The look of a city is hugely important to the traffic it attracts, local sentiments and real estate prices, but no city has an unlimited landscaping budget. Creating low maintenance sustainable landscaping is fundamental to success. TerraCast Products is here to help your city achieve a new level of beauty without breaking the bank. Our products are routinely used to landscape city municipals, and we make sure low maintenance is a top priority when designing everything from lighting fixtures to planters.
Traditional city landscaping is riddled with problematic issues such as water, air and noise pollution, flood damage, erosion, reduced biodiversity, and high maintenance costs. Together we can change that, making the cities of tomorrow cleaner, greener, and more economically savvy when it comes to maintenance.
Here are 7 tips for creating low maintenance landscaping that truly benefit your community at large.
1. Go With LLDPE Resin Planters
Planters are a key component to landscaping city parking lots, parks, and community gathering areas. Even if your city is a concrete jungle you can still add greenery with the use of planters. The only issue is that many planters on the market are not made to withstand a lot of wear and tear and as a result need constant replacing.
Our specially formulated resin-based planters are different. They are made to withstand cold, heat, impact and the rays of the sun, maintaining a beautiful appearance for many years to come. Plus, our durable planters are fully customizable, meaning you can order planters in your city’s colors or adorned with your city logo.
2. LED Lighting Fixtures
Every city needs lighting and plenty of it. Lighting fixtures are used to highlight focal points, such as city signs, a bed of beautiful flowers or a park trail. The last thing you need is to constantly replace light bulbs, which is where long lasting LED bulbs come in handy.
We offer light posts, in-ground lighting, tree ring lighting and more, all of which will give your city the low maintenance light it needs to function after dark. All of our fixtures are made to operate with LED bulbs, which are less costly to operate and require replacement far less often than traditional bulbs. Plus, the same rust, corrosion and graffiti-resistant materials we use to create our durable planters are also used to make our large assortment of lighting fixtures.
3. Easy To Clean Community Furnishings
Your community parks, shopping centers and bus stops need benches and tables for people to congregate at. The important thing is to find furnishings that are capable of standing up to the outdoor elements and are easy to clean. One thing is certain, birds are going to poop on your benches and kids are going to spill their ice cream cones too. All of our site furnishings are coated with a futuristic thermoplastic finish that makes them incredibly easy to clean. One squirt from the hose should remove all sticky build-ups, bird poop and more.
4. Reduce Water Usages With Native Plants
There are a few ways to reduce water usage when designing city-landscaping plans. This is hugely beneficial to the community, as it saves water, saves money and reduces maintenance in general. The best way to instantly reduce water usage is to plant native foliage that can sustain itself naturally in the area. This also pays tribute to your hometown, a win-win. Depending on where your city is located the native plants available will vary, but there is something beautiful for all.
Another way to reduce water usage is to install automatic watering systems on timers. This helps decrease issues associated with runoff and allows the task to get done when needed without someone physically having to do it.
5. Restore Natural Plant Environments
This tip piggybacks off of planting native plants, but is different in that it requires a space that is already lush on its own. Is there a natural space within your community that is already flourishing with tall grasses, plants or trees? If so, this is the perfect place to clean up, make safe and then use as a community park, trail or gathering center. Add man-made elements such as a bridge or park benches to make the wild space more inviting.
Wetlands, woodlands, shorelines, prairies, there are different natural environments found throughout the States, pay tribute to the one that makes your community home. For instance, a city in northwest Minnesota is working to restore almost 25,000 acres of natural prairie land. According to the Fish and Wildlife service this project is the largest wetland restoration project in all of US history.
6. Avoid Plants That Attract Dangerous Pests
No city wants an increase in bee stings because of certain plants in the area. By simply avoiding plants that attract pesky or harmful insects you can reduce issues right off the bat, as well as decrease associated maintenance and troubleshooting.
7. Use Tall Trees To Your Advantage
Native trees are a great addition to city landscaping, plus they can be placed in such a way to reduce electricity usage. Trees provide shade and when placed in front of buildings can actually decrease AC usage. Less energy usage = more eco-friendly = a healthier community and world at large.
Trees are also a great addition to public spaces even if there are no buildings around. Trees provide ample shade to the community without having to build a gazebo, overhang or other man-made form of shelter. Plus, trees are going to last much longer than a wood gazebo that will eventually rot and need to be rebuilt.
We are proud to have helped many cities implement quality landscaping, from small towns to large cities such as Times Square in New York. We want to work with you to create ideal city landscaping that is affordable, beautiful and able to stand up to the elements, both natural and human-provoked.