With more people summering at home this year, Southwest Landscape Management can ensure your outdoor surroundings are ready

190726 S6392 520
Southwest Landscape Management has been giving area homeowners the time to enjoy their own yards for more than 26 years. (Photography: Benjamin Margalit)

By Ken McEntee

The summer calendar of parades, fireworks and festivals seems to have been crossed off before we’ve even flipped the page to June.

But here’s the good news: You always have your yard.

“A lot of people are going to be spending more time at home this summer,” projects Steve Rak, owner of Southwest Landscape Management.

“Relaxing in a beautiful, well-manicured lawn and landscape can make it more enticing.”

Although Southwest Landscape trucks are commonly spotted all around the area’s best looking commercial properties, the company has been giving Strongsville homeowners the time to enjoy their own yards for more than 26 years.

Steve Rak, owner of Southwest Landscape Management

“Because we have such a high profile in commercial landscaping, some people don’t realize that we do residential services as well,” says Steve, a past president of the Ohio Landscape Association and former columnist for Turf Magazine, a national trade publication. “It’s true that the majority of our work is with commercial properties and homeowners associations, but we also do a lot of residential properties.”

That makes Southwest Landscape the ideal candidate to prepare your property for a summer of home-spun fun. It can begin with a good spring cleanup.

“Getting your spring cleanup done right always sets the tone for the year,” Steve suggests. “Trimming down some overgrown plants and shrubs, pulling out old weeds and adding some new colorful plants will freshen up your landscape and give you a fantastic look that you can relish all summer long. Adding a fresh layer of mulch will provide that extra touch that will really make your plant beds pop.”

Adding some new colorful plants and high quality mulch will freshen up your landscape and give it a finished look that you can relish all summer long.

Southwest Landscape is picky about its mulch suppliers, Steve says.

“We deal only with the two best mulch producers in the area,” he insists.

Southwest Landscape isn’t finished after spring preparation. The company’s landscaping experts offer a year-round management program for yards of all sizes. The program includes:

  • Spring clean-up
  • Bed edging
  • Mulch application
  • Weekly lawn maintenance
  • Bed maintenance
  • Shrub and tree pruning
  • Fertilization
  • Fall leaf clean-up

“Beautifying your yard is satisfying, but it’s also a wise investment,” Steve says.

“What we do doesn’t cost a ton of money, and homeowners are amazed at how much we can improve their yards with just a few changes. You don’t need to do a huge, expensive project to improve your home. Sometimes trimming things down and maybe adding a new plant or two for a change of pace makes all the difference in the world.”

Steve emphasizes that Southwest Landscape is big enough to handle large property maintenance accounts for condos, homeowners associations, businesses, churches and other organizations.

Steve emphasizes that Southwest Landscape is big enough to handle large property maintenance accounts for condos, homeowners associations, businesses, churches and other organizations.

“Yet we’re still small enough to provide the personal touch that each residential customer deserves,” he says. “Landscape management isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some customers will simply have us come over to mow the lawn once a week. Most of them want us to add on trimming and edging along with the appropriate schedule of fertilization.”

What Southwest Landscape doesn’t do is hardscapes and patio installations.

And for good reason.

“We’re landscaping experts and I think it’s best to stick with what you know,” he shares. “There are other companies that do fantastic work with patios. Because those can be such high-cost money-makers, it’s natural that a company will assign its A-team to them. When we come out to do your lawn and landscape maintenance, you’re getting our A-team.”

The A-team is uniquely qualified to create a fabulous yard—and it’s also specially trained to work in a way that’s safe for customers and for itself. Maintenance crews employ a well-designed, color-coded system that identifies each members’ tools and gear.

Southwest Landscape Management trucks are commonly spotted all around the area’s best looking commercial properties.

“Every guy has his own spray bottle with a disinfectant to sanitize their equipment at the end of the day,” Steve says. “All the trucks are sprayed down, the guys wear masks and we practice social distancing, including limiting the number of workers traveling in each truck. I’m taking everybody’s temperature every morning, which is really weird, but safety is important.”

Southwest Landscape’s Enhancement Division offers a variety of additional services to its residential and commercial clients, including:

  • Spring and fall color plantings
  • Annuals
  • Perennials
  • Mums
  • Landscape renovation
  • Tree trimming
  • Entrance way and sign plantings
  • General grounds clean-up
  • Small design projects
  • Turf renovation
  • Aeration

You can prepare for an enjoyable summer at home by calling Southwest Landscape Management, at 440-748-6000, or by sending an email to steve@sw-landscape.com. Southwest Landscape Management is located at 33593 Royalton Road, in Columbia Station. You can learn more at SW-Landscape.com.

Categories: Westside Home & Garden