The Importance of Campus Landscapes

What attracts students and parents to a school? One major factor that might go overlooked is the curb appeal of the campus environment. A well-maintained landscape will draw them in and add a level of pride and beauty, which will contribute to their decision. Below are three recommendations to add value to your school or campus and increase enrollment.

Entryways and Medians

One of the first things a potential student or parent sees when they are making that initial drive to explore the school or campus are the medians leading into the parking lot of the school. The school sign and the median landscaping surrounding it are the first impression of the educational institution. This makes entryways and medians that much more important. Many families capture visual images to help remember the campus and it’s important that yours stands out. We recommend having beautiful, eye-catching flowers and plants that guide visitors as they make their way to their parking spot.

Green Spaces

Having well maintained green spaces are vital when it comes to schools. No matter what age the students are, they all appreciate having open spaces. These spaces provide opportunities for relaxation, physical fitness and a place to connect with others. In addition to that, green spaces provide vegetation that help with carbon levels ensuring that the students are breathing cleaner air. Another perk of green spaces is noise reduction, helping students with their ability to study.

Shade Trees

Planting trees on your property are also a great way to make your landscape more attractive to prospective students or parents who are deciding on the school. Shade trees provide students with comfortable places to relax and stay cooler out of direct sunlight. Additionally, choosing trees that are known for providing shade and planting them strategically around your property can save you up to 30% on your building’s heating and cooling costs. For suggestions on shade trees click here:

What’s next?

Here at Terracare, we have a proven track record of providing high quality landscape maintenance at educational institutions. From Colorado Christian University to St. Mary’s Academy, we have a vast amount of experience maintaining educational institutions. Our experts can help with any landscaping needs or enhancements you may have at your school. For all of your campus landscape maintenance needs please contact Terracare below:
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2018 NALP Awards of Excellence Winners

Terracare Associates captures SEVEN prestigious National Awards of Excellence for Landscape Maintenance Services

Our Terracare team is proud to announce that we were awarded seven 2018 Awards of Excellence by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). This achievement recognizes the Terracare team for outstanding landscape maintenance and installation services honoring the following properties: 17Seventeen McKinney Construction Project, Centennial Center Park, Grapevine Public Safety Building, One Legacy West, The REC of Grapevine, The Source, and Wind Crest Retirement Community. We have built a strong partnership with our clients and are thrilled to share this award with each one of them. Our teams work diligently each day to bring out the best in every property.

17Seventeen McKinney Construction Project, Texas-

Located in the heart of Uptown Dallas, this property features 19 stories of office space. It is also connected to a luxury apartment building by a one-acre amenity deck on the seventh floor. Terracare restored this amenity deck to reflect the rest of the upscale property. Many challenges arose during the completion of this project including sinking soil conditions and scheduling. Our crews met these issues with intuitive and cost effective solutions. We provided the client an atmosphere that was aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable for both the employees and the residents.

Centennial Center Park, Colorado-

Serving as a focal point for the city of Centennial’s nearly 110,000 residents, this iconic park allows people of all ages to relax and gather to build a sense of community. Along with an awarding winning playground, the park also contains an amphitheater with large turf seating, a coffee shelter, a large picnic shelter and plaza, a native butte, walking gardens, and a creek that flows along the west side of the park. By keeping the park’s landscape in pristine condition, the city’s’ residents have the opportunity to grow in community while taking in the beautiful scenery that the park offers.

Grapevine Public Safety Building, Texas-

This project is located on 104,000 square feet and includes both the police and fire department, the city jail, police dispatch, information technology services, the municipal court and two indoor kennels for the city’s K9 units. Given a shortened deadline due to a highly anticipated grand opening, our amazing team was able to meet this challenge. We created a property that reflects the pride and importance of the organizations that call the Public Safety Building home.

One Legacy West, Texas-

One Legacy West is a 14-story, five star office tower located in the booming Legacy West area of Plano, Texas. Terracare was able to match the landscape of this property with the building’s breathtaking interior. To achieve this, we provided the client with ongoing maintenance of the project as well as enhancements throughout the property. Our incredible team has been overcoming the intense Texas heat and water restrictions to allow greenery to flourish. Water conservation has been crucial to this property and will continue to be a priority.

The REC of Grapevine, Texas-

The REC of Grapevine is the crown jewel of Grapevine Parks and Recreation. It is located on 108,000 square feet. This includes 7,000 square feet of fitness rooms, a state-of-the-art senior center, an indoor pool, multipurpose rooms and game rooms. By resolving the poor soil conditions and installing a drip irrigation system we were able to provide the residents of Grapevine a facility where they can enjoy a healthier lifestyle and also enjoy the community.

The Source, Colorado-

The Source is a bustling artisan food market in Denver’s River North Arts District. When the client decided to renovate their parking lot, they realized it was also the perfect time to update their landscape. The Source is located in an old iron works building. When it came time to complete the new landscape the client wanted an atmosphere with a more organic feel. Furthermore, the client desired a beautiful landscape that their guests could admire as they make their way to the entrance. To accomplish this, our crews started work at three in the morning every day to avoid the Denver traffic. In addition to that they had to use innovative techniques to address issues. These issues included lack of curb, runoff issues and a limited tree install space.

Wind Crest Retirement Community, Colorado-

Wind Crest Retirement Community encompasses over 84 acres and allows for an upscale living center for those ages 62 and older. The client’s primary objective for this property is to provide a safe environment for all of the individuals who visit and live there. Moreover, the client requests a well-maintained and beautiful landscape for the residents to enjoy. Our landscape gives the current residents with spectacular surroundings and encourages future residents to join the community. Being able to use the landscape as a selling point to potential residents is very important to the client.

Terracare is very proud of all the hard work that our teams do day to day on these and all of the properties that we are privileged to partner with. We value and applaud the teams at Terracare. Thank you for your hard work and congratulations!

Commercial Landscaping Fall Checklist

Fall is here! The leaves are changing and the weather is beginning to cool down. This is the perfect time to get your commercial landscape property in pristine condition and ready for the winter weather. While every region of the country experiences different winter weather, there are a few tasks that are applicable to every landscape.

CamelliaReplace Seasonal Color

Fall is an amazing time to change out summer seasonal color with flowers and plants that can handle the winter months. A few suggestions for winter color include Pansy, Viola, Dianthus, Cabbage, Kale and Winter Camellia. For more information on winter seasonal color click here: Winter Plants

Aerate

No matter the style of aeration, fall is the best time to aerate the green spaces and grassy areas on your property. Aeration opens the soil and promotes a better environment for grass roots.

Reshape trees

Conduct major re-shaping of shade trees (oaks, aspens, poplars, elms and birches) as needed after the first freeze when plants go dormant. This is a good time to remove dead or excess plant materials that stands out on bare limbs.

Prune

This is the time to prune trees and shrubs to minimize any possible damage, which may occur during ice and snowstorms. After the spring and summer growing seasons, overgrown branches and limbs can cause damage to your property. Removing damaged or diseased limbs will contribute to the overall health of the tree and also help with the prevention falling limbs. Trees should be pruned to allow “room” for sunlight and breezes to naturally flow through. For more pruning tips click below:
Fall Pruning

Install new plant material

Plant roots grow anytime the soil temperature are 40 degrees or higher – this is typical during the fall. Cooler temperatures and more moisture means newly sowed plants can focus on establishing heartier root systems.  If a root system is established in the fall, then when spring arrives, this expanded root system can support and take advantage of the full surge of spring growth. It also means it is more likely to survive during the summer heat.

Divide and replant perennials

A benefit to including perennials into your landscape property is that they can be divided and replanted after they become established and healthy. Now is a good time to do this task. Perennial flowers such as iris, day lily, coneflower, coreopsis, and lavender are great examples.

Control weeds

Weeds are just like other plants in your landscape. They are saving the last bits of sunlight, water and nutrients to survive through the winter. Now is the time to apply weed killing compounds to stop their growth.

What’s Next?

These steps can be challenging and overwhelming for any commercial property owner. This is where Terracare Associates comes in. Our trained and certified professionals are here to help you achieve the commercial landscape property that you have always dreamed of. Click below to set up a meeting:
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5 Budget Tips For Commercial Property Managers

Each year, as a commercial property owner, you make a budget for landscape maintenance. And each year do unexpected costs arise? Even with careful planning, organizing and budgeting you may still be taken off guard.

 

Let Terracare help! Here are the benchmarks you need to make sure your budget covers to meet your landscaping goals.

1. Have strong guidelines

Be very critical when it comes to your bid. Make sure it is specific to your wants and needs. Ensure that it includes how many visits, how many applications needed, how many services are desired and provided. To receive the most accurate bid possible every single detail needs to be accounted for in the contract.

2. Include extra expenses

Have you ever had a sprinkler head break or have you wanted to add an unplanned enhancement to your property? Unexpected services are a common occurrence in the landscape maintenance world. There is no telling what may come up throughout the year so it is important to be ready when that time comes. Setting aside money now may be crucial down the road.

3. Ask questions

Don’t sign on those dotted lines until you ask some very important questions from your landscape provider. These can range from: What is the company’s safety record? Does the landscape provider hire certified, trained professionals? What awards nationally or regionally has their company won? It is very important to make sure you have all your questions answered before you enter a contract.

4. Prioritize enhancements

Analyze which services or projects need to take place this year. Does your irrigation system need improved upon or modified? Does a flower bed need renovated? Do you have a turf conversion project to be done? These different projects can help keep your property in pristine condition; however, they can also influence your budget. Plan now to avoid unexpected expenses.

5. Hire a qualified landscape company

Search for a landscape provider that invests in the training and education of their employees. A landscape provider that guarantees that their legal workforce is held to a high standard whether that be by drug testing or by background checking their team. A professional landscape provider has a crew that holds industry certifications and also adheres to strict safety guidelines. In addition, you want a landscape provider that cares about the project, not just the numbers. Simply put, these types of landscape providers are a step above their competition.

What’s next?

Whether you are clear about your commercial property landscape goals or you need help to define a plan, take a moment, and schedule a consultation with your Project Manager at Terracare Associates. We at Terracare will help you achieve all your commercial landscape goals.

Schedule an Appointment.

Expanding Our Infrastructure Footprint

Within the flourishing community of Lafayette, California, public works encompasses many highly visible and trafficked spaces such as six parks (one as large as 68 acres), all roadways, signs, right of ways, landscaped common areas, and medians.

For over 20 years, the City of Lafayette, CA outsourced their public works to one company. On July 1st, that changed! Terracare’s Infrastructure team (a Monarch Company) is pleased to begin a new contract and partnership with the city to provide all they need for public works. It’s now Terracare’s responsibility to keep vehicles and people safe and moving from one part of town to next. Our team will be responding quickly to infrastructure emergencies whether it’s downed trees, harmful potholes or a traffic light outage. Our great work creates a beautiful and well-kept environment that gives residents a sense of pride in their community.

Terracare is currently on the ground in Lafayette, serving the community each day and following through on our promise to the city and its residents. We are excited to collaborate with the City of Lafayette as we strive to build relationships, beautify grounds and maintain their infrastructure.

Understanding Snow and Ice Removal Contracts

Budgeting for snow and ice removal can be challenging. Some winters are one snowstorm after another, while others can be extremely dry. Because of the fluctuating amounts of precipitation each winter, it may seem hard to make the best decision for your snow and ice removal needs. Terracare understands these challenges and has the right contract for your needs. We offer four unique contracts that allow our clients to select the best fee structure that meets both their needs and budget. Below is a description of these snow and ice contracts to simplify the process.

Hourly

This type of contract is for property managers that just want to pay for when it does snow. If there is no accumulation then the clients are not billed. However, when it does snow, our crews will be on-call and will be dispatched accordingly. The rate for this approach involves the two parties coming to a mutually agreed upon hourly rate, prior to the snow season.

Pay Per-Push

This type of contract is for property managers that just want to pay for when it does snow. If there is no accumulation then the clients are not billed. However, when it does snow our crews will be on-call and will be dispatched accordingly. This contract also allows the client to set a fixed amount of snow whether it be any snow at all or a couple of inches before we send our crews out. The benefit of this contract is that if the client believes the winter is going to be particularly dry than they save the money that would have been spent on a fixed contract. The risk of pay per-push is if there is large amount of accumulation then you will be paying for each snowstorm that year. There also is a delay because the crews are on-call instead on on-site.

Lump Sum Price

A lump sum price is usually the safest contract to decide upon. It allows the client to pay a fixed amount per month and no matter how much or how little it snows, our crews will be there. Many clients love having a fixed amount because they do not have to worry about the price fluctuating throughout the season. The bill is always the same. In addition, another beneficial aspect is that we will have crews on-site at the property. Whenever it snows you can feel at ease knowing the snow will be cleared without delay.

Hybrid

The last contract that we offer is a combination of these approaches. A hybrid contract allows the client to set a base limit of hours that they pay for up front and then after that limit is reached they switch to the pay per-push contract. This contract is valuable to clients that want to make sure they have our crews on-site and available in case a storm does happens. Clients that usually utilize this contract are larger such as cities or municipalities.

What’s next?

Take time now to plan and be prepared. Let Terracare do the rest. Our snow and ice removal experts at Terracare have a vast amount of knowledge and experience. If you have any other, questions about snow and ice removal or want more information on which contract best fits your needs feel free to reach out to us.

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The Benefits of Drip Irrigation

High summer heat can severely affect our trees, shrubs and turf grasses. With the climbing temperatures comes higher water costs. If you are a commercial property manager looking for ways to keep your landscape healthy and costs down, drip irrigation is your answer.

What is drip irrigation?

Drip irrigation is a low volume watering system that applies a small amount of water directly to plants over a period of time.

The benefits of drip irrigation:

Plant health

Landscape experts agree that low volume irrigation systems promote plant health by reducing changes in soil moisture levels. Drip irrigation can also be beneficial in avoiding plant diseases by limiting the amount of water on the plant’s foliage. A properly designed drip irrigation system will deliver water to your landscape at a uniform soil depth. This will bring the water to the root zone instead of to the surface of the planted area.

Water waste

Water is applied where it is most needed and is not wasted on unplanted areas or on streets and sidewalks.  Since the drip system is located closer to the root, little water is lost in evaporation. As a result, this process makes it extremely effective in controlling landscape water usage.

Maintenance costs

Another benefit of drip irrigation is lower maintenance costs. Because sprinkler systems can spray water onto unplanted areas, property managers must factor in the cost of eroded walkways and pavement, rotted wood fences, and peeling paint and plaster.

A properly designed and installed drip irrigation system can be a low cost and low maintenance option for many property owners. Contact the irrigation specialists at Terracare Associates to make healthy landscape changes that will meet all of your drip irrigation needs.

Your Irrigation System Checklist

Many property owners unintentionally over water their landscape every time their sprinkler system turns on. Using an automated irrigation system is one of the best ways to keep your lawn and landscape beautiful and healthy. A good irrigation system is also one of the best ways to keep watering costs low and protect the environment.

Are you planning to upgrade or make significant repairs to your irrigation system this year? There are a number of things you should consider before you invest in an irrigation system.

Investing in a good irrigation system

Plan carefully for a reliable, flexible irrigation system that can grow along with your property. The old adage, “You get what you pay for,” is often true, especially when you are investing in an irrigation system that can last for many years.

By using the best components you can afford, you minimize future maintenance and extend the lifetime cost of your system.

Plan for plant health

Designing an efficient irrigation system requires understanding of irrigation design principles and local environmental conditions. Even the best irrigation design won’t perform well if installed incorrectly or with inferior components. Something as simple as selecting the correct type of pipe can mean the difference between a system that lasts and one that requires ongoing repairs.

In addition to proper irrigation components, you should also consider your property’s features. You should select the appropriate trees, turf and plants that have right requirements for your area.

Plan your irrigation zones carefully, grouping plants with similar water needs together. Be sure your system will have enough capacity, both now and in the future. The more irrigation zones you plan, the more you can tailor watering even if you modify landscaping.

  • Include “smart” controls that automatically adjust watering based on rain, soil moisture, evaporation and plant water use.
  • Use quality components to minimize future maintenance needs and the total lifetime cost of your system.

Plan for Growth and Flexibility

Allow for future landscape redesigns and changes to your property.  The plants, turf areas and trees on your property each have different watering needs. Over time, these needs may change and your system should have the flexibility to change along with them.

Keep future expansion in mind when you install a new irrigation system. You will want to allow for excess irrigation zone capacity, including extra connections in your system design, to make it easier and less expensive to expand in the future.

Select an appropriate system for your property’s water pressure. Having water pressure that is either too low or too high can seriously affect an irrigation system’s performance.

If you have questions about how to improve your irrigation system, contact Terracare Associate’s irrigation specialists.

Bailey Winfield- Leadership Earned

Bailey Winfield began his career with Terracare in 2013 and has continued to make a positive impact at our Centennial branch. He began his career with TCA as a Snowplow Driver and continued on to a public infrastructure General Laborer, then transitioned to Asphalt Crew Member. From there he went to be a Yard and Sweeping Foreman and Trainer and currently is an Assistant Production Manager.

Bailey’s career at Terracare however is only half the story. Before he began his career with Terracare, he enlisted in the United States Army, serving as a sniper and a Platoon Sergeant in Afghanistan. He also was responsible for managing 23 million dollars’ worth of equipment. This experience in the army combined with his understanding from working his way up at Terracare has made for a phenomenal leader. As Ruben Alonso Garcia Hernandez, a Labor Maintenance Crew Member who reports to Bailey said, “he is one of the best leaders we have at Terracare right now because he understands what it’s like to be in the field. He worked his way up from the bottom to where he is now. He can really relate to the crews he is in charge of and he builds them up with the understanding he gained from being in their same position throughout his career.” TCA is grateful to Bailey for his many contributions and his leadership in the field. We are proud of your service to our country and all you have done for Terracare Associates.

Drought Conditions? Try Xeriscaping

As a commercial property owner, you are always striving to keep your landscape in immaculate condition despite the circumstances. With projected drought conditions for much of the western United States, this will be a struggle. However, the idea of xeriscaping, which is, the practice of conserving water through strategic landscaping, may be your solution. While not a new concept, the increased frequencies of droughts and water scarcity has put a spotlight on the importance of xeriscape and its capabilities of reducing water while maintaining a beautiful and appealing landscape. Here are some of the benefits you can gain by incorporating xeriscaping practices into your property.

10NorthCityReclamationPlant_previewLessens Water Usage

When drought conditions are present, the main concern for any commercial landscape owner will be cutting back the usage of water. Property owners that chose to xeriscape will be able to reduce water usage as much as 70 percent. To make this reduction possible, begin with careful planning and designing of your landscape. This ensures that not only water efficiency is achieved, but also maximizes the survival of carefully chosen plants. It is also important to include correct mulch, rocks, and composted soil into your landscape plan. These steps will help reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation, which then limits water usage. Another vital xeriscape procedure is to choose plants that require low amounts of water. These plants can range from native plants to non-invasive plants that are well adapted to our local region’s climate. To learn more about native plant options click here.

Increases Property Value

One of the foremost concerns that will often arise when drought conditions are present is being able maintain an appealing landscape. The dryness and lack of water from the drought will unfortunately turn your property into dried out shades of yellow or brown. When the health and beauty of your landscape suffers, it can reflect poorly and may decrease the value of the property. However, a xeriscaped commercial property will offer a beautiful landscape year round.

What’s next?

Are you a commercial property owner in need of more information of xeriscaping or transitioning your landscape? Contact your Terracare expert for all your xeriscaping needs.

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