Landscape Enhancement: Low-Maintenance Shrub Restoration

newly planted boxwoods in a rockbed

Landscape Enhancement: Low-Maintenance Shrub Restoration

Ben Wolter, Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals

Enhancement by

Ben Wolter

We all know how easily our plants and shrubs can become overgrown. 

In this case, our clients hoped to clean up the landscape beds around their home, with the secondary goal of uncovering an attractive outcropping boulder that was obscured by overgrown boxwoods. Their third priority was to retain and reshape a pom pom juniper that had grown out of control.

pom pom juniper in need of pruning and shaping a perfectly shaped pom pom juniper in minnesota
pom pom juniper in need of pruning and shaping

A Strategic Approach

Rochester, MN, account manager Ben Wolter assessed the situation and explained the limitations of pruning the boxwoods. Due to the size and age of the existing shrubs, they would require regular pruning to keep the boulder exposed.

Since the homeowners hoped for a lower-maintenance solution, Ben recommended removing the large boxwoods and replacing them with smaller ones. 

He also assured our client that our team could restore the pom pom juniper to its original shape.

overgrown boxwoods in a rock bed newly planted boxwoods in a rockbed
overgrown boxwoods in a rock bed

A Quick Turnaround and A Happy Homeowner

Weller Brothers completed this landscape enhancement project quickly — about one week between the initial meeting and project completion. 

Typically, a crew of several Weller Brothers teammates work together on a landscape enhancement. Due to the smaller scale of this project, Ben took it on himself. He enjoyed the chance to work closely with our client with a personalized approach. 

While this was a “smaller” project, the result is significant!Let us know how Weller Brothers can help your landscaping in Des Moines, Sioux Falls, and Rochester.

Landscape Enhancement: Old Landscaping Gets a New Lease On Life

front of a midwest home with updated landscaping

Landscape Enhancement: Old Landscaping Gets a New Lease On Life

Ryan Benda, Account Manager at Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals

Enhancement by

Ryan Benda

When a longtime homeowner contacted Weller Brothers account manager Ryan Benda in the fall of 2022, he knew he had a fun challenge ahead of him.

The home’s landscape was overgrown with mature plants, and the homeowner was struggling to keep up with the maintenance.

Before and After

front of a home with outdated general landscaping front of a midwest home with updated landscaping
front of a home with outdated general landscaping
home with a rock bed and outdated landscaping a Sioux Falls home with refreshed rock beds, edging, and plants
home with a rock bed and outdated landscaping

A Fresh Start

Our team’s first step was to clear the overgrown vegetation and create a clean slate. With the landscape beds cleared, Ryan worked with the homeowner to understand her vision for the space. Together, they designed a colorful, yet low-maintenance landscape that would complement the existing hardscape features like the retaining wall, steps, and walkways.

“I built the plan around existing features, accentuating them with specific plants and designs,” Ryan says. “We also included a drip-line irrigation system for easy watering.”

Blending Native and Urban

Like plant variety? Ryan’s got you covered with this design.

To achieve a low-maintenance and visually appealing landscape, he incorporated a mix of native grasses like Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Festuca, and Karl Foerster, along with hardy evergreen plants such as Mugo Pine, Arborvitae shrubs, and upright Junipers. For pops of color, he added Barberry’s and Coneflowers.

“With the perfect existing spot for a raised mulch bed, I added more native perennials for season-long blooming color by using Bee Balm, Stachys, Sedum, Yarrow, Gaillardia, and a brilliant Northern clump Redbud”, Ryan adds.

To accent the main walkway, we planted Amur Flame Maple clump trees that add a vibrant red hue in the fall.

a sad rock bed updated rock bed and softscapes
a sad rock bed

A Client's Delight

The homeowner was thrilled with the transformation, and we’re so glad!

When Ryan showed her the before-and-after pictures, she couldn’t believe the difference. Our team transformed the overgrown, neglected landscape into a vibrant, inviting outdoor space that was easy to maintain.

How can we bring your home’s landscaping back to life? We’re here to help in Des Moines, Sioux Falls, and Rochester.

Landscape Enhancement: Employee Patio at Sioux Falls Costco

Sioux Falls Costco employee patio

Landscape Enhancement: Employee Patio at Sioux Falls Costco

Allie Rea, Weller Brothers Landscaping

Enhancement by

Allie Rea

Everyone loves a trip to Costco.

But what about the employees? In Sioux Falls, the Costco management team wanted to ensure their employees could find a moment of reprieve amid the hustle and bustle that happens inside the warehouse.

That’s where we came in!

“When we had the idea of giving their employees a peaceful space outside to take their breaks, eat their lunches, or just enjoy the outdoors, we knew Weller Brothers was the obvious choice,” says local Costco management.

Before

The existing outdoor employee break area was a simple lawn space alongside the warehouse. While on break, employees had no appropriate outdoor areas dedicated to enjoying fresh air, eating lunch, or taking a smoke break. 

Sioux Falls Costco had little landscaping around the commercial property

Weller Brothers account manager Allie Rea was the mastermind behind this landscape enhancement. She says that she approached this project with the mindset of a Costco employee while considering the larger impact on the property.

“I tried to think like one of the employees going to use the patio space, but also kept in mind that this is a commercial space rather than residential,” Allie explains. “I wanted the shape and layout to be organic and symmetrical. We had to be flexible with the bed lines and patio footprint as we addressed unforeseen utilities, a hidden manhole, and many mature tree roots.”

Our Approach

Allie worked with the Costco team to select cost-effective pavers that are more elevated than a concrete slab. She notes that using pavers allows the space to change with the environment, while concrete cracks and breaks with the change of the seasons and the growth of tree roots. 

In selecting plant material, Allie considered both beauty and safety.

“I opted to install a row of Birchleaf Spirea to create an attractive barrier and feeling of security from the parking lot without creating blindspots for traffic,” she says.

Allie and the Weller Brothers team made it a priority to design and install the new landscaping around existing trees on the property. Throughout the updated space, she included additional simple and hardy Midwest perennials that complement other plant material on the property.

The Costco team adds their appreciation for the “hushed accents of colorful shrubs and summery mulch give off dreamy vibes that make you forget you’re in the parking lot of a wholesale retailer.” 

Sioux Falls Costco employee patio
Aerial view of Sioux Falls Costco employee patio

How About Your Employees' Space?

Next time you head to Sioux Falls Costco, you may see employees enjoying their new patio space!

“The employees have a variety of smooth, shapely concrete seating to choose from, and at any given time several employees can be found outside enjoying the employee patio,” says the Costco team. “They use the space to relax, decompress from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced environment inside, and just enjoy the fabulous summer weather in an area created just for them.”

Allie adds that she is happy to see Costco employees using the space each time she drives by and hopes to inspire other commercial and corporate locations to soften their parking lots and create something beautiful for their employees to enjoy.

If you’re considering a landscape enhancement for your commercial property, Weller Brothers is your go-to partner. Take it from the Costco team:

“Costco is incredibly pleased with the way Weller Brothers took a vision we had and brought it to life for our employees. We have been in partnership with them for over two years and have always been able to count on Allie and her team to provide landscaping enhancements, lawn care amenities, and all-around quality care for any and all of our business needs.”

Landscape Enhancement: AlphaGraphics

AlphaGraphics in Sioux Falls gets new landscaping from Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals

Landscape Enhancement: AlphaGraphics

Justin Pudenz, Weller Brothers Landscaping

Enhancement by

Justin Pudenz

AlphaGraphics is a top printing and marketing company in Sioux Falls. Their professional and friendly team offers quality services including signage, banners, brochures, stationary, and more.

Heck, we once ordered an eight-foot cardboard cut-out of a Weller Brothers teammate from them. They really do it all!

However, their exterior landscaping wasn’t aligned with the quality of service that customers experience inside Alphagraphics.

That’s why they came to Weller Brothers with a vision for updated landscaping around the commercial property, and Justin and the team got to work!

Before

After 18 years in their building, the landscape beds at AlphaGraphics had aged. 

“It was time for a refresh,” owner Paul Van Veldhuizen says.

The rock beds were in poor shape, and plant material alongside the building and in the boulevard was overgrown and impeding drive lanes, and the poly edging along the beds was no longer serving its purpose.

AlphaGraphics in Sioux Falls before their transformative landscaping upgrade by Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals
Side of a building with old rock bed and overgrown plant material
AlphaGraphics in Sioux Falls before updating their landscaping with Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals

After

Justin and the team approached this project with solutions that would be low-maintenance, durable, and look great. 

“I engaged Justin for a quote on what it would take to refresh our landscaping beds,” Paul says. “Within the week, he met me with a drawing and pricing. Very easy and easy to understand.”

This included removing the existing plant material and replacing it with arborvitaes along the building, willows in the boulevard, and a variety of perennials in the refreshed rock beds. 

We also replaced the old poly edging with steel edging, which looks sharp and will hold up much longer over the years. 

AlphaGraphics in Sioux Falls gets new landscaping from Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals
newly planted willows in a rock bed at alphagraphics in sioux falls
new plant material and steel edging in a rock bed at alphagraphics in sioux falls

Hear It From the AlphaGraphics Team

Paul Van Veldhuizen, owner of the Sioux Falls AlphaGraphics location, says that Weller Brothers “made it easy.”
 
“They were very attentive to our needs and communicated very well when it came time to do the installation,” Paul says. “They even informed us of weather that may hamper their work. After the installation, Justin came by to make sure we were happy and to discuss care for the new plants.
 

Whether it’s time to refresh your existing landscaping at your home or a commercial property like AlphaGraphics, Weller Brothers is your go-to team in Sioux Falls, Rochester, MN, or Des Moines, Iowa.

Contact us today to begin the conversation!

Landscape Enhancement: From Dead Grass to Bright Corner Bed

a green lawn with a mulch landscape bed and plants

Landscape Enhancement: From Dead Grass to Bright Corner Bed

Dallas Moore, Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals

Enhancement by

Dallas Moore

After a large corner lot tree was taken out by the May 2022 derecho in South Dakota, the homeowners struggled to grow grass in the area. 

This was due to the accumulation of pine needles over the years. Pine needles create a challenging environment for grass growth due to a couple of key factors:

  • Soil acidity: When pine needles decompose, they create acidic soil conditions, but grass thrives in neutral or slightly alkaline soil.
  • Nutrient depletion: Pine needles deplete the soil of some nutrients as they decompose while releasing other nutrients. This creates an imbalance that hinders grass growth.

The homeowner missed his tree and was tired of the unsightly brown area on the corner of the property.

As an eye-catching solution, Dallas designed a simple mulch landscape bed that integrated pollinator plants the homeowner selected. These included hydrangeas, Pugster Amethyst butterfly bushes, powwow white coneflower, and lobelia.

We surrounded the bed with steel edging that will provide years of longevity over poly-edging.

Our client was thrilled to be part of the plant selection process and says many neighbors have commented on the new focal point of his yard.

Progression Photos

street view of a home with a large pine tree in winter
Street view of the tree prior to the May 2022 derecho
lawn with dead grass
After losing the tree, grass struggled to grow on this area of the property due to the accumulation of pine needles over the years.
street view of a home with a mulch bed
Google street view image after tearing out the area and installing a mulch bed
a green lawn with a mulch landscape bed and plants
New mulch, steel edging, plants, and boulders are in place. We can't wait to see how this looks once the plants grow in after a year!

How Can We Help Enhance Your Landscaping?

If you have a landscaping issue you’re not sure how to fix, trust the Weller Brothers team to find a solution. 

We approach these challenges every single day and we’d love to enhance your landscaping, too, in Sioux Falls, SD, Rochester, MN, and Des Moines, IA.