The first months of the year are a time for planning, reflecting and setting resolutions for the year ahead. While most people do this for their personal lives, businesses should also be putting a plan in place for their grounds maintenance. A proper plan means that all of your tasks will be taken care of at the right times during the year, and nothing will be missed. But if you’ve never done this before (or haven’t updated your plan in a while) – how do you know what should be included? To kick-start your 2024, we wanted to share with you our comprehensive grounds maintenance checklist. But before we get into that, there are 2 things you need to do.
Review Your Plan
The first step is reviewing any existing plan you have in place. So, grab it out of the drawer, dust it off and give it a look. Does your plan cover all aspects of your grounds, including fire escapes and walkways? More importantly, is your plan something you can handle in-house? Keeping grounds maintenance internal might seem like the more logical and cost-effective option, but in reality, it means a lot of extra time, effort and wages to whoever is managing it. Would it make more sense to hire a contractor or professional company to handle your grounds maintenance for you, so that you can focus your efforts on more profitable areas.
Are You Happy With Your Grounds?
Put aside some time to walk around your grounds and really pay attention to what you see. Make notes on areas you like, and where you can see room for improvement. Think about what your employees and visitors will see when they arrive, and how well that reflects your business. First impressions really do count, and a few changes to how your grounds look really can make all the difference If you’re not sure, or you feel like you’re too close to the topic, it never hurts to get an outside perspective. That’s why we offer a free, no-obligation site visit and review, so you can get a professional, impartial opinion.
Your Maintenance Checklist
If you’ve had grounds for a little while, then you likely have a good grasp of the basic maintenance tasks. But just in case, here’s a quick rundown:
- Regular mowing of grassy areas
- Hedge trimming & maintenance
- Weed control measures
- Seasonal leaf clearance
- Tree surgery (when needed)
- Green waste removal
- Soft landscaping
- Mulching
- Planting/maintenance of soft landscapes
Are you covering all of these areas? If not, add them to your list. If you are, here are a few other things you need to consider:
Fire Escape Clearance: Every employer is legally obligated to make sure the premises they’re operating from have adequate fire escape routes. This is one of the areas often missed by in-house grounds maintenance teams, and it often means weeds and debris will grow to fill the space, making it unsafe or even unusable. So you need to make sure your fire escapes are safe and clear.
Moss Management: Any area that has hard surfaces like car parks, pathways and patios is a magnet for moss. This soft green fuzz not only looks ugly, but it can post quite the health and safety risk (more info on why moss is bad can be found here). It’s your responsibility to make sure moss is removed efficiently and effectively, without any damage to the surface itself.
Outdoor Work Areas: Our English weather might make working outdoors unappealing during the autumn and winter, but spring and summer are a different matter. Spending time outdoors is highly beneficial for employee productivity and mental health (you can read more about that here). Do you have a nice outdoor space for your employees to take breaks, work on their own or even have meetings when the weather is nice? Patios, walking trails and hidden gardens are all great ways of encouraging more use of your grounds and putting your outdoor space to good use.
Wildflowers: Biodiversity is a big issue in the UK right now, particularly in densely populated areas. Commercial premises, business parks, public spaces and even care homes are the perfect place to do your part for the environment and create a beautiful space at the same time. Investing in a rewilding zone, or even just planting beds of wildflowers can help boost biodiversity and improve your outdoor spaces. We talk more about that here.
If you would like to know more about grounds maintenance for commercial areas, or you would like to ask us a question about maintaining your business park grounds, we would love to help. Just get in touch with us today to book your free consultation, and see your grounds come to life.
