Benefits of Tulsa Commercial Landscape Design

Sometimes business owners can overlook an important aspect of their company, something that can actually have quite a large impact on their business. Although commercial landscape design may not at first seem like it will greatly affect a business, there are a number of ways that landscaping or a lack of landscape design can impact a company – either for the good or for the bad.

First impressions are most important. 

Business owners are well familiar with how important first impressions are for a customer. But sometimes owners can focus on how the inside of their store looks without realizing that the inside isn’t exactly the first impression the customer may have. When a customer drives up to your store, what do they see? A beautiful and eye-catching landscape design can really impress customers even before they reach your front door and even attract new customers. If two similar businesses were next door to each other, wouldn’t you first walk into the business that was most attractive on the outside? Effective commercial landscape design can help a business stand out amid the competition. Landscape design can take into consideration the personality or brand of the company and successfully reflect that brand image with unique landscaping elements.

As with first impressions, we often do judge a book by its cover, and the same can be said with businesses. A well-manicured lawn and good landscape design can tell a customer that the business owner is diligent, pro-active, and interested in delivering quality. On the other hand, a building without any landscaping can give the opposite impression of its owners.

Attention to landscape design at a business can also tell customers that the owner is concerned about the environment, is eco-friendly, and is interested in creating a pleasant atmosphere for his employees.

Increase employee productivity.

Studies have shown that employees work better at companies that have attractive commercial landscape design and other natural elements.

Regarding a commercial landscape design project at PepsiCo World Headquarters, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) noted that the improved outdoor environment “resulted in lower turnover, less absenteeism, shorter lunch hours, and greater productivity.”

“The quality of a person’s physical surroundings has a real and profound impact on their attitude and performance as well as their enjoyment of a place,” the ASLA noted.

Thus, adding more greenery and landscape design to your business, possible even with outside benches, fountains, or other decorative landscaping elements, can help increase job satisfaction for employees and promote a peaceful, happy environment for employees and customers alike.

Improve market values. 

Commercial landscape design has also been shown to help enhance the market value and curb appeal of a business.

“The proof is in the data, with 99% of real estate appraisers confirming that plants enhance tenancy and the sales appeal of commercial real estate,” E-Landscape Specialty Solutions of Maryland noted. They noted that commercial landscape design provides an “instant wow” factor to a company, providing the quickest way to give a “face-lift” to a building’s façade.

Thus, commercial landscape design can quickly and easily refurbish the look of an otherwise older building, giving it new life, literally and figuratively.

Good landscape design and maintenance might even help to deter crime.

“In a California study, landscaped areas were relatively graffiti-free, while open, no landscaped areas were graffiti targets,” Terra Flora Landscaping in West Virginia noted. “Well planned and maintained landscapes are seen as safer than unmaintained plantings.”

And there’s many other benefits to Tulsa commercial landscape design including significant energy-savings when landscapes are designed specifically with these elements in mind.

The Tulsa landscape design professionals at Oklahoma Landscape can engineer the best landscape design plan for your commercial property. We can take care of all your commercial landscape design and lawn maintenance needs so that you can focus more on your business. From office parks to apartment complexes to hospitals, we can provide you with a custom landscape and lawn care maintenance program for your specific commercial goals.

Let us take the hassle out of commercial landscape design and maintenance and keep your property looking great all year round.

Ways to Add More Privacy to Your Tulsa Outdoor Environment

Privacy. We cherish having solitude, a little space, especially between our own home and our neighbor’s. But

Lilly, the list expert at Listotic shared some clever ways to add privacy to your outdoor space, on both a small and large budget. Here is some of the ingenious ideas she found, as well as some that we’ve discovered.

Planting for privacy.

As Tulsa landscapers, we’re partial to plants. They can serve a variety of purposes, including acting as a natural privacy fence. Privet hedges will provide the most privacy and can give a more formal appearance to your outdoor space. But you can also grow your own living wall using a variety of plants, trees, and shrubs like Italian Cypress, Emerald Green Arborvitae, Gold Cone Junipers, Skyrocket Junipers, and other evergreens.

You can also create this living wall of plants by hanging pots in tiered rows. Choose just about any plant or growing vine such as Morning Glory to grow a layered wall of privacy plants to separate your space. Another idea is to build a garden using potted herbs or other potted flowering plants. This garden wall may not provide complete privacy, but it will give you more room in your herb garden.

Listotic also suggested purchasing Faux lvy for immediate privacy along an iron fence or trellis, as well as planting bamboo for a tall and dense screen of foliage planted either in the ground or in a planter. Another great suggestion using plants is to line your outdoor living space with tall garden pots. These large pots easily add height to your plants and shrubs while also creating a very decorative privacy screen for your landscape.

Enclose your outdoor living area. 

Sometimes it’s easier to add privacy to just your outdoor kitchen area, deck, or other smaller outdoor space rather than creating a partition around your entire yard. Building a pergola or adding lattice panels with growing vines on a deck or other outdoor structure can add a notable amount of privacy. You can also add curtains made with outdoor fabric around your pergola or outdoor structure to enclose your outdoor kitchen or dining area. These outdoor curtains are also great for creating your own luxury resort cabana area next to your pool or spa.

Create either permanent or mobile walls. 

If you want something more decorative than a plain wooden fence, but want an optimal amount of privacy, a stone wall may be just the thing your outdoor living space needs. A wall constructed of natural stone that matches the architecture of your home can add a sophisticated charm to your outdoor environment and add value to your home and property. The Tulsa hardscape specialists at Oklahoma Landscape can build a decorative stone wall that gives you added privacy and can transform the look of your backyard.

For a less permanent privacy fence, you could simply use re-purposed doors or shutters to separate the yard or block the view to an area.  Outdoor privacy screens are also available that are great for enclosing a small area of the yard and can easily be moved.

When designing and building a complete Tulsa outdoor environment for your home, our landscape architects keep your outdoor privacy needs in mind. Using the best hardscape materials, we can design your outdoor living space so that you can have the privacy you need to comfortably “find yourself outside.”

Dream Destinations – Created in Your Own Tulsa Landscape

Dreaming of that perfect vacation destination? Want to relax and hide out for a few days in a secluded getaway spot? You can have that dream vacation spot right in your own backyard.

Sometimes our lives are just too hectic to plan a two-week vacation across the world, but imagine taking a vacation day or two and retreating to your own private outdoor oasis. What would your dream destination include? The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can design and build the outdoor living space of your dreams. There is just one downside. With these outdoor environments right in your backyard, you may never want to go back to work.  Check out these ideas for creating your perfect vacation getaway – right at home.

The Perfect Camping Spot

Create your own Yellowstone-inspired camping spot with a custom fire pit made of natural stones. Add built-in stone seating around the fire pit for a cozy night by the fire roasting marshmallows and telling stories.

Building a water feature that sounds just like a babbling brook in your backyard will give you the feeling of camping out by a river while also blocking out some of the noise of neighborhood traffic.

A Hawaiian-inspired Resort

Enjoy the serenity of the islands, not just for a week, but throughout the summer in your own Maui-like retreat. Often, visitors to the Hawaiian islands love to spend their days just lounging by the luxury pool areas of their resort hotels. Why not create that resort in your outdoor living space? A custom pool with a swim-up bar area, waterfalls, and spa will allow you to unwind from all the stress of the work week, without even having to pack or board a plane. A “sunshelf” or beach entry for your pool can provide a practical and luxurious atmosphere,l allowing you to enjoy sunbathing while still staying cool in the shallow water. Infinity pools are also very popular at resorts and now are more often a part of the custom pool design for homes in Tulsa.

Our Tulsa landscape designers can create the perfect outdoor environment for your particular vacation style allowing you to relax and enjoy a tropical resort getaway in your own backyard.

A Romantic Italian Eatery

Maybe your perfect vacation destination would include more of a Tuscan or Mediterranean landscape. Why not add a luxury outdoor kitchen built in the style of a fine Tuscan restaurant in your outdoor living space? Outdoor kitchens today can come with an innumerable amount of amenities including stainless steel appliances, refrigerators, sinks, built-in cabinets, wine coolers, and plenty of counter space, making entertaining a breeze.

Add an al fresco dining area near your outdoor kitchen, maybe under a pergola with growing vines, for the ideal outdoor party area.

Custom outdoor fireplaces also create the perfect atmosphere for either a cozy romantic night spent at home or entertaining friends with the warm glow of the fire in the background.

Whatever your vacationing style, the Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can design and build an outdoor living space to match your dream destination. While one vacation may last only a week or two, investing in your own backyard outdoor environment will result in years of memorable occasions and the opportunity to relax in your own resort-like retreat any time you want.

Tulsa Landscaping Company Offers Home Security Tips for Winter

Fewer daylight hours during winter can mean an increased security risk for your home and family. What can you do to stay safe this winter?

Keep your landscape well-maintained. Burglars often look for signs that homeowners are away, so keeping your landscape maintained, even when you’re away on vacation perhaps with help from a Tulsa landscape maintenance company, can help make sure your home looks occupied.  Also, make sure any trees or shrubs near your home do not become overgrown, providing a good place for burglars to hide or block visibility to your front door. Shrubs that have thorns planted next to the home act as a great deterrent for thieves.

Make sure all your doors and windows are locked. Many of us like to open our windows or patio doors this time of year when it starts getting cooler outside. When opening these windows or doors, be sure to place dowel rods or locking pins in the tracks to prevent someone from easily opening them further. And lock your front door, even if you’re just in the backyard or will just be away momentarily.

Make sure your home is well-lit. Landscape lighting not only allows you to utilize your outdoor living space more but can also help to deter thieves. Outdoor lighting for walkways and paths also help to keep guests safer as they walk up to your home after dark. Outdoor lighting systems connected to motion sensors and surveillance systems can also help to keep your home more secure at night. Lights and various electronics inside your home can be set on timers so that your home looks occupied throughout the day.

Always be mindful of your surroundings. With shorter daylight hours, many residents may not return home until after dark. Thus, it’s good to always pay attention to what is going on around you as you walk to your car or home and not be distracted by looking down at a cell phone. With school in session again, many teens may walk home from school or be out late with after school activities. Remind teenagers to always walk with a group if possible in well-lit areas and on well-known streets, avoiding short-cuts in alleys, etc. Make sure they know how important it is to have a safety routine when they get home, immediately locking the door and calling to check-in if they’re home alone.

Make sure valuables are out of sight. Can a burglar easily see your big screen television in your living room? Although large windows or glass doors are elegant and a nice home design, these easy-to-see-through home elements can attract the wrong crowd if they’re not covered. Thus, it’s good to walk around the outside of your home and make sure expensive items are not visible from outside.

Don’t tell burglars you’re not home. That may seem obvious, but often residents can unknowingly tell burglars they’re not home by announcing their vacation plans on social media sites and changing their message on their answering message to include their vacation plans. Burglars can also see many of these sites, and then one simple status update can let them know your home will be unoccupied for a week. Also, although it may seem convenient if you’re expecting someone and in a hurry, don’t leave notes on your door when you’re not at home.

Keep in mind these security tips to keep your family safe this season. And for help with your landscape design or outdoor lighting, call us today at 918.296.9679.  Oklahoma Landscape can take care of all your Tulsa landscape maintenance or landscape lighting needs.

Landscape Design Makeover Ideas for Older Homes

Over time your landscape will need little renovations or even a complete ‘remodel’ so that it doesn’t look outdated. In fact, giving your landscape a makeover can help to make your home look more contemporary as well. So, what can you do to make sure your landscape and home look their best – even as they age?

Landscaping maintenance is key. 

If you don’t have time right now to give your landscape a complete overhaul, you can simply spruce it up a little with some detailed landscaping maintenance. Trimming overgrown trees and shrubs can do a lot to refresh a yard and prevent the entire home from looking older or even vacant. Simply planting new plants along the edge of your flowerbed, walkway, or as a container garden will add new life to your landscape and home. Putting new mulch in your garden or around trees is an easy way to spruce up your yard and make things look new. Also, adding a walkway made of pavers or a border for your garden using pavers can bring new decorative interest and dimension to your landscape.

Add an outdoor living space. 

To give your landscape a real makeover you could add a complete Tulsa outdoor environment to your landscape. These outdoor living spaces can be as extravagant or as simple as you would like. You could add a patio or deck to your backyard or go all out and build a custom outdoor kitchen, outdoor fireplace, custom pool, or all of the above.

Not only do these outdoor environments make you home and landscape look more contemporary and add incredible functionality to your space, but they can also significantly increase the value of your home and property. Often, as with any building project, it’s wise to seek the advice of a professional before you embark on such a project. Our Tulsa landscape designers and landscape architects can help create the perfect outdoor living space for your home. We can design the Tulsa outdoor environment to match the architecture and style of your home and create an outdoor space that’s not only beautiful but also practical for your lifestyle.

Use low-maintenance landscape designs. 

Many older homes may still have landscapes that were designed when the home was first built. Often, these landscape designs may not have utilized techniques that are now more readily available to conserve water or make the landscape more resistant to drought.

Low-maintenance landscaping can be used to help conserve water, time, and energy in maintain the landscape. Native plants and drought-resistant plants can be used that are more adaptable to our local environment. Plants that use similar amounts of water and need similar amounts of sunlight can also be grouped together to reduce maintenance. Some older homes may have had juniper trees planted close to them, which are very combustible. There are many plants and shrubs that are more fire-resistant. Some trees can be used around various parts of your home to shade your home or serve as a windbreak and even reduce air conditioning and heating costs.

Give your home and landscape a fresh look with a landscape design makeover!