Commercial landscaping
Offices & Corporate Campuses
Grounds that help you lease space, welcome clients and give staff somewhere better to look, at lower upkeep than lawn.
Why it pays
Good landscaping showed up in office rents.
A study of office buildings found that landscaping with good visual appeal went with rents about 7% higher. Inside, people who can see greenery from where they work say they feel better and work better. For an owner or a tenant, the grounds are part of what the space is worth, and native plantings can cost less to keep than the lawn they replace.
The research
What the studies found
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~7%
higher rent at office buildings whose landscaping had good visual appeal, in a study of 85 buildings near Cleveland.
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15%
higher wellbeing reported by office workers with natural elements in their workplace, and 6% higher productivity.
Human Spaces report, 2015 (self-reported survey of 7,600 workers)
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57 vs. 68
hours of sick leave a year: staff with views of trees and landscape against those with none.
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33%
of office workers say an office's design would affect whether they'd work for a company.
Where the value comes from
How better planting pays back
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01
Leasing and renewals
A cared-for entrance and grounds help a building show well to prospective tenants and keep the ones you have.
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02
Views from the desk
Plantings outside the windows give staff green to look at, which workplace studies link to wellbeing and fewer sick days.
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03
Lower grounds costs
Natives in place of mown turf cut mowing, watering and fertilizer once they're established.
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04
Sustainability you can show
Pollinator habitat and rain gardens are visible, practical commitments for your ESG and community reporting.
ROI calculator
What could planting return for you?
Put in your own figures. The estimate uses conservative ranges drawn from the research above, and grows as the plantings fill in.
Estimated net return after 20 years
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- Return on investment
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- Pays for itself
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- Total invested
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Net value, mid estimate Low to high
What this assumes
Uplift of 0.5% to 2% of annual rent. Laverne & Winson-Geideman (2003) found about 7% higher rent with good landscaping, but compared well-landscaped buildings with poorly landscaped ones in one city. Upgrading an existing building closes only part of that gap, so we use a fraction of it. Staff wellbeing gains are left out of the money.
Plantings take time to fill in, so the benefit grows: 35% in year 1, 70% in year 2, and 100% in year 3+.
Lawn turned to planting saves $0.03–$0.1 a square foot each year in mowing, watering and fertilizer, once the planting has settled in: 25% in year 1, 50% in year 2, and 100% in year 3+.
An estimate, not a promise. The ranges come from published research on trees, landscaping and green space, scaled down for one property's plantings; your results depend on your site, your customers and how the planting is cared for. Every study is linked on this page.
What we'd plant
Ideas for offices & corporate campuses
- A welcoming entrance with layered, four-season planting
- Native meadow areas in place of little-used lawn
- A staff garden or courtyard for breaks
- Rain gardens at downspouts and parking-lot edges
- Seasonal containers at the front doors
Sarah and her team have helped us both with a landscape design and installation project at a commercial rental property and with residential projects at our house. They are great with response times, organization and they just love all things plants. Really rewarding to work with.
Questions
Common questions from offices & corporate campuses
We lease our building. Is this worth it for us?
If you renew or re-let space, the grounds are part of what people see first. If you're a tenant, ask your landlord: plantings are often a shared improvement.
Can native plantings look tidy enough for a corporate site?
Yes. We design with clear edges, mown borders and plants grouped in drifts, so a native planting reads as intentional, not overgrown.
How does a commercial project start?
With a visit to the property, on-site or virtual. We look at sun, soil, drainage, how people arrive and what you want the place to feel like, and then send a plan with clear next steps and a price.
Other industries
Planting that pays, wherever you do business
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Retail & Restaurants
Plantings that make people slow down, come in and come back: entrances, patios and storefront containers for shops, cafés and restaurants.
See the numbers -
Apartments, HOAs & Rental Property
Curb appeal that helps units lease and residents stay: entrances, common areas and frontage for apartments, HOAs and rentals.
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Hotels, Inns & Event Venues
Grounds guests remember and photograph: entrances, patios, lakeside planters and gardens for hotels, inns, B&Bs and venues.
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Healthcare, Senior Living & Wellness
Calm, green places for patients, residents, families and staff: views, courtyards and healing gardens for clinics, senior living and wellness practices.
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Schools, Churches & Nonprofits
Gardens that serve a mission: outdoor classrooms, pollinator plantings, welcoming entrances and lower grounds costs for schools, churches and nonprofits.
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Municipal & Public Spaces
Downtown planters, park beds, medians and rain gardens for townships, villages, downtown authorities and parks.
See the numbers
Plan your project
Tell me about your property
A few quick questions, and I'll come back within 1–2 business days with ideas, next steps and a rough budget.