An HOA community is bustling with activity: people strolling, kids playing, dogs frolicking, somebody complaining about something. (You know who you are.)
Streets and sidewalks are lined with everything from parked cars to skateboarders to kids’ sticky lemonade stands. (Neighborhood tip: make a kid happy and buy a cup.)
That means HOA landscapers have to take extra precautions as they mow, trim, and edge.
The Level Green Landscaping Blog
Expert Industry Advice and Property Enhancement Suggestions.
Expert Industry Advice and Property Enhancement Suggestions.
When’s the last time you stood outside in your condo, apartment, or HOA common area, took a good sniff and said “Aaahhhhh?”
Kevin Doleman is on his way to a large Northern Virginia HOA on a Monday morning, and he’s starting his week with a challenge.
Hey, not every plant can live at a botanical garden, right? Sometimes you wake up, stretch your leaves, and realize your new home is next to hot black asphalt.
Some plants know how to say, “Cool,” and make the best of it.\
If you listen to us at all, you already know the wonders of mulch.
But you can never hear it too many times, so here’s a brief re-cap:
Mulch helps your soil retain moisture, so you won't have to water as much. It keeps pesky weeds at bay by blocking the sunlight they need to sprout. It prevents rain from washing away your landscape soil.
We love mulch. And here at Level Green Landscaping, we use bark mulch much more often than rock. But there are times rocks are a great choice.
Rock vs. mulch in planting beds?
Next time you’re out checking on your commercial property landscaping, look up.
How are your trees? Might be time to check in.
Nobody ever tells their HOA landscaping company, “Just come mow the lawn whenever. Mulch? Whenever you feel like it. Prune, don’t prune, doesn’t matter.”
You want your HOA landscaping to look great. All the time. That’s why you need a schedule.
How many landscaping questions could HOA residents possibly ask? Let’s see:
- Can I install a patio out back?
- Are garden ornaments allowed?
- Can I plant 7 hydrangea shrubs?
- What are the rules about fences?
- I want to plant a bamboo hedge — is that OK?
- Can I grow tomatoes and peppers to make salsa? I’ll give you a jar!
You get the idea. Lots of questions.
While HOAs typically hire a landscaping company to care for their common areas, homeowners are often required to care for their own landscaping, following any HOA landscaping rules.
Some trees have to be tougher than others.
Trees growing in commercial property parking lots and other paved areas have to weather some tough conditions.
Heat. Salt. Drought. Compaction.
This isn’t a job for any old tree.
Let’s take a look at five of the best trees for parking lots.
The latest shortage related to Covid-19 hits you right in the landscaping — it’s plants.
A nationwide shortage of trees, shrubs, and perennials has landscaping companies like Level Green scrambling to meet the supply for customers eager to spruce up properties as the country begins to open up after the shutdowns of Covid-19.
“We’re not the only ones facing a plant shortage — everyone’s facing a shortage,” says Bradley Sarno, operations manager at Level Green Landscaping.
Demand for plants is greater than the supply after a year of brisk plant sales to homebound homeowners who decided to boost their landscaping.
“Everybody is home gardening now,” Sarno says. “Everybody’s at home raising chickens, planting vegetable gardens, and installing landscaping around the house. It has definitely increased demand.”
To meet that demand, growers started selling stock last year that they would have saved for this year.