A beautiful landscape is one of the best ways to bring your office park to life. Not only can great landscaping capture valuable curb appeal, but it can also make your tenants happier and invested in staying for the long-term. Outdoor spaces are so important to people, but they have to be well-planned in order to capitalize on the potential.

Here are 5 current landscape trends for office parks that you might want to consider for your space.

1. Planned Seating Areas

Employees love the opportunity to take their lunch breaks outside. But a lot of office complexes simply don’t accommodate this wish. There are no planned seating areas—and let’s be honest, most people aren’t going to just sit in the grass.

That’s why outdoor common areas are becoming so popular in commercial landscape design. Simply being able to take one’s lunch outdoors is a huge morale boost. But some office tenants are even going a step further and taking meetings to the outdoors when they have great spaces to accommodate them.

An outdoor seating area for an office park should take into account privacy and shade as well as plenty of room for sitting. Many people also appreciate the opportunity to enjoy beautiful plantings in these areas.

2. Rotating Color

There’s no question that color enhancements are a valuable addition to any office park. Beautiful enhancements with seasonal color add significant curb appeal to those driving by. But it’s easy for these spaces to become stagnant. That’s why color rotation is important.

Most office complexes have fall color and spring color change-outs. But you might even think about making additions or changes at other times of the year. Keeping your space interesting and ever-changing helps maintain that ongoing “wow factor.”

3. Working with a Slope

A lot of commercial property managers assume their sloped property is a problem for enhancements. But the truth is, there are many great ways to work with a slope. We have created some beautiful terraced areas where we use the gradual slope to install plant beds that add tremendous color and appeal to the property as a whole.

In general, a big trend in landscaping is to solve what are perceived as “problems” with creative solutions that work within the confines of the existing property.

4. Add a Water Feature

Water features such as ponds, fountains, and waterfalls make spectacular additions to office parks. They add both the curb appeal and the enjoyment that many people are seeking in these spaces. If you’re thinking about creating a common area with seating for your office tenants, a water feature could really enhance this space.

5. Don’t Forget Water Conservation

Of course, in Dallas, TX, smart irrigation methods are always on the mind. Water is essential to a beautiful landscape, but water usage can quickly become costly without efficiency at the forefront of the plans. Smart irrigation practice is a trend that’s not going away in any commercial landscape setting.