What Is Design/Build

AZPW Maintenance Services Company specializes in commercial, industrial, and residential landscape design/build in Houston Metropolitan Area. Design/build is the collaborative process of conceptualizing and creating your garden. This process combines the traditionally separate disciplines of design and installation, resulting in projects that are imaginative yet readily built. In addition, the collaboration allows for responsiveness to changes during the installation that help keep the project true to the client's needs. Through single-point accountability, a landscape designer will be your companion and trusted resource during the design and creation of your garden. Our designers lead a diverse and experienced team of horticulturists, masons, nursery professionals and other trades people with the sole desire to build a beautiful garden for you.

What Do We Do

We provide commercial and industrial landscape design & construction in Houston Metropolitan Area. Each garden we construct is a unique reflection our client's personality relative to their property. This is accomplished through careful listening and observation. We will develop a written plan, constructing the landscape according to that plan. This is achieved through collaboration with the client, designer and our talented, professional crews.

The range of the tasks we perform range from a simple, single tree installation to comprehensive, total property transformations.

Our services include:

DESIGN
Our commercial and industrial landscape design company in Houston uses the latest technology to help create your dream landscape. We have a team of landscape designers and design assistants that utilize a combination of hand-rendered and computer-generated (CAD) drawings. These design services include:

• Landscape Master Planning
• Planting Plans
• Environmental Design: meadows, native design, wetland buffers
• Conceptual sketches and color renderings

BUILD
We install the gardens we design, building every aspect of the outdoor environment.

• Outdoor Areas: patios, terraces, walls, walkways.
• Ornamental Planting: perennial borders, flowering shrubs, herb gardens, large tree moving and planting
• Water Features: ponds, streams, waterfalls
• Lighting: outdoor lighting designs that will highlight architecture, add drama and increase safety

DESIGN/BUILD PROCESS

Initial Contact

When you contact our office, we will collect some basic information from you including contact information, what kind of work you are interested in and how you heard about us.

Consultation

• We will listen to your objectives and endeavor to understand your landscape dreams.
• We will walk the property with you, taking notes and listen.
• We will ask questions to help bring the garden picture into better focus.
• We will discuss your anticipated budget for the work discussed.
• We will discuss whether our design services are appropriate and how they work or proceed directly to a proposal for installation of work discussed.

Design Service Agreement

After discussing your specific needs, our landscape design team will prepare a proposal for design services and submit it to you for approval. You must then return the signed proposal to our office with a retainer fee to begin the design process.

Site Survey

We will measure and photograph the site and take notes to prepare a base plan upon which your landscape plan will be developed.

Concept Plan

An illustration is created that addresses all of the ideas and requirements discussed at our first design consultation. We will meet with you to describe the concept plan and to obtain feedback from you. Revisions to the plan will be made as necessary.

Construction Contract

Once you approve the plan for landscape construction, a proposal will be prepared for the installation of your new landscape. When we receive the signed contract and deposit we will schedule the job and order materials. Work typically begins within four to six weeks of contract acceptance, depending on weather and the time of year.

Installation

Depending on the scope of the project, our crew may be at your property anywhere from one day to one month or more. We will ask you if we may place a job sign with our name AZPW Maintenance Services Company and logo on your property at the street. Not only does this show our pride in our work, but also assists landscape deliveries for the site. Construction elements such as rough grading, drainage, walls, walkways, water features and large caliber trees are completed first. These operations require large machines and will cause disturbance to the ground, which is normal. All disturbances will be repaired before the job is done.

Bed preparation, soil conditioning and installation of smaller plants are completed next.

This work is done primarily with small-engine machines or manual labor. Installation of lighting fixtures, mulching and lawn establishment starts to put the landscape picture back together. All plants are thoroughly watered, large trees are staked and ribbons and tags are removed from the plants. All debris is picked up and disposed of properly. Driveways and walkways are swept clean.

Follow-up

AZPW Maintenance Services landscape design representatives will meet with you on site to walk through the completed landscape. Any items that require attention will be noted and will be promptly resolved. You will be given written garden maintenance care instructions to help you through the establishment period of your new landscape. You may contact your landscape designer at any time with detailed questions should the need arise.

Maintenance

Our Professional AZPW Maintenance Services Garden Care Division is ready to assist you in maintaining your new commercial and industrial landscape. Please inquire as to the full range of available Houston Metropolitan Area landscaping services.

What Is Professional Garden Care

Professional Garden Care is a horticultural service that will “Create Time For You”. A highly trained Professional Gardener will come to your commercial and industrial property and provide garden maintenance. We will make sure your plants are cared for properly and maintained in peak condition throughout the course of the growing season. Our visits (at a frequency tailored to your specific needs) will improve plant health and vigor though continual monitoring, grooming and proactive care.

Who Are Our Clients

• Shopping and Retail Centers.
• Shopping Malls.
• Hospitals.
• Professional office buildings.

What Do Our Professional Gardeners Do

Our landscape and garden care professionals provide a range of programs that work either with you directly or in cooperation with our Design/Build Division to maintain and enhance your gardens. Your professional gardener will come out to maintain your gardens and monitor plant health on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis. Our Professional Garden Care Division is ready to assist you in maintaining your landscape:

Winter

• Cutting back and removal of plant debris
• Leaf removal and disposal
• Pruning of small flowering trees and shrubs
• Planting bed grooming in preparation for springtime mulching
Spring Through Summer
• Grooming and deadheading of small trees, shrubs and perennials to prolong bloom cycles
• Remove early season bedding plants and bulbs and replace with brilliant summer annuals
• Monitor all garden areas for pests and diseases
• Proactive, preventative care of all plants
• Perform soil testing
• Develop and implement fertilization, weed prevention and pruning programs
Autumn
• Cutting back, pruning and division of plants approaching dormancy
• Leaf removal
• Mulch touch ups for winter protection
• Seasonal displays of pansies and chrysanthemums
Container Gardens
• Containers can put horticultural interest on decks, porches, patios, stoops and walls
• Stylish, elegant, bold, precious, charming or dazzling. The choice is yours.
• Combinations of annuals, perennials, grass, shrubs and trees are possible
• Pots and containers of virtually any shape and size are available from world-wide sources
• Designs will harmonize with existing plantings and architecture
• We offer a container rotation program that will ensure a lush, vibrant planting from spring through autumn

Caring for new plants

Proper care for your new plantings is the single most important step to ensure their health and long life and to protect your investment. Here are important items to remember:

1. Water is the key to all plant growth. A few long and deep weekly watering's are much better than frequent light watering's. To check if watering is needed, remove some mulch from around the plant. The soil should be damp, not muddy or crumbly dry. Allow the soil time to drain between watering's. This promotes air penetration into the soil, which is key to root development.

During summer months, generally, new plantings should be watered three times weekly, less during cooler, wet weeks. Ten foot trees need approximately 15-20 gallons, shrubs need 3-7 gallons per watering and smaller plantings need 1-2 gallons. Watering needs must be monitored closely and tailored to each plant.

2. Mulch helps to moderate fluctuations in temperature and moisture. A 2-3 inch layer of double ground bark mulch should be maintained on your plantings. This will also suppress weed growth. Mulch decomposes with time, adding organic matter to your soil. Keep your mulch beds stirred up (not crusty). This prevents fungus from forming and makes mulch last longer. Don't mulch over 3” deep. This will aid water and air penetration.

3. Pruning and shearing determines shape and habit. Remove all dead wood by cutting back to a point of live wood. Try to remove interior tree branches to increase air and light, allowing plants to attain their natural form. Our designers are trained to know this information.

4. Fertilizer helps to supplement nutrients not available in native soil. Apply at the beginning of your plant’s second growth season, not the first year. Use an organic type, balanced blend of fertilizer. Apply at recommended rates on the product label around the drip line (outer edge of branches) of the plant.

These are general care guidelines. The conditions and plant species at your particular site may require some modified care. If in doubt, please call with any questions before trouble shows up - by then it may be too late! We'll be happy to go over any special needs you may have.