Irrigation systems are a must for Atlanta landscapes. They take the guesswork out of irrigation schedules and help your turf and plants get the right amount of water. But do you want to make your system even more efficient? To take your commercial landscape’s system to another level, consider adding cost-efficient upgrade components. Here’s a look at the options, benefits, and costs of upgrading your commercial irrigation system. What Are the Best Irrigation Add-Ons? You can incorporate a range of system upgrades on your property, such as smart controllers, soil moisture sensors, and rain shut ..read more

Fall is a wonderful and hectic time of year. Summer has wound down, children are into their busy school schedules, and the leaves on the trees are changing color as the temperatures cool. Beautiful fall colors in the form of pansies and violas mixed with colorful kale are bursting from Atlanta commercial landscape beds. These changes have been happening all around us so quickly, but they’ve now settled. Fall is feeling like it’s finally—officially—here. But don’t let all this magnificent color distract you from the tasks at hand. While fall may seem like the time to take a break after the busy ..read more

A recent survey done by Kingsley Associates asked multi-family residents what they think about outdoor amenities in their apartment communities. While different types of outdoor amenities vary between low-rise suburban to high-rise urban settings, all residents seem to enjoy and seek out communal outdoor spaces that foster social interaction. The study showed that one of the most desirable outdoor amenities is ornamental green spaces. Gardens Are Quiet Mental Retreats Garden areas, whether rooftop or courtyard-style areas, are in high demand. They are a quiet retreat for today’s student or bu ..read more

Lawsuit is the last word a retail property owner wants to hear. But the variables on your site — especially after dark — can increase liability when the landscape is not properly maintained. Low brush can block views, and damaged hardscape and curbs are trip hazards. Come winter, snow and ice introduce a litany of potential slip-and-fall scenarios. Even in plain view during the day, common landscape trouble areas can cause problems. The good news is, there are some basic enhancements that can increase nighttime safety and improve how your retail property functions. Here are common nighttime l ..read more

Last month I met with a property manager here in Atlanta who had reservations about adding seasonal color to her property. The property is quite mature with shaded flowerbeds and, in the past, other commercial landscaping contractors had not been very creative with their seasonal color displays. Since past contractors struggled with what shade-loving plants to use in these flowerbeds, she asked me, somewhat hesitantly, what HighGrove would do differently with her seasonal color. This is a question we are often asked at HighGrove because we understand the struggle in having shaded flowerbeds bu ..read more

Spring and summer color for Atlanta commercial properties is meant to do one thing: POP! Spring and summer annuals are designed to punch up an entry or other focal points of a property and wow anyone who views it, from tenants to passersby. Spring and summer color selections are much more vast than fall and winter. Plants grow taller, fuller, and their maximum height is different for each plant. These characteristics mean that in order to make an impact, you must create “blocks” of color, rather than do a fluid layout with more movement. The advantage to this blocked full look is that yo ..read more

Turf in shaded areas of your Atlanta property is dying out. No matter the weather or what landscape maintenance efforts you try, the grass simply doesn’t want to grow in heavily shaded areas of your landscape—and you want a solution. We see this often on properties with mature trees with canopies that provide lots of shade. The benefit of shaded areas is that they are cooler and often more pleasing for people who are spending time outdoors on your commercial property. But growing grass is often a problem. What should you plant instead of grass in the shade? The good news is, there are alt ..read more

A flooded parking lot at a retail property does more than cause soggy feet. It can negatively affect local water quality, cause erosion, chase away customers and give the entire property a bad name. When stormwater falls on hard surfaces like parking lots, roads, paved sidewalks and walkways, driveways and rooftops, it cannot seep into the ground so it runs off into other, mainly lower, areas. Because more water runs off of hard surfaces, local flooding can occur. High volumes of water can even cause stream banks to erode and wash wildlife downstream. As this water flows, it can also pick up ..read more

When you drive or walk through a commercial property, trying to find your way from a visitor parking area to a main entryway or to your final destination, do you ever stop to think there are cues in the landscape that are actually leading you from one place to the next? It’s true. Every commercial property is designed with a plan in mind to meet that site’s specific needs. And the landscape is laid out in such a way that it includes basic elements and principles that ensure the vista is not only aesthetically pleasing to look at but also functional for property owners as well as visitors. In ..read more

Fall is a wonderful and hectic time of year. Summer has wound down, children are into their busy school schedules, and the leaves on the trees are changing color as the temperatures cool. Beautiful fall colors in the form of pansies and violas mixed with colorful kale are bursting from Atlanta commercial landscape beds. These changes have been happening all around us so quickly, but they’ve now settled. Fall is feeling like it’s finally—officially—here. But don’t let all this magnificent color distract you from the tasks at hand. While fall may seem like the time to take a break after the busy ..read more