Landscape Maintenance Plans
Some common landscape practices waste water, pollute streams with fertilizers and pesticides, may harm families’ health, and often harm plant health too. But there is a better way…
Healthy landscape guidelines for property owners, designers and contractors
Homeowners associations, developers, and commercial property owners can use the documents below to contract for healthy landscape maintenance services, or to guide their own staff and residents. These Natural Landscaping practices help create vibrant landscapes that need less water, fertilizer and pesticides, are easier to maintain, healthier for residents and are more attractive for higher property values.
Download maintenance guides or specifications that fit your need
Landscape professionals from around the Northwest contributed to these documents, for cost-effective best practices on any site:
- Natural Landscaping: Design, Build, Maintain (pdf) – brief guidelines and resources for professionals, from initial landscape design through construction into long-term maintenance.
Paisajismo natural: Diseño, Construcción, Mantenimiento (pdf) - in Spanish - Landscape Maintenance Agreement – short version (doc) and the Landscape Maintenance Standards and Specifications – long version (doc) are written in specification format, for use in contracting for landscape maintenance services, or guiding in-house staff. They can be adapted to fit a variety of sites: commercial properties, schools and institutions, new developments, or homeowners associations. Another similar Example Landscape Management Plan (doc) was developed for use in Seattle Green Factor urban developments.
- Community-wide Standards for Use in Covenants, Contracts, and Restrictions (doc) – can be incorporated into homeowner association rules to promote healthy, natural practices.
- Examples include the Greenbridge & Seola Plan (pdf) which shows roles and responsibilities as well as practices, and the High Point Guidelines (pdf).
- Community Manual from Issaquah Highlands (pdf) – an example of complete guidelines for homeowners on natural lawn and garden care and home maintenance. A briefer, illustrated guide is available in the Natural Yard Care brochure (pdf).
For more information on creating healthy landscape maintenance plans for your site, contact Kate Kurtz at Seattle Public Utilities (206) 684-7650, kate.kurtz@seattle.gov
Related links
Links on other sites
Saving Water Partnership
EnviroStars Certification for Landscape Professionals