When you invest in commercial landscaping, you expect to get the best possible results when your installation is finished. But landscaping mistakes can detract from the value and aesthetics of your property.
One mistake that is commonly made has to do with something as seemingly simple as plant placement. This might seem like a minor detail but it certainly is not. There is a saying in our industry - “right plant, right place.”
But one of the more common landscaping mistakes that we see is choosing the wrong plant for the wrong place.
It’s not just a matter of where a plant looks best. That’s certainly an important detail and we will talk about how proper plant placement affects the overall aesthetics of your commercial landscape.
But it’s also a matter of where a plant is going to perform best. That means taking various considerations into account before installing plants. It also means having a good horticultural understanding.
In this article, we will dive into everything you ought to know about commercial property plant placement so that you can anticipate the best results.
We will cover:
The Importance of Spacing
Understanding the Microclimate Before Commercial Planting
Commercial Planting for the North Texas Climate
Choosing Commercial Property Landscape Maintenance
When talking about commercial planting, it’s important to consider the value of proper spacing. This is a key consideration when it comes to plant placement.
It might sound like a rookie mistake, but you’d be surprised how often even “professional” landscapers choose plants that ultimately will not fit the space well where they are planted. That’s because you have to think about the long-term growth of these plants.
Plants should be right-sized for the space with room to mature, otherwise you’ll end up with an overgrown, messy landscape bed. Not to mention, when plants are positioned too closely together, they compete for resources (water, nutrients). This can negatively impact blooming, root development and the overall vitality of a plant.
In addition, when talking about commercial property plant placement, we also want to mention that skimping on plant material and having a plant bed look too sparse is also a spacing mistake. You don’t want everything completely spread out so that it looks like you have giant “holes” or gaps in the landscape.
It’s a matter of balance and looking at it with an eye for design.
But there’s also a matter of safety with plant placement. Plants like shrubs that are installed too close to a commercial walkway can start to overgrow the hardscaping and impact the functionality.
Poor plant placement can also lead to interference with signage. If plants start to overgrow and cover signs around your commercial property it can lead to bigger problems. The same is true for any landscape lighting or safety lighting you have installed around your commercial property. You do not want poorly located plant material to cover lights.
Similarly, you don’t want poorly placed plants to block lines of sight for drivers. When a view is blocked by plant material, it can make driving around your commercial property unnecessarily dangerous.
Understanding soil types, sunlight exposure, and water requirements is essential for successful plant placement in North Texas.
In other words, you also want to consider the micro-climate of a landscape bed before choosing plants to install in it.
What we mean is, how much sunlight, wind exposure and moisture does the landscape bed get? For example, some plants thrive in full sun, while others might require more shade.
If you don’t take these factors into account when installing plants, that plant material is never going to perform optimally and might even die. While there are a lot of landscape mistakes and hardships that can be overcome with some TLC, planting mistakes is not always one of them. If you’ve installed a plant that needs full sun in a shady location, it may never perform well.
Improper plant placement can make landscape maintenance an ongoing challenge. You can easily make an otherwise low-maintenance plant into a high-maintenance one if it is not installed in a location where it will thrive.
But smart plant placement (in regard to microclimate) can cut back on maintenance needs and costs. Your plants won’t require excess water and attention in order to perform their best.
You may assume this is a landscaping mistake that wouldn’t be made by a professional but we see it happen more commonly than you’d expect. A lot of landscapers just don’t have the horticultural expertise that is required to make the best choices for plant placement.
They don’t know enough about the plant material they are installing to make the best choices.
Ultimately, you do need to choose plants that are going to perform well in North Texas’ climate (as well as the specific microclimate of your landscape that we talked about above).
Here in North Texas, we have some unique challenges that must be considered before you invest in plants. One of the biggest considerations is our dry climate. As a region that is prone to drought conditions.
Fortunately, there are solutions. This is a key reason why irrigation systems are so popular in our region. Along with that, smart plant choices are also important.
Many people do turn to drought-tolerant plants that do not require as much water.
Since drought conditions are common in our region, this makes sense. Some of the best plants for Texas heat include Abelia, Liriope, Lantana, and Barberry. These plants do not require as much water to continue to perform optimally and make a good choice for commercial property managers who are seeking a low-maintenance landscape.
We know that there is probably more involved with commercial planting than you expected.
This is why it’s worth bringing in a professional.
Working with a commercial landscape professional can help ensure that you not only get the best commercial plants for your property…but that they are also installed properly. That includes optimal plant placement.
We know that it can be stressful to feel as though you’re creating an attractive landscape that will enhance the value of your commercial property without causing any extra hassles or headaches. It’s important to work with a landscaping company that can help you solve problems that you’re having…and also improve your property’s curb appeal and value in the process.
At Grassperson, we are ready and eager to help. There is nothing that we enjoy more than helping local business owners and property managers ensure that their commercial spaces are the best they can be.
Let a pro get your commercial landscape in the best shape. Get a free quote and then get ready to reap the benefits.
