Moorefield Green HOA: How Landscaping Helps Hundreds of Residents Feel at Home

Moorefield Green HOA is huge, a sprawling community of more than 500 houses on more than 80 acres of land in Ashburn, Va., midway between Leesburg and Reston.

“It’s the largest HOA community in our Virginia branch,” says Alec Fairfield, the Level Green Landscaping account manager who works with the massive HOA. 

But when residents come home at the end of a long day, or step outside on a sunny Saturday morning, they want to feel cozy, welcomed, safe and happy. 

That means soft green lawns for barefoot toes, tidy shrubs for curb appeal, bright blooms at the entrance and leafy trees rustling in the breeze. 

Fairfield walks us through what it takes for Level Green to make sure the expansive community has landscaping that’s safe, secure and feels like home. 

First Up: Crucial Tree Work

“When we first started here and did our site walkthrough, we noticed they really needed their trees elevated,” Fairfield says. “There are well over 500 trees on the property and they hadn’t been pruned correctly for a number of years.”

Most trees benefit from raising their canopies —called elevation — which involves pruning lower branches or thinning branches to let more sunlight through.

“We went through and assessed which ones needed the most attention,” Fairfield says, “whether they were damaged or had crossed branches or were blocking pedestrian access.”

Trees on the property include Crape Myrtles, white oaks, red maples and serviceberry, all about a decade old. 

“You want to get them to a place where they look like a picture book tree — broad and picturesque,” Fairfield says. “It’s still early enough, since they’re not super mature, to give them proper care now that will really pay off years down the road.”

But the Moorefield Green HOA board and residents had some concerns. 

“There was a lot of angst about it,” Fairfield says. “When you start talking about pruning trees, people get pretty passionate about it if the trees are near their property.

“They had never heard of tree elevation before,” he says. “They didn't understand why we were doing it. They worried their trees would be pruned to look like lollipops.”

So he attended two HOA board meetings to explain the process, why the trees needed it, and the benefits to the community.

“I really wanted to alleviate all their concerns.” 

Everybody felt better. 

“After the project was done, we got lots of positive feedback,” he says. “They weren’t sure it would even be noticeable, but it really improved the look of the trees, their health, improved sight lines and really opened up the whole community.”

Proactivity for Pesky Plant Pests and Diseases

 Proactivity is top of mind at Level Green — catching potential issues early before they become big problems. 

A great example: Damaging plant pests and diseases can wipe out a property’s plants fast if allowed to spread.

Fairfield and Level Green crews spotted two plant problems early on and acted fast to stop the spread. 

Rose Rosette

A virus that strikes even roses bred to be disease resistant, rose rosette can kill infected plants within a couple years.

“If rose rosette is on your property it will spread to every rose there,” Fairfield says. “We’ve been removing all the infected roses and we’ll replace them with hydrangeas and azaleas.”

Crape Myrtle Scale

A lot of people think scale is a plant disease, but it’s actually tiny insects that hang out on plants and feed off sap. 

The Moorefield Green Crape Myrtle trees were infested with scale, leaving an unsightly sooty mold-like substance on the branches. 

“We started by scrubbing it off with brushes and soapy water so the trees looked attractive again,” Fairfield says. “Then we treated the trees with systemic insecticide.” 

Mowing, Trimming, Weeding, Pruning on a Big Scale

Level Green crews cover all the crucial tasks needed to keep the Moorefield Green community’s landscaping tidy and healthy, from mowing and blowing to weeding, trimming and pruning. 

“We do everything,” Fairfield says. “More than 500 residents’ front and back yards, the HOA front entrance, all common areas including four parks, and the clubhouse area. It’s like a full-time job.”

Residents expect eagle-eye inspections, with crews keeping an eye out for weeds, faded flowers, dead tree branches or signs of any plant disease or pest damage. 

Liriope, coneflower, and salvia are among the abundant perennials. Shrubs include spirea, viburnum, hydrangeas and azalea. 

Pruning is a particular concern. 

“The HOA board is very, very specific about the kind of pruning they want,” Fairfield says. “They want a natural growth pattern to their shrubs, not have them pruned into balls.

“Their previous contractor did that and it was a big pain point for them,” he says. “Proper pruning, the way they want it done, was a big selling point for us.”

Bring on the Blooms

Level Green crews install bright, eye-catching seasonal flowers at Moorefield Green twice a year, in spring and fall.

More than 900 flowers brighten up the HOA’s front entrance, the traffic circle, the four on-site parks and the busy clubhouse area.

This summer, the first since Level Green took over the landscaping in January, Fairfield kept things simple but bold with stunning displays of sunpatiens, popular both for their ability to resist disease and their dazzling colors. 

He’s already planning a more dramatic installation for next summer, using exotic tropical plants like bold canna and intriguing palms. 

The fall flower rotation includes cheerful, dependable, cold-hardy pansies and ruffly ornamental kale.

Turf Care and Irrigation for Thriving Lawns 

Moorefield Green has a detailed turf care strategy to keep their lawns healthy and thriving, including targeted visits for fertilizing and weed control throughout the year, from spring through fall. 

Beyond that, aeration and overseeding ensure the healthy roots and thick turf needed for lawns that impress. 

The pro-level aeration machines crews use to remove plugs of soil to help compacted lawns breathe can damage irrigation heads, “so I dropped off yard flags for residents to
mark their irrigation heads to avoid damage,” Fairfield says. “I want to be proactive to avoid any potential breaks so the property manager doesn’t have to deal with resident complaints.”

The final element needed for thriving turf? Dependable irrigation.

“They have a very large irrigation system with more than 100 zones,” Fairfield says. 

Routine service inspections send crews to check the water pressure, adjust spray heads, and make any needed repairs. Timely adjustments make sure the expansive Moorefield Green irrigation system stays efficient, saving water and money. 

Irrigation maintenance also includes proper spring start-up and fall shut-down procedures.

Keeping 600 Customers Happy

There are bound to be challenges in caring for such a big property.

“The main challenge is meeting the expectations of 600 residents,” Fairfield says. “With an HOA you’re dealing with a lot of different personalities and backgrounds. Everyone has their own preferences and goals for what things should look like.

We make sure if there are resident complaints or they need something we see to it as quickly as possible.”

Communication is key.

“I send the property manager links to good information about the landscaping practices we’re doing, so she can share that with the residents,” Fairfield says. “I let them know the rhyme and reason of why we’re doing things.

“I let the property manager know two weeks ago that we’ll be there today doing aeration and seeding,” he says. 

That frequent communication includes an innovative mapping software that generates handy progress reports Fairfield sends her directly. 

“If I see an issue anywhere on the property, I can drop a pin on a GPS map of exactly where it is and send it to her with a note so she can see where it is and that I’ll take care of it — without walking all the way out there,” Fairfield says. “She doesn’t even have to leave her office. It helps manage these large areas much easier.”

Building a Vibrant Community 

“Beautiful landscaping creates a welcoming atmosphere,” Fairfield says. “Nice parks with trees and beautiful perennials in bloom makes you want to go to events hosted there. It’s a place where you’re happy to raise your kids.

“Your property value is bolstered by a beautiful looking place,” Fairfield says. “People want to move in. People want to stay there longer, which builds a sense of community.”

He loves being part of that. 

“Helping their community look nicer, that feels good,” Fairfield says. “It’s rewarding. “

Looking to take your commercial property to the next level? Contact us today and see how Level Green Landscaping can help.