With summer right around the corner, resilience is our number one landscape goal. But what does that mean?

Heat poses significant risk to human and plant health. To combat and offset the increase in extreme weather, and its impacts on entire landscapes,  we’ve become a leader in efforts to increase landscape resilience.

One successful way to do this is with a combination of Plant Health Care and Water Management–two approaches that help plants be less susceptible to pests and disease and, at the same time, encourage growth and blooming and the visual aesthetics that make a difference in how your property looks and performs.

Start small. Look underground for early signs of trouble. 

A healthy plant adds no value if it’s overwatered or under-watered, or if poor soil texture affects uptake of vital nutrients.  

• Improve soil structure. Plant growth depends on two natural resources—soil and water. Healthy soil is the key to improving water use efficiency through better drainage and absorption, strengthening root systems, and supporting the ability of the microorganisms below ground to nourish and sustain what grows about ground.
• Strengthen plant health. Bio-stimulants and biological control products are essential to keep plants free from pests and disease. Combining fertilization and insect control can prevent problems from occurring and save money when the need to replace plants is at least twice as much (if not more) than simply investing in diagnostic and actionable care up-front.
• Be smart about water. A healthy plant adds no value if its overwatered or underwatered, or if poor soil texture affects uptake of vital nutrients and the right amount of water. Improve irrigation efficiency with digitally controlled water management technology to protect plant health and water quality and keep water and cost from going down the drain.

ROI is the best KPI

High-performing landscapes are good for business.

If you’re benchmarking key performance indicators to meet climate action goals, or making green performance improvements for 2030 and beyond, the health of your landscape and strategies you deploy to bring your site up to speed on sustainability is an action item.

There is no better time to improve landscape performance than summer. And no better way to add immeasurable value and return on performance than an investment in plant health care and water management.

Contact sales@easternland.com to learn more.

 

 

 

With commercial real estate getting back on solid ground, prestige amenities are changing the value narrative. The more innovative, the better.

If you’re looking to differentiate your property, landscaping is a relatively easy way to fast-track progress on goals, mitigate risk to extreme weather, and meet the objectives of all stakeholders with improved aesthetics, reduced energy and water use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improvements in net zero.  Consider the dovetailing wants and needs of building owners and their tenants, and how both benefit from a greener footprint.

• People want to work at properties with quality of life amenities that offer sun and shade, outdoor places with flowers, benches, lighting, fitness areas, walking trails and bike paths, courtyards and plazas, bocce ball and putting greens, no mosquitos, and always, more trees.
• Property investors and owners want finance upsides–increased reduction in energy use, improved carbon capture, improved water use, green credits and offsets, integration of smart technologies, and a landscape partner that can successfully deliver return on investment and return on value in equal measure.

Improving a landscape is like improving a building. Start with a good foundation, a high-functioning infrastructure, and state-of-the-art technologies to make it greener, make it marketable, and make it profitable.

30% of your site should be high-performing vegetation. Convert turfgrass to meadow plantings or eco-lawn ground cover; create natural areas and restore damaged ones to provide habitat and improve biodiversity; plant more trees to reduce heat island effect; install smart irrigation controllers; improve hardscape with sustainable materials; plant blooming perennials to improve pollinator population; and use integrated pest management, plant health care and best cultural practices to maintain healthy and vigorous plants; and seek less hazardous alternatives to chemicals to improve public health.

About Eastern Land Management.

ELM is a high-value partner, working directly with property owners as well as property and facility managers across Connecticut and Westchester County, NY.

Our CRE portfolio includes trophy Class A, green roof/on-structure mixed-use, multi-family/HOA, hospitals, senior living, and private universities. ELM received the ChangeMaker Award for Sustainability from Fairfield County, CT.

To learn more about green performance and which amenities can fast track your sustainability goals, Call ELM President, Bruce Moore Jr. at: 203-316-5433

Affiliations:

Member, Board of Directors, BOMA Southern Connecticut & BOMA Westchester County; Member, National Association of Landscape Professionals; Member, Snow & Ice Management Association; Certified Landscape Professional; Certified Advanced Snow Professional

 [Photo:  ELM received two NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals) Awards of Excellence in Landscaping for Merritt7, Norwalk, CT.]

 

Whether you’re a property or facility professional, RFPs – Request for Proposals – will sooner or later fall within your task bucket.

As a procurement tool, RFPs can be a great leveler. But they also don’t tell the whole story; they can feel like tedious wheel reinvention for both parties, and when they’re ‘kitchen sink’ approaches – or ask for everything but, there is no room for differentiation.

We think there’s a better way.

With spring start-up season just around the corner, here’s our advice for tailoring your landscape services RFP to give you the best partner for the job.

RFPs don’t tell the whole story

Service companies that respond to RFPs end up in a pool of commodity contractors who compete on price. When landscape companies compete on price, it’s because they often look for cheaper options to deliver on apples-to-apples specs. The bad news for property and facility professionals who contract landscaping services through RFPs is that you get what you pay for – a hamster wheel of RFP-won contractors who offer price instead of value.  We believe that value is a competitive advantage. When you eliminate value, you lose the upside value brings.

How to make RFPs a win-win   

For both landscape services contracts and complex landscaping projects—those with upgrades, renovations, and performance and environmental improvements—a well-written RFP can be effective at filtering out weak players. To create a consistently good RFP and RFP process, think about making your RFP an RFV – or Request for Value.

In addition to describing what you and your commercial property or facility needs and your expectations for delivery, include your sustainability goals and context for what the landscaping itself will meet, such as: talking points from your site performance plan (are you targeting carbon neutral or qualifying for LEED?), include the ‘need to haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’, criteria for curb appeal and improved asset value, and a realistic deadline for the contractor to respond. Avoid generalities, proof-read for typos, edit for clarity, and eliminate redundant questions and contradictory requirements.

A cautionary note about AI-enabled technology:  When the RFP response process is automated, do the math.  While automation offers efficiencies and fills out things at a much quicker pace, the scope piece when compared to non-automated bids may not add up. Always double check to make sure you’re not getting apples-to-oranges.

If you’re looking to save cost, remember: low-bid doesn’t tell the whole story. The best return on investment is calculated by actual and perceived value, and the long-term value that comes from a strong relationship.

We do our best work when we work with people—face to face, building connections, friendships, and opportunities to gain trust.  Our advice? Use your RFP as a solid starting point. A way to open the door and start a conversation, and a way to make sure you’re getting more than a team of qualified vendors, but a strategic partnership where value is created and delivered every step of the way.

If you’re renewing your contracts, seeking a new landscape partner, or just interested in keeping the conversation going, give us a call to share your thoughts.

{This blog was originally published in February 2023).