Protecting Estate Landscapes And Gardens
As estate managers for UHNW properties, we tend to agree that landscaping can be our worst nightmare. A lawn fungus before an event can spark chaos and force an 11th-hour re-sodding. An orchard infestation can take your citrus grove from spectacular to lackluster overnight. A dead tree can be a source of profound grief — and anger — for your principal.
Nearly everything in our purview is replaceable EXCEPT a specimen tree. Yes, you can replace a tree, but the new one will not approach the size, shape or shade-producing canopy of the original. And the cost will be enormous. Lose a tree of this stature on your watch and you may as well kiss your job security goodbye.
You hire specialists to handle these crises once they occur, but do you have a proactive landscape-inspection plan in place to nip them in the bud?
Now you do. Just read on.
Fix Your Irrigation System
We are responsible for the landscaping budget, and we’ve all gotten astronomically high water bills — or worse, an excessive-use notice — from the city water department. In Los Angeles, where drought is virtually guaranteed, a curbside geyser gushing from a faulty irrigation system can also earn your high-profile client some very bad press.
Without a doubt, poorly designed and maintained irrigation systems are the number one reason for landscaping failures and the spiraling costs associated with them.
Test monthly
Test for leaks — hire a leak-detection company if you suspect your main line is vulnerable.
Adjust frequency as needed. Plants will tell you if they’re receiving too much or too little water. Unfortunately, these conditions can present the same symptoms: drooping, yellowing, graying or curling leaves. To determine which problem you’re facing, dig down four to six inches to check soil moisture.
Repair or replace damaged heads and nozzles without delay.
If you have more than 20 irrigation zones, invest in a remote-controlled system (the more sophisticated models can be operated via app).
Check for proper zoning
Is a particular plant getting direct sun or mostly shade? Is it at the top of the slope or the bottom? Is it drought-tolerant or perennially thirsty? Each group of plants has specific water needs. Make sure your irrigation zones are set accordingly.
Map your zones
Create a color-coded property map and zoning chart to define each irrigation zone. Here’s an example (created with Apple Preview):
Next, draft an irrigation-timing chart like this one (an Excel spreadsheet will do):
This will allow you to analyze zoning and timing at your desk — instead of at the controller — to formulate the most efficient watering schedule. Then make seasonal adjustments. Finally, ensure the lawn has a day or two to dry before weekly mowing.
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Protect Your Trees
Tree inspection should be on your daily walk-through schedule. Leaves and fronds tell a story. Are they droopy, curled or twisted? Gray or brown? Does the bark have holes producing active sap? Is the bark flaking? Are pruning cuts ragged or torn-looking? If so, consult a trained, experienced arborist.
Understand your Soil
Healthy soil is mission-critical. Attitudes about soil health have changed significantly over the last decade. What were once acceptable treatments (Roundup and other herbicides) have given way to more organic approaches (think hand-weeding).
It’s also time for more judicious use of the leaf blower, the single-most-effective tool for depleting your invaluable topsoil. Ask your gardener to use a rake and broom near planting-bed and lawn areas.
Get an annual soil test, collecting samples from under the canopies of your most valuable trees. Do not allow your gardener to guess about soil fertility, pH balance or the presence of fungus. The health of the soil must be assessed carefully and any deviations from optimal condition addressed appropriately.
Inspect Your Shrubs and Ground Cover
Replacing dead plants is never fun. This is especially true for established shrubs, large plots of ground cover and, perhaps most seriously, privacy hedges. Your only course of action here is to do your research and hire the best of the best.
Start with an annual report from an arborist whose sole function is to write health assessments — these highly specialized professionals do not bid on the work they recommend and can thus be counted on to offer a completely independent diagnosis and course of treatment. They will outline essential needs while considering aesthetic concerns. Then obtain quotes from other arborists, maintenance crews, tree pruners, irrigation technicians and pest-management vendors to do their work.
Understanding what constitutes a thriving landscape (and what signals trouble) is one of your chief assets as an estate manager. You don’t have to know how to address the issues that inevitably arise, but you must know when to call in the experts who do.
Your job may depend on it.
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