The landscaping at a commercial property is one of the first things that clients notice. First impressions are important, and walk-in traffic from potential clients driving past your business can often depend on this first impression. Today we are sharing why your business needs commercial landscaping.

1.  Experienced landscaping companies are able to create attractive new landscape plans and recommend ways to enhance your "curb appeal". Benches, decorative boulders, water features, walkways, flower beds, potted plants and new mulch or gravel are all excellent ways to enhance the landscape.

2.  Having a professional commercial landscaping company managing your property will protect you from potential legal issues related to clients tripping on hazards or overgrown weeds and roots, or injured by falling dead branches from trees. Keeping sidewalks and parking lots clear of hazards is something a good commercial landscaping company will ensure.

3. Trees and shrubs are expensive assets that need to be protected! The cost to replace a single tree is often $400 or more! A professional commercial landscaping company will assess plant health on each visit and report any issues of disease or distress to management.

4. It is vital that your irrigation system in monitored on a regular basis. The costs from an undetected subsurface irrigation leak can be astronomical. Regular irrigation maintenance and monitoring, including checking irrigation systems for issues, breaks, or leaks is extremely important.

Automated irrigation systems are common place for both commercial and residential properties. Although they are convenient and efficient, and watering times can be adjusted with timers, these systems do not take into account daily fluctuations in rain. The last few years in Santa Fe the drought has felt severe, yet, this summer season we were blessed with regular rain that was appreciated by avid gardeners and trees alike!

 Water sensors can be installed to monitor moisture levels, ensuring that your irrigation system does not activate when there is already sufficient soil moisture (aka a "rainy day"). These smart-system water sensors are a great choice for Santa Fe, where monsoons are unpredictable and water is a precious resource. Contact us today and one of our licensed irrigation technicians can discuss with you how implementing a water sensor at your home or business can save you water and money.

Hardscaping is an attractive and cost-effective landscaping option for commercial properties. Hardscaping includes possibilities such as gravel, river rock, decorative boulders, rock retention walls, and stone steps.

Lawns are a high maintenance and impractical  landscaping choice for commercial properties in our high desert climate. A gravel conversion project can transform your commercial property with a fresh look. Gravel comes in a variety of colors and sizes, from 3/4" Santa Fe Brown to 1-2" river rock.

Gravel landscapes can be enhanced with colorful xeric perennials and other drought tolerant shrubs or trees. Some good options include Red Flowering Yuccas, Russian Sage, Agave, Butterfly Bush, Catmint and New Mexico Privet.

Gravel and river rock can also be used to create designs and drainage solutions, as well as add to the aesthetic appeal of your commercial property.

This spring, tent caterpillars seem to be a more prevalent than usual issue in Santa Fe. We have been receiving many phone calls and emails from concerned property managers and homeowners about tent caterpillars causing rapid defoliation of their aspen trees. The damage is mostly unappealing, but repeated years of infestation can cause tree death. Trees are a valuable asset that are not only expensive to replace, but also important to the landscape and our environment.  

Tent caterpillars form a silken tent or nest in trees. They hatch in the spring and emerge to feed on the nearby leaves. In our area, the Western tent caterpillar is most often seen infesting trees in May and early June.

Luckily, tent caterpillars are fairly easy to treat. Proscape recommends cutting out by hand any visible nests. There are also insect sprays that can be used to treat the problem. Contact us for assistance with diagnosis and treatment of your trees.