Hiring a Church Groundskeeper vs. a Commercial Landscape Service

There might be a bit of extra pressure when it comes to caring for a church’s landscaping.

It’s not just anybody’s house.

And a lot of important things happen here, from sacred worship to so many of life’s great moments.

The landscaping outside should reflect the important happenings inside.

Who’s taking care of your church landscaping? Church volunteers? A part- time church groundskeeper? Are they able to keep up?

Church groundskeeper vs landscaping service: how to choose? Let’s take a look.

You Need Expert Scheduling and Logistics

Churches have unique needs when it comes to scheduling landscaping services. You want to look your Sunday best, so you need attention at the end of the week. Monday mowing wouldn’t make much sense.

Weekend weddings, sudden funeral services, and big events like a pastors’ conference or holiday concert often require changes to the maintenance schedule so noisy equipment doesn’t interfere and everything looks great for the gathering.

That means flexibility, communication, and the ability to make last-minute changes to maintenance schedules.

Commercial landscaping services are equipped for all this, with attentive account managers and nimble crews who can accommodate a church’s changing needs.

There’s A Lot Going on Out There

Sure, a volunteer or part-time church groundskeeper can keep up with basic mowing, trimming, and planting some flowers by your church sign. Spreading mulch? No problem.

But there’s a lot more landscape maintenance going on out there on your church property. Proactive pruning. Irrigation maintenance. Comprehensive turf programs. Tree care.

It’s a challenge to keep up with it all. If you want your church grounds to look appealing and welcoming all the time, a landscaping company has the crews, account managers, equipment, and scheduling to handle it all.

If your volunteer or part-time church groundskeeper falls behind, your curb appeal is at stake. The lawn starts to look shaggy or brown. Weeds take over. Flowers die.

When deciding between a church groundskeeper vs a landscaping service, do you want to risk it? You only get one chance to make a first impression on new guests.

Church Groundskeeper vs. Landscaper: Appealing Amenities

How about a great paver patio to expand your outdoor space? A Bible-themed relaxation garden parishioners will love? Oversized planters of bright blooms that look great and hide eyesores?

Professional landscaping companies have great ideas on how to enhance your Washington DC area church property and boost the use of its outdoor space. Then, they can bring those great ideas to life.

A patio creates a welcoming spot for church groups to gather. A tranquil Bible garden with plants mentioned in the Bible, religious statuary and some comfortable seating becomes a perfect spot for prayer and quiet reflection.

Professional landscape designers have a host of ideas a church groundskeeper might not imagine.

Church Groundskeeper vs Landscaper: Snow and Ice Management

When winter snow and ice hit, your goal is to protect everyone who spends time on your church property and minimize your chance of being exposed to snow and ice-related hazards, from slips and falls to traffic accidents and property damage.

This isn’t the time to depend on volunteers with shovels or a part-time church groundskeeper with a snow blower.

This is especially true if your Washington DC-area church also houses a school or a daycare center, with lots of daily foot and vehicle traffic. Or if your church has massive parking lots to keep safe.

Hire a professional landscaping company that also provides snow and ice management, and has a tailored, detailed plan of attack when storms are in the forecast, including a fleet of equipment at the ready to keep your church property safe.

Then cross a big winter worry off your list.

Your Church Property Safety is at Stake

If your church groundskeeper falls behind, safety is on the line.

Plants and shrubs grow fast. When they get out of control, they can quickly obstruct your church signage and traffic signs and create cover for intruders to hide.

Dead or dying tree branches can suddenly crash down from above, threatening pedestrians, parked cars, and your church building.

Professional landscape service companies keep a close eye on your church grounds trees, checking for dead and dying branches that should be pruned out before they take a potentially costly tumble.

Those Turf and Bed Programs Are No Joke

Have you noticed your church grounds lawn is kind of needy?

Keeping it healthy with perfectly timed fertilizer, weed control, and pest control is a big job, and the right timing is really important — and kind of a pain.

If your volunteer or part-time church groundskeeper misses a crucial step at the right time, it jeopardizes your lawn’s health and appeal.

Both fertilizing and weed control are a year-round process. What if your church groundskeeper forgets the spring application or gets too busy in the fall?

The right pest control at the right times can save your church landscaping from hungry aphids, grubs, and mites who see your trees, plants, and flowers as a huge all-you-can-eat buffet.

All of this is best left to the pros. If your church groundskeeper heads to the hardware store for bags off the shelf, they won’t get the high-quality, targeted products available to landscape service companies.

Applying all this stuff is tricky, too. Timing is everything. So is spreading the right amount. And figuring out which products to use in the first place is kind of a headache.

Church Groundskeeper vs Landscaper: Irrigation Management

If your church has an irrigation system, regular professional attention keeps it working smoothly and saves you money. Church budgets need all the help they can get, right?

Irrigation maintenance includes proper start-up and shut-down procedures for backflow devices and irrigation lines and monthly service checks to make sure your irrigation system is covering every inch of your landscaping and running just right — without wasting water.

Once colder weather moves in, it’s important to get all the water out of your irrigation system’s valves, pipes, and sprinkler heads. If water freezes and expands, your pipes break.

That’s an expensive repair.

Trust Your Church Grounds Maintenance to Level Green

Put the safety and appeal of your church grounds into the hands of professionals.

Level Green crews are trained, and our account managers are familiar with church property needs. Everything is handled.

Level Green account managers even prepare an annual landscaping budget for customers. You pick and choose what you want to include. Easy.

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you.