Six Considerations When Landscaping A Church or Religious Campus

The grounds at a church or other religious campus can be one of the most peaceful places to spend time.

The right landscaping makes all the difference.

Imagine a quiet, tranquil spot for meditation, surrounded by fragrant roses and maybe a trickling fountain.

Beautiful, well-tended landscaping can contribute to the peaceful, welcoming atmosphere of a church, beckoning visitors to seek out some spiritual time.

Let’s take a look at some of the key elements in landscaping church grounds.

Curb Appeal

The right combination of plants and hardscaping creates a welcoming curb appeal that draws visitors to the front door.

Clearly defined and well-tended walkways direct visitors to entryways. Walkways should be wide enough to accommodate couples and families walking together.

Colorful flower beds lining walkways and surrounding signage offer beauty and a sense of welcome. Choose blooms in shades of blue and purple for a sense of tranquility.

It’s important that plant material doesn’t obscure church signage or overhang paths.

Welcoming Community Space

While a church might get the most use on Sundays, it can offer welcoming community space throughout the week, too.

Benches placed beneath shade trees offer spots for quiet reading or conversation between friends.

Consider adding plants that attract birds and butterflies, so wildlife becomes part of the appeal. Purple coneflower’s beautiful blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators and provide seeds for goldfinches and other birds in the fall.

Milkweed hosts monarch butterfly caterpillars, and birds use the downy part of the seed to line their nests.

Hummingbirds love the cardinal flower’s nectar, feasting on it  with their long, skinny beaks.

A Place For Reflection

A quiet spot for outdoor prayer and contemplation should be separate from the busiest areas of the church grounds.

Offer privacy with shrubs and hedges, trellises featuring climbing roses or clematis or an array of large container plantings.

This is a great spot for a water feature to add to the peace and tranquility and to screen out neighborhood and traffic noise.

Don’t forget a place to sit — benches, sturdy outdoor furniture or low sitting walls.

Rose Gardens/Bible Gardens

Rose gardens are a nice addition to church landscaping, as roses have a number of symbolic meanings in Christianity and other religions.

A Bible garden is another comforting addition, featuring plants mentioned in the Bible — chamomile, chicory, crocus, dill, lilies, sage and grapevine.

These specialty gardens are great spot to incorporate religious statuary, too.

Maintenance Timing Is Key

A property should look its best when the most people are enjoying it. For many churches and religious campuses, that means Sunday.

Lawn mowing, garden bed edging, weeding and other maintenance chores need to happen at the end of the week so the grounds look great for Sunday visitors.

But crews that tend church landscaping need to be flexible. Weddings, funerals and other events happen on other days of the week, and operating noisy equipment then isn’t an option.

Some churches also operate schools or daycare centers, and maintenance schedules need to accommodate their activities, too.

Communication Is Crucial

Communication between the church grounds manager and landscape contractor is crucial to make sure maintenance services always take place at the appropriate times. Special events pop up that can affect regularly scheduled maintenance.

That communication should also include any special instructions about where landscaping trucks should park and where crews should set up so they don't interfere with church activities.

Trust Your Church Grounds Landscaping To Level Green

At Level Green Landscaping, we know all about the special attention and care church properties need. We have several such clients, including the impressive Franciscan Monastery and the expansive First Baptist Church of Glenarden.

Level Green renovated the entire landscaping in the 50-acre Monastery’s inner courtyard by adding new shrubs, plants, grass and azaleas and replaced more than 300 boxwoods in the stunning 3,000-rosebush rose garden.

The maintenance team is on site at least once a week to mow, prune, weed, replace plants and keep the grounds beautiful.

At the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Level Green crews use a special 11-foot wide batwing mower — which does the work of four riding mowers — to quickly, efficiently mow the worship center’s expansive 100 acres of turf.

Sensitivity, Flexibility, Communication

Our meticulous crews attend to every landscaping detail. Lawns are lush, healthy and neat. Flower beds and planters brim with color and interest.

We pride ourselves on attentive communication, delivering services at just the right times, based on clients’ needs.

We’d love to show you how to make your church or religious campus grounds a tranquil, beautiful, welcoming space for all.

Call us at 202-544-0968, or request a free consultation online.