greater Chicago winters, so although they may have a higher initial price, they remove the need for ongoing replacement costs.
Perennials develop strong roots and can withstand the temperature variations in our area. They generally need little maintenance — just cut back in fall or spring. They also provide repeated color and texture, keeping your property vibrant through different seasons.
Install Trees & Shrubs That Need Less Pruning
Want to save some commercial landscape maintenance costs? Try choosing plants that are easier to maintain, thereby cutting expenses while also adding greenery to your property.
One great plant choice is boxwoods. Boxwoods are always ready for any spot and season thanks to their extreme versatility.
In winter, they keep their strong shape and rich, green color. Boxwoods have a naturally formal shape that can create emphasis in a landscape bed. In summe,r when the commercial landscape is in full bloom, boxwoods provide background and structure without competing with other plants.
Partner with a Commercial Landscape Service Partner Who Can Help You
As you look at your budget and your commercial landscaping, you want to feel good about your choice, knowing your dollars are being spent wisely on the most necessary services you need to achieve your specific goals.
But your time is already booked. Your plate is full. It’s hard to stop everything and research what areas you think might do your property the most good.
If you’re working with the best fit for landscape services in Greater Chicago, though, you shouldn’t have to do this. A knowledgeable service provider will give you options that can help you do the right things for your property within your budget constraints, instead of just selling a service.
As a result, your commercial landscape maintenance costs can remain under control because your service partner is doing their job by noticing issues or concerns before they escalate. Addressing problems early saves you money, as ignoring issues until they worsen can lead to higher repair costs.
Have you noticed that your commercial maintenance isn’t fully meeting your needs? Maybe you’d like to cut costs or discover strategies that reduce expenses while still achieving the look you want. Give KD Landscape a call. We have experience offering options to Greater Chicago commercial property managers so you’re not limited to just one choice or solution.
Want to learn more about our commercial landscape services? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can feel confident and make a great choice.
