Spaces around commercial buildings, including those in downtown areas, have been increasingly landscaped to provide a natural setting that is pleasing and welcoming to all who enter and exit the buildings. More communities around the country have spent time and money to improve the appearance of commercial properties through landscaping. Along with erosion control, landscaping has come into its own market and is continually growing.

Opp Construction LLC, Fargo, sees landscaping as a long-term trend in commercial construction. Since 1978, Opp has grown from a construction business to a full-service contracting company with five divisions: Concrete, Paving Stone, Landscaping, Heavy Equipment, and Shop and Yard.

The Landscaping division organized and streamlined its business to provide landscape design, sales and installation. Matt Tollefson heads the division and says that much planning goes into commercial landscaping and building owners increasingly participate in the planning. Opp bids on the landscaping and, usually, includes a bid on erosion control, another service it provides.

Opp crews begin working around the property before construction begins. "We usually build a silt fence or sediment control wattles around the perimeter of the property to hold back the soil from draining into storm sewers," said Tollefson. The crews also examine the property for contours that have to be changed to stop soil erosion. The process requires one or two days, but maintenance of erosion control doesn't stop until the building project is completed.

When the building is finished, crews locate underground utility lines and then begin grading areas that will be landscaped. "First, we use Bobcat skid steers with rubber tracks for initial grading, next we use tractors with rock rake attachments to pulverize the soil for turf preparation and to level and contour the soil."

All of the vegetation — shrubs, perennials, trees — and garden accents are planted as designated on the blueprints. Tollefson says that contractors usually purchase the plants for owners as part of the bid. "We know what types of plants are appropriate for the soil to stop further erosion and for appearance," said Tollefson.

Edging is installed next and includes poured concrete curbing, interlocking concrete edging and steel edging. Weed barriers are placed in some spots, usually under shrubs and trees, and a ground cover, mulch or rocks fill the top of the weed barriers.

If an irrigation system is required, Opp crews install the system and cover the pipes before seeding or laying the sod. A final grading is the next step and must meet the exact specifications.

Opp owns the Brillion machine that rakes the top of the soil and then impregnates the seed into the soil. This step ensures that seeds are planted in a uniform manner in a short time, Tollefson emphasized. On top of the newly seeded ground, crews use a baler chopper to cut and spread mulch, mainly hay or straw that controls erosion and acts as a ground stabilizer. Hydro-mulch is another option for mulching and stabilization.

Another method of seeding is hydroseeding which provides ground cover faster than the Brillion. Central Landscaping Inc., Forest Lake, Minnesota, owns a Finn brand hydroseeder to provide landscaping services as a subcontractor.

Earl Halley owns the business and says that this method of spraying the mixture of seed, water, fertilizer, and mulch is much faster than using the Brillion, "but you have to wait for the grass to grow." A control mounted on the truck portion adjusts the amount sprayed and the speed of the spray.

If clients want sod, however, Tollefson said that laying sod is done the old-fashioned way: manually unrolling each piece and laying it on the ground. For larger commercial projects, large sod rolls can be installed using a tractor.

Halley, who grows sod on three farms in Minnesota, said this is the instant way to have grass. In an average growing season, his farms in North Branch, Wadena and Albert Lea can provide 3.5 million square yards of sod. "I employ about 55 people at the farms to grow and maintain the grass until the time comes to cut, roll and load the sod on the trucks for delivery," said Halley.

"Grass is still the best method of erosion control. We lay sod in ditches to retain the soil, give instant growth and provide filtration of water in addition to the beauty. If we have a temporary coverage area, then we don't lay sod, we would lay an erosion blanket until we can provide permanent grass.

"We cater the product to the need. For example, along a highway the grass is less manicured and we provide a product that suits the location. But around a commercial building the grass would be very manicured, such as the Medtronic facility where we provided a product that fits the company's purpose," Halley emphasized.

The entire landscaping process requires many types of equipment which Opp owns. Skid steers with rubber tracks are preferred because they can travel over any terrain with ease and minimal damage to the ground. A variety of truck sizes helps to carry proper loads on and off the job sites, and Opp owns newer Kubota tractors that offer comfort and current technologies to the operators.

The Landscaping division provided commercial services to the University of North Dakota, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, city of Fargo and West Fargo, city of Grand Forks, Ag Country Farm Credit Services, Corps of Engineers, Grand Forks Air Force Base, Marvin Windows in North Dakota, city of East Grand Forks, city of Moorhead (Minnesota), and other commercial and residential sites.

Central Landscaping also owns its equipment, including bale busters, Ford and Mack trucks used for delivery, New Holland tractors, Bobcat skid steers with either wheels or rubber tracks for contouring different types of sites, and single axles with trailers.

Halley, who worked in the business as a landscaper beginning in 1969, specializes in landscaping. He bought the business later and works as a subcontractor to Minnesota contractors, such as Schafer Contracting, PCI, Lunda Construction, Northwest Asphalt, Hardrives, Road Constructors, Mathey Construction, and many sewer contractors, mostly in the St. Cloud area.

During the average season, Central Landscaping employs about 50 people.