As we begin to make budget preparations for the year ahead, it’s worth taking the time to look at the big picture. With a few months to go before the new year kicks off, right now is the best time to strategize with your landscaper and prepare a sound Landscape Maintenance budget for the upcoming year. With collaboration and planning, the result can be a master plan that achieves the overall aesthetic goals for the property, while staying within the dollars available.  By getting out now and touring the property with your landscape team and evaluating the current condition, you can begin working together to lay the groundwork for a successful year ahead.

Landscape Maintenance costs often consume the largest portion of the operating budget. Having a customized landscape master plan in place ensures that the maintenance services you are paying for will achieve the look you’re seeking and meet the operating efficiencies required in the year ahead. Finally, ask your landscaper if all of the landscape costs both the recurring maintenance services and the CapX can be invoiced over a 12 month period. Having monthly installments for these services might make things more financially palatable. Most landscape companies will be happy to accommodate.  Typically, landscape maintenance contracts will include the following standard services.

STANDARD LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE ITEMS TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN SERVICE CONTRACT

• Mowing, Bed Weeding, and Sidewalk Edging
• Shrub Pruning (to maintain a natural shape and current size)
• Turf Fertilization and Weed Control
• Ornamental Care ( Insect Treatments & Dormant Oil Applications)
• Spring Mulching and Property Spring Clean Up
• Tree Elevation (limb trees up along sidewalks and parking areas to allow for pedestrian traffic to pass below)
• Leaf Removal
• Spring and Fall Annual Flower Rotations

However, landscape maintenance doesn’t necessarily end with the standard service items. There are other services that improve the overall aesthetics and plant health, but these services may not be needed every year or at all depending on the conditions of your property.  Here are examples of services that can be performed and paid for when they occur vs. including them in the annual landscape maintenance agreement:

NON TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE ITEMS  – PERIODICALLY REQUIRED

• Deep Root Feeding Trees / Large Scale Tree Pruning and Removal
• Shrub Renovation Pruning and Removal (to maintain a natural shape and current size)
• Turf Lime / Seed / Soil Renovation
• Transplanting Relocating Existing Plant Material
• Fall Mulching and Winter Cleanup Service
• Winter Flower Rotation

For example, you won’t need aeration, overseeding and soil renovation every year on the entire property unless the turf areas are heavily used. Most average use turf areas can be scheduled for full aeration and overseed every other year or even every third year and the property can still have lush healthy looking turf. Another example is fall mulch. If your property has extensive perennial plantings or tender plants that need a little extra insulation to get through the winter you may need this service annually, otherwise, it is a cosmetic service that can be scheduled on a bi-annual basis.

The best way to plan for expenses outside of regular landscape maintenance is to ask your landscaper for a site assessment.  They should be able to provide you a list of items in priority order that should be done to improve the aesthetics of the property, reduce hazards, or correct natural deficiencies that can occur over time like drainage and erosion problems.  Having a prioritized list will help allocate funds needed to get the work done.

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