Nothing harms plants quicker than improper watering.
Every good landscaping job thus needs to be maintained with sufficient water to ensure that the plants are beautiful and healthy.
In commercial landscaping, it is important to keep the overall budget in mind.
For that reason, it’s important to save water on every bill. This post was written to share water saving tips for your commercial landscaping.
Incorporate Native Plants into Your Landscape
Native plants are always a great idea in any landscaping scheme.
They require little maintenance and they convey a message to customers that you are a real part of the local economy.
One key benefit of using native plants in your commercial landscaping is the money you save on water. Native plants are already used to the ebb and flow of rain through a season.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, your plants are accustomed to a long rainy season followed by an arid summer. The good news is that for this reason native plants won’t typically die in the summer, and you won’t need to overcompensate with extra irrigation during the hot summer months.
The Pacific Northwest has many beautiful flowers, bushes, and ground-covering plants to choose from for your landscape design.
Use Alternatives to Grass If Possible
Grass is a main staple in most commercial landscaping designs.
It’s relatively easy, it looks great, and prevents erosion. Yet grass also requires regular watering.
Since water bills tend to be rather high in Portland, you’ll often see brown, dead yards in the summer time because homeowners don’t wish to spend money on watering their grass.
Commercial landscapes often integrate grass, but as a business owner, you can try to minimize its use while still maintaining an impressive landscape design.
Unless you need a large lawn for outdoor events, you might consider utilizing bushes, ferns, and wood chips in lieu grass. When you minimize your use of grass, your water bill will reflect that choice.
If you do use grass, be mindful of how much you water it. Often, the grass is over-watered and costs property owners more than it should.
Aerate the soil where you plant grass. Aeration helps to hold water, thus maximizing your irrigation expense.
A water-efficient landscape design can also be beautiful.
Group Plants According to Water Needs
If you have the opportunity to plan or revise your commercial landscape design, consider grouping your plants based on their watering needs.
Grouping plants this way will help you maximize every drop of water when you do need to irrigate, concentrating on areas that need more care than others.
If, for instance, you love using certain non-native florals, plan ahead and keep them in the same patch. You can also use a water-retaining ground cover such as wood chips that will keep the soil moist during the summer.
Commercial landscaping can be varied and water efficient while still showing off a wide variety of plants.
Commercial Landscaping with Crowley Landscape Management
Our expert team at Crowley Landscape Management can create a beautiful commercial landscape for your business exterior while using efficient irrigation with your budget in mind.
We will design and maintain a knockout design for your property in the Portland Metro area.
Reach out today to speak with us about water efficient commercial landscaping for your business!