The end of the year is a great time to look back at the year and identify what worked, and didn’t. This is particularly true in the landscape design and maintenance world as homeowners and commercial property owners balance the latest trends with traditional styling that stands the test of time.
At Edward Gosman, we find it particularly helpful to consider commercial landscape design trends, examining them through our lens of 30+ years in the business. As property managers and HOA leaders know, designs that look great initially can sometimes be costly to maintain. Our goal with any commercial project is to create spaces that work with the buildings, driveways and parking areas to support an overall look and feel, while making maintenance as easy as possible.
A few of the commercial landscape design trends we saw start or continue in 2016 include:
Native plants: using plants and shrubs that are natural to southeast Virginia means less chance for disease, more timely flowering and appropriate water usage. In addition, when paired well, native plants can create natural hedges, water buffer areas and in some cases, noise control.
Practical paths: One of the hardest areas to maintain is grass that is walked on so much that paths form. Unfortunately, too many designers create walkways based on visual desires, rather than the practical approach of “how will people walk the property.” At Edward Gosman we create good-looking paths and walkways, but don’t sacrifice function over form.
Energy efficient lighting: The best looking lights in the world don’t do a thing for your property if they aren’t turned on to save money. Exterior and landscape lighting can increase energy bills, but when done correctly, it’s a small amount that generates big returns in safety and beauty. Like walkways, good lighting design considers energy efficiency, sight lines (so people aren’t complaining about lights shining in their windows) and more.
These are a few of the commercial landscape design trends from 2016, that also happen to be important elements of any Edward Gosman design and in our property maintenance division. If you are ready for a quality, experienced approach to your commercial or residential landscape, give us a call at (757) 421-2500, or contact us online.