Low Maintenance Landscaping Ideas for Retail Properties
Landscape Maintenance for Retail Plazas
When it comes to retail properties, first impressions matter. After all, customers tend to judge a property by how it looks before they even think about parking and shopping. The good news is that you can draw more potential customers by maintaining your property and keeping it clean and beautiful. And when you have a bright, tidy retail property, it creates a happy mood, enticing customers and putting potential customers in the perfect mood to shop.
So, how can you transform your retail landscape property in San Diego without breaking the bank? What are some ideas that can help reduce maintenance costs, including lowering your water bill? Read on to discover some budget-friendly low-maintenance landscaping ideas for retail property landscapes.
Elements to Create Low-Maintenance Retail Properties
With a few simple adjustments, your retail property can go from high to low maintenance in a snap.
- Replace turf grass with native plants.
- Replace lawn zones with DG (decomposed granite)
- Add thick plastic edging or metal on walkways to keep mulch separated from walkways and cut down on blowing.
- Install a drip irrigation system.
- Define walkways with stone pavers to help guide foot traffic away from plant beds.
- Add thick mulch layers to cover soil beds.
Drought-Tolerant Plants for Retail Landscapes in North San Diego County
Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grass is an excellent, low-water-use plant ideal for commercial beds and parking medians. For best results, opt for varieties such as well-behaved clumping or sterile varieties.
Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens): Once established, this “workhorse” requires very little maintenance and water to thrive in parking lot islands, against large concrete walls, and other areas in retail plazas.
Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris): This low-maintenance grass thrives in our local climate. It’s drought-tolerant, and its dramatic, cotton-candy-like pink and purple plumes bring plenty of attention to commercial spaces in North San Diego County.
Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca): This highly drought-tolerant ornamental grass maintains an orderly appearance, making it an excellent option for walkways, parking lot islands, and entryways.
Evergreen Shrubs
Try planting shrubs that provide year-round structure and keep their shape without having to deal with rapid and messy overgrowth.
Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla): Features a tight, formal look. This evergreen shrub stays compact (3 to 5 feet) and is ideal for borders.
Shiny Xylosma (Xylosma congestum): This drought-tolerant evergreen shrub features glossy green leaves and is prized for providing an attractive screen to hide blank storefront walls or utility areas.
Coast Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa): This easy-to-maintain, waterwise evergreen shrub forms a silver-green mound about 3 to 6 feet tall. It handles intense coastal wind, sun, and reflected heat, making it an excellent choice for retail parking lots.
Low-Growing Succulents
Succulents are water-wise and an excellent option for parking lot islands or thin soil beds. Succulents can thrive in the heat and provide high visual appeal.
Echeveria: With their striking rosette shapes, Echeveria draws all the right attention while adding a modern look to commercial spaces and retail plazas.
Stonecrop Sedum: These tough plants store water in their thick leaves and can stay green throughout hot summers and mild winters; they can also bounce back quickly after being stepped on.
Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio serpens): There’s much to love about these succulents—they retain moisture, making them an excellent option for a fire-safe landscape plan. These vibrant, chalky blue beauties thrive on minimal water and only reach about 18 inches in height, so they’re ideal for walkways.
Ideas for Entrance and Accent
The main entrance into your retail plaza is the first opportunity to greet tenants, customers, employees, and visitors. That’s why upgrading a retail entranceway is a smart move — it’s an ideal way to boost foot traffic, improve curb appeal and first impressions, and increase property value. Even the simplest upgrades can make a big difference. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Heavy-duty planters: Using heavy-duty planters makes it easy to swap seasonal colors without digging up ground soil.
- Low-voltage LED uplighting: Easily highlight building signs and architectural plants. LED lighting is an excellent way to add visual pop to your entranceway. LED lights can also help add security features with zero maintenance needs.
Experience Quality Service. The Difference...Is Growing
Ready to enhance your retail plaza in Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, and throughout San Diego County? We can help! Westturf landscape Management has provided diligent landscape maintenance services for retail centers, industrial parks, and HOAs, and municipalities since 1972!
For a free quote, send us a message or call us at 760-650-3120.
Let's work together
Need weed abatement services ASAP? Do you have a landscaping project in mind? Time for a new HOA landscaping company? Westturf Landscape Management Inc. is ready to help. We offer a wide range of services, from synthetic turf installation to weed and brush clearance and complete landscape transformations. When it comes to quality, efficient landscape maintenance services, we have you covered.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Westturf Landscape Management Inc.
701 Mercantile Street
Vista, CA 92083
Phone: 760.650.3120