Along with its other duties, your Home Owners' Association (HOA) is responsible for maintaining the beauty of all common landscaped areas in your neighborhood. Keeping up the appearance of your subdivision — especially the entrances, or gateways— enhances the overall worth and appeal of the entire neighborhood. This in turn, improves the resale value of your own home, so investing in a professionally designed and installed landscape virtually pays for itself.
However, not all landscaping services are experienced in serving the special needs of a Home Owners' Association. Unlike the individual home owner, HOAs must build a consensus among its members. Plans must be reviewed by a committee and submitted to a vote for approval, and so on. Choosing a landscape team experienced in working within that framework is crucial to the ultimate success of your HOA project.
Marshall Grain's Landscape Design and Installation Services team are proven professionals with exactly the type of experience needed to shepherd your project from start to finish.
Case Study: Ashmore HOA Subdivision, Colleyville, Texas
Recently Marshall Grain completed a makeover of the Ashmore Subdivision in Colleyville, Texas. Using this project as an example, in this article we outline the process followed and share the results.
Ashmore Entrance Before The Redesign
Before the Ashmore Home Owners' Association called in Marshall Grain's landscape team, much of the existing landscape was over taken by weeds and relied heavily on annual flowers to provide color. The property lacked enough evergreens or perennials needed to provide year-round interest. Some beds were left bare, which led to thick weed growth.
The Marshall Grain Process
A key to success in working with HOAs is develop and execute a well-thought-out plan. Involving all stakeholders in the early stages avoids problems later. Marshall Grain's proven process is built around these steps:
Consultation
Design
Review & Revision
Approvals
Implementation
Step 1: Consultation
Marshall Grain always begins with a consultation. One of our designers meets with HOA representatives to gather all the basic information needed to create a design that meets the needs and budget of the organization, including :
Budget
Scope of project
Landscape style
Detailed measurements of spaces to be landscaped
Sun and shade patterns
Hardscaping (retaining walls, walkways, etc.)
Drainage and erosion control needs
Irrigation
Lighting
For the Ashmore Subdivision, our designers recognized that the existing heavy reliance on annuals posed too great a maintenance demand on the organization. Instead, Ashmore needed a low-maintenance solution that also provided year-round color, interest, and sufficient variety.
2. Detailed Design
To achieve the goals set during the consultation, our landscape team created a design founded on Texas-native and Texas-adapted perennials and evergreens that also leaves designated spaces for colorful swaths of annual flowers.
From this vision, the designer then created a computer-aided drawing of the areas to be landscaped, along with a precise budget that included a list of all plants to be used, their actual placements and quantities.
Below is an example drawing:
Review & Revision
Having a detailed drawing makes it easy for any number of HOA members to see exactly what the proposed landscape design will look like. They can review and discuss their likes and dislikes, ask questions, and request changes. Based on their feedback the designer can update the design and resubmit it for final approval.
HOA Approval
Once the Ashmore plan was approved, work could begin.
Implementation
For the Ashmore project, no additional hardscaping was required, so the project moved quickly to installing plants.
A Problem with Weeds
Because weeds were a particular problem for Ashmore, the Marshall Grain Landscape team put extra care into clearing and amending the beds to be planted using the same well-established organic methods that we use in residential installations and recommend to our garden center customers. This was followed by an application of our proprietary organic planting process, which includes improving the soil with specific amendments that enrich the earth with nutrients.
Ashmore's entrance ways received an application of Marshall Grain's organic BioActiv Max foliar spray and soil drench, which introduces humates and millions of beneficial soil microbes that greatly enhance plant growth, improve drainage and moisture absorption, and protect against pests and diseases.
As part of our service, all plants installed by us are guaranteed for one growing season from the installation date and will be replaced if necessary.
The New Ashmore Subdivision Entrance Landscape
Video Panoramas of Ashmore Subdivision Entrances, Colleyville, Texas
Serving Northeast Tarrant County
If your Home Owner's Association is considering a beautification of your neighborhood gateways, call the experts. Marshall Grain serves the Northeast Tarrant County area, including: Arlington, Bedford, Colleyville, Coppell, Euless, Flowermound, Grapevine, Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Southlake, Trophy Club, Wautaga.
Call Marshall Grain Landscape Services today: 817-416-6600.