Colorful tree leaves overhanging pathway

5 Benefits of a Landscape Inventory

Trees, shrubs, turf, ground covers, walking paths, and irrigation systems are common components of a landscaped site. These items bring value to a property over the long term. They are horticultural and fixed assets which have been paid for beginning with design, installation and finally yearly maintenance. Imagine a park without trees. A soccer field without grass. A sloped area without plantings. A greenbelt without green. Not very appealing.

Having a written down, or better yet, photographic and mapped inventory of the plants and assets on your site is a good practice. An inventory can be basic, including what species or type, size, location, quantities that are on your site. Or more detailed, to include health assessments, risk assessments, necessary maintenance, future maintenance, pest monitoring, replacement plan. How are we supposed to manage what we don’t know is there? Here are 5 benefits of an inventory for your landscaped site. An inventory allows project stakeholders to…..

  1. Create a landscape management plan – a plan to effectively manage assets. What task should be done when, how frequently, to what standard, and what is the intent of the task?
  2. Create a budget – for future maintenance, renovations, a phased implementation of a master plan. Where is the most money being spent on maintenance? How can the site be improved to be less maintenance intensive?
  3. Write specifications for maintenance – how specifically the assets should be cared for is an important guideline for stakeholders and contractors to follow. Specifications tailored to your inventory will produce the desired results. Vague specifications will produce vague results.
  4. Compare bids – contractors bidding maintenance services for a particular site should all be bidding on the same thing. Same square footage, same quantities, and using the same specifications. This allows stakeholders to compare bids and award contracts fairly.
  5. Encourages collaboration – all stakeholders know what they have on site, where it is located, and what care it needs. Everyone can work together to effectively manage the assets long term.