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No matter what industry you are in, first impressions are crucial.
Beyond offering top-notch products and services, successful companies understand the importance of a captivating physical environment. This is where commercial landscaping ideas that can inspire your creativity become a powerful tool for enhancing your property’s aesthetic, improving your company’s image, and ultimately boosting business.
Let’s explore innovative landscaping ideas that will transform your outdoor space into a mesmerizing landscape. From sustainable elements to strategic plantings and functional hardscaping, discover how thoughtful landscaping can set your company apart.
Before we get to our favorite landscaping ideas for your commercial property, let’s take a look at some basic rules and guidelines for designing excellent commercial landscaping.
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Here is some insider knowledge about making your office, shop, or other facility look amazing.
Pay attention to how colors, textures, and design elements can evoke emotions. What do you want people to experience when they visit your business? Landscaping can create a sense of positivity and enthusiasm, just like it can create anxiety and doubt.
Look at how successful businesses in your area are landscaping their properties. Do your competitors offer a sparse, minimalistic design? Or is your industry more likely to be a maximalist’s dream? Think of it this way: a real estate office is probably going to have a different landscaping aesthetic than a whimsical little gift shop. What kind of designs would fit into your neighborhood, and what would stick out and make you look outdated or overwhelmed?
Consider the importance of sustainability. It feels great to be able to live up to your values when it comes to sustainability, and customers appreciate knowing it, too. Don’t forget that sustainability also means that you can sustain the landscaping. Don’t splurge on an incredibly complex landscape design if you are not going to invest in its upkeep.
Complement the architecture and appearance of your building. Choose plants, materials, colors, and design elements that enhance the existing design, rather than overwhelming or clashing with it.
Keep sightlines open to the business entrance and all important signs. Don’t let overgrown landscaping prevent customers from being able to figure out how to get into your business.
Use native, drought-resistant plants to reduce maintenance and water usage. Here in Illinois, some great drought-resistant plants are huckleberry, purple beautyberry, red twig dogwood, big bluestem, side-oats grama, hackberry, yarrow, rock cotoneaster, blue false indigo, purple coneflower, and bundleflower.
Create visual interest by varying the heights, textures, and colors in your landscaping. You should try to avoid landscaping that is all one height or type. Having some diverse plants with a variety of appearances will help create a more intentional and attractive space.
Integrate hardscaping with your landscaping. Hardscaping includes sidewalks and walkways, patios, benches, sitting areas, and retaining walls. Landscaping isn’t just about plants; it is also about creating a usable outdoor space to showcase your company’s professionalism.
When it comes to commercial landscaping ideas, there are good reasons to balance trendy and timeless elements when designing commercial landscaping.
On Trend:
Timeless:
The ideal commercial landscaping has visual interest that captures attention and projects modernity, paired with classic elements that stand the test of time. Well-chosen plants, materials and design can balance current relevance with enduring style for maximum return on investment.
Let’s talk about 10 ideas that will help you achieve that perfect blend of trendy and timeless.
Using a vibrant, diverse plant palette creates visual excitement and interest for your business. Bright flowers, foliage, and landscaping materials reflect energy and dynamism. Color also attracts attention from passing traffic and pedestrians, which helps with brand visibility. Choose both trendy tropical tones like vibrant orange along with classic colors like peaceful blue or white for timeless impact.
An inviting outdoor seating area provides a functional space for customers to relax and enjoy the landscape. Many employers also use outdoor seating areas to give their employees a chance to relax, socialize, and feel comfortable in the workplace.
A beautiful outdoor seating area promotes community and connection. You can use trendy materials like modern outdoor furniture paired with natural elements like stone planters or vines climbing on trellises. All of these strategies encourage customers to stay longer – which, of course, boosts business!
Thoughtful lighting extends the beauty and functionality of landscapes into the evening. Uplighting trees or illuminating architectural features creates dramatic ambiance. LEDs are an energy-efficient trend, and you can ppt for timeless fixtures that maintain a classic, elegant look over time. Lighting improves safety and makes spaces more welcoming. Nighttime visibility makes your workplace more secure.
Faulty irrigation wastes water, allows plants to decline, and creates unsightly issues like flooding and erosion. Meanwhile, fixing it improves both sustainability and aesthetics. Drip irrigation and smart sensors are useful trends that promote precision watering.
Proper irrigation is a timeless foundation of healthy landscapes. It’s a wise investment for longevity and curb appeal.
Blending hardscaping like patios, walkways, and fencing with soft landscaping creates a cohesive look. It’s also practical: trendy permeable pavers allow water absorption, classic materials like stone and wood pair beautifully with plants, and hardscaping directs foot traffic and defines functional spaces. The combination of hardscaping and landscaping certainly boosts the visual appeal of your property.
It is important to plan landscaping that provides year-round interest. Landscaping that only works in one or two seasons of the year is not going to work for a business that is open year-round!
Evergreen shrubs retain color in winter while plants with fall flowers, foliage or berries add seasonal variety. Trendy tropical plants mix with conventional bloomers for extra color in the summer. In the fall, trees with branching patterns and bark textures stand out when leaves drop. Planning for all seasons makes landscapes dynamic yet consistent.
Curate a diversity of colors, textures, heights and shapes to develop engaging vignettes. Visual complexity attracts and holds your customers’ attention.
You can use trendy succulents in the summer, which contrast with bold tropical leaves or delicate ornamental grasses. Interesting features like sculptures, water features, and large statement planters will direct visitors’ eyes to your property.
Is your business located on a hilly site with varied topography? You can take advantage of these natural contours to create visual drama. Terraces, retaining walls, and multi-level design elements are commercial landscaping ideas that can provide the structural “bones” of your landscaping.
Trendy materials include gabion walls and wooden retaining walls, and these pair beautifully with classic stone staircases, carefully selected plants, and beautiful flowerbeds.
Strategic landscaping can subtly guide visitors to and from parking areas, entrances, exits and other destinations. Carefully placed planters frame the pathways and establish those clear sightlines we mentioned earlier in this article.
Maintaining your landscaping is essential. After all, unkempt landscaping is stressful for business owners and unappealing to customers. Additionally, proper maintenance protects your investment and prevents safety hazards.
Consistent upkeep keeps your landscapes looking pristine. It’s rare for business owners to have enough time to manage their landscaping entirely on their own – and that’s okay! You have a business to run. Instead of worrying about landscaping, hire a team of professionals who can manage your design, implementation, and maintenance.
Let Ware Landscaping bring your business landscape visions to life. As we have demonstrated in this article, thoughtful commercial landscaping elevates your company’s image, boosts curb appeal and brand identity, improves sustainability, and helps attract new customers.
With over 20 years of experience and commercial landscaping ideas that can give any property a major upgrade, Ware Landscaping can expertly manage the design, installation, and ongoing maintenance of innovative landscapes tailored specifically for your business. Every design is unique and customized to your business needs.
Whether you need eye-catching focal points, wayfinding for improved traffic flow, or a combination of trendy and timeless elements, Ware Landscaping has the skills and knowledge to make it happen. We handle all aspects of commercial landscaping, from dramatic terracing and elevations to lush plantings, striking hardscaping features, and even snow removal in winter. Our full-service capabilities also include irrigation, drainage solutions, and landscape lighting to extend your exterior ambiance into the evening.
Bring your commercial property to the next level with a landscape that reflects your brand story and engages customers.
Contact Ware Landscaping today for a complimentary consultation. Let’s start a conversation about how our experts can design, construct, and maintain outdoor spaces that will impress clients and boost your bottom line. We look forward to breathing life into your business landscape vision.