3 Water-Efficient Strategies for Commercial Landscaping That Make a Difference in Westchester County NY
Transforming your commercial landscape into one that is more water-efficient will benefit you, and the environment. Apart from saving on the cost of water used to irrigate thirsty lawns during the spring and summer months, the ecological benefit will set your business apart and enhance your presence in the community. Here are three water-efficient strategies for commercial landscaping that make a difference in Westchester County. NY.
Permeable Pavers
Any surface paved in asphalt or concrete requires proper drainage since those solid surfaces effectively prevent water from seeping through. You may have seen parking lots with giant puddles or cascading sheets of water: permeable pavers prevent these scenarios even if the surface isn’t optimally graded for drainage. Using permeable pavers in patio, walkway, and driveway or parking lot applications can reduce the need for costly drainage systems.
Instead, water naturally seeps into the ground between the pavers to allow runoff to absorb into the groundwater supply and to prevent standing surface water. This is a double advantage for water efficiency that will help your property in both a landscape maintenance sense and an ecological sense. And, paver surfaces present an elegant welcome to all visitors.
Automatic Irrigation Systems
Watering your commercial property’s lawn and landscape can become a time-consuming, costly, and wasteful endeavor. The process of watering is far less simple than it sounds and actually requires some strategic planning especially in the heat of the summer. Proper lawn care entails that watering is done during the coolest part of the day (early morning), and all plants have their own watering requirements.
Setting up an automatic irrigation system can minimize the attention required for watering. Automatic irrigation systems can be calibrated so that each plant receives the proper amount of water at the right time. Strategically placed sprinklers can be dedicated to a plant bed or take care of a lawn’s water needs, without wasting water by spraying walkways or parking areas.
Native Plants
Most business owners don’t realize how much water a landscape can require… until they get their water bill. Landscaping using native plants will drastically reduce the need for watering.
Prioritize plants that are native to the Hudson Valley: they are perfectly evolved to thrive in this climate and require very little care (there was no one to water those plants when the area was wild). There is a wide variety of native plants, shrubs, and trees that make gorgeous and elegant additions to your commercial property.
A healthy combination of native flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs means that you can lower your watering bill and reassign some of those saved resources into your business.
Less Lawn, More Trees
Reducing the size of a lawn will mean less watering, especially if it is replaced by a xeriscaped area featuring native plants. Xeriscaped areas are attractive, and also require far less maintenance than grass. Reducing your lawn alone can save significantly on labor and water costs to keep a lawn looking good.
Adding more (native) trees to your property, if feasible, will lower your watering needs even more once the trees are well-established (usually within 3-5 years). They will provide shade that prevents the sun from baking your landscape in summer, which means less watering. Trees can even contribute to lower cooling bills if they are situated on the south side of your building.
Related: How Commercial Landscaping Differs from Residential Services in Hudson Valley, NY