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Landscaping plays a major role in the aesthetic appeal and first impression of a residential estate, significantly influencing property values and serving as a key indicator of environmental health.
Beyond their beauty, well-maintained landscapes offer functional benefits such as biodiversity support, improved air quality, and increased resident satisfaction. However, managing a landscape to meet these high expectations requires more than just regular maintenance – it demands a structured, outcomes-based approach and strategic planning to address the unique intensity levels of different landscape zones.
The hybrid outcomes-based model is emerging as an optimal solution to achieve these goals. Unlike conventional service-level agreements (SLAs) that rely on rigid, task-based checklists, this model focuses on desired results, fostering adaptability, accountability, and excellence.
An essential element of this model is landscape intensity mapping, which classifies estate areas into distinct zones: intense, semi, low intensity, and natural. These zones, with their specific requirements and measurable outcomes, provide a structured basis for landscape care and resource allocation, ensuring that the estate’s green spaces are consistently, vibrant, sustainable, and resilient.
LANDSCAPE INTENSITY MAPPING: A FOUNDATION FOR OUTCOMES-BASED SUCCESS
Landscape intensity mapping categorises the estate’s green spaces according to their maintenance needs and aesthetic goals. This classification guides maintenance teams in prioritising areas, tailoring resources, and delivering high- quality outcomes that align with the estate’s visual and ecological standards.
The three main landscape intensity categories include:
1. Intense landscape areas: Areas such as entrance gardens, recreational spaces, and high-visibility zones require frequent and detailed maintenance to ensure a polished and appealing appearance. Often characterized by diverse plantings, manicured lawns, and seasonal colour, they demand the highest maintenance intensity. Measurable outcomes here might include plant health metrics, coverage uniformity, and seasonal planting schedules.
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2. Semi and low-intensity landscape areas: Spaces such as pathways, secondary lawns, and community gathering areas require moderate maintenance. Balancing aesthetic appeal with sustainability, they often feature native plants that need less frequent watering and care. Outcome indicators for these areas include soil health, plant coverage, and weed management, ensuring that the landscape remains attractive without the intensive upkeep of more prominent zones.
3. Natural landscape areas: These are the estate’s most ecologically sensitive or visually distant zones, designed to foster native flora and fauna with minimal interference. Examples include buffer zones, wetlands, and peripheral forested areas. Prioritizing biodiversity and resilience, measurable outcomes here might focus on species diversity, natural ground cover, the removal of alien vegetation, and ecosystem health metrics.
By establishing clear landscape intensity zones, resources can be allocated strategically, ensuring that each area receives appropriate care based on its specific role in the estate’s overall landscape design.
TRANSITIONING FROM TASK-BASED SLAS TO OUTCOMES-BASED OUTSOURCING
The hybrid outcomes-based outsourcing model shifts the focus from predefined tasks to measurable results, allowing maintenance providers to prioritise outcomes aligned with landscape intensity mapping. In this model, success is defined not by routine task completion but by achieving standards of visual appeal, ecological balance, and sustainability.
Key components include:
1. Clear outcome definitions: Desired outcomes are established for each landscape zone using measurable indicators like plant vitality, soil health, and ecosystem diversity. Intense areas might focus on growth rates and colour consistency, while natural zones prioritise biodiversity metrics and minimal human intervention.
2. Provider flexibility and innovation: With clear outcomes rather than rigid tasks, providers can adjust methods based on seasonal conditions, plant needs, or resident feedback. This flexibility encourages innovation, allowing providers to test sustainable practices, eco-friendly treatments, and adaptive planting techniques.
3. In-house oversight: Estate managers or in-house teams monitor providers’ progress and quality, ensuring that landscape goals are met consistently. Regular assessments and data from landscape intensity zones maintain accountability and enable adjustments as needed.
DIFFERENTIATING INITIAL INVESTMENT FROM MAINTENANCE COSTS
This outcomes-based approach also enables estates to distinguish between the value derived from initial investments
in plant and tree material and the ongoing costs of maintenance. By mapping intensity zones, managers can allocate intensive care only where it maximises landscape value, reducing maintenance expenses in other areas.
THE ROLE OF A TREE INVENTORY IN LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT
An essential tool in this model is a tree inventory, a comprehensive catalogue that geolocates and describes each tree on the estate. Information on species, age, condition, and care requirements enables precise landscape management, supporting better planning and resource allocation.
The value of a tree inventory includes:
• Enhanced planning and maintenance: A mapped inventory allows monitoring the condition of individual trees, supporting proactive care and maintenance scheduling. Resources are focused on trees in high-visibility or intense areas, while natural zones emphasise biodiversity.
• Strategic tree replacement: Regular updates to the inventory identify trees needing replacement before they become a safety risk or visually unappealing, maintaining consistent visual appeal and ecological balance.
• Resident engagement and education: Sharing insights from the tree inventory fosters community involvement and appreciation, educating residents about local biodiversity and tree care.
ADVANTAGES OF THE HYBRID OUTCOMES-BASED MODEL WITH INTENSITY MAPPING AND TREE INVENTORY
1. Resource efficiency and value distinction: By distinguishing the intrinsic value of the landscape investment from ongoing maintenance costs, resource allocation can be directly tailored to each zone’s intensity level, maximising resource efficiency. Landscape intensity mapping aligns maintenance efforts with each area’s specific needs, reducing waste and optimising resource use; intense areas receive prioritised care, while semi to low intense and natural zones follow strategically scheduled maintenance.
2. Consistent quality: Focusing on outcomes like visual appeal, plant health, and biodiversity promotes quality across the estate. Providers are motivated to achieve high standards, and in-house oversight ensures adherence to landscape goals.
3. Transparency and accountability: Structured outcomes foster accountability. Intensity mapping and tree inventory data offer estate managers metrics to evaluate success, ensuring transparency with residents and stakeholders.
4. Improved resident satisfaction: Clear communication about landscaping goals, supported by tools like the tree inventory, helps residents understand and appreciate maintenance efforts. Satisfaction increases when residents understand the methodology and expected outcomes of their living environment.Â
5. Environmental sustainability: Tailored maintenance practices support sustainable strategies like native plantings in natural zones and reduced pesticide usage in intense areas, enhancing biodiversity and minimizing environmental impact.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION: CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES
Residential estates that implement this model can achieve significant improvements in both landscape quality and sustainability. For example: Clara Anna Fontein has implemented a hybrid outcomes-based model that combines landscape intensity mapping with an updated tree inventory, enabling high-quality landscaping through strategic resource allocation. A key value-add is Clara’s commitment to composting green landscape waste, which minimises environmental impact by reducing landfill volume and enhancing soil health. This sustainable practice also cuts costs associated with importing compost and mulch, promoting a closed-loop landscaping system.
Regular surveys monitor tree health, enabling proactive replacement planning to keep the landscape vibrant and resilient. Outcomes-based contracts hold service providers accountable to high standards, allowing flexible adjustments based on real-time conditions. This approach enhances the estate’s green spaces, supports environmental goals, and exemplifies resource efficiency.
Outcomes-based landscaping practices extend to other facilities in Clara, such as Reddam House High School, the Clara Square Retail Centre, and the Oasis Life Retirement Village, each with unique landscaping needs. At Reddam House, well-maintained green spaces support aesthetics and functionality, meeting both educational and sustainability goals. Landscape intensity mapping focuses maintenance in high-traffic areas, with lower-intensity management in rounding zones to foster biodiversity.
Similarly, Clara Square prioritises high-visibility areas to maintain an inviting atmosphere, while eco-friendly, low-maintenance landscaping in other zones aligns with the estate’s sustainability objectives. Oasis Life Retirement
Village, designed to provide a tranquil and accessible environment for residents, requires thoughtfully planned green spaces that promote relaxation and well-being. Outcomes-based landscaping here ensures that gardens, pathways, and communal areas are maintained to high standards, offering residents a serene, beautiful setting while supporting easy mobility and accessibility.
The outcomes-based model also supports environmental management, including the maintenance of a stormwater retention system and the rehabilitation of the Uitkamp Wetland and renosterveld vegetation. The stormwater system manages runoff to reduce erosion and prevent flooding and sediment transfer, thus improving downstream water quality in the Mosselbank riverine system, while wetland and renosterveld restoration efforts enhance biodiversity and natural beauty.
Clara Anna Fontein’s application of outcomes-based landscaping across residential, educational, commercial, and retirement village spaces exemplifies its commitment to environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and landscape quality, balancing residential appeal with ecosystem health and resilience.
BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION
1. Initial landscape assessment: Classify estate areas into intense, semi, low intensity and natural zones, defining outcomes for each.
2. Provider training and alignment: Choose providers committed to outcomes-based landscaping and ensure alignment with estate standards.
3. Regular monitoring and feedback: Use tree inventory and intensity mapping data to guide ongoing assessments, refining strategies based on changing conditions.
By implementing outcomes-based landscape management, paired with strategic intensity mapping and a tree inventory, estates can leverage structured data to enhance both economic value and resident lived experience while supporting environmental resilience.
This approach positions landscape maintenance as a strategic investment, aligned with sustainability and high aesthetic standards, enabling estates to deliver vibrant, high-quality green spaces that reflect resident values, improve environmental resilience, and increase property appeal. With clear goals, flexible execution, and data-driven insights, estate managers can effectively meet residents’ needs and foster an ecologically balanced landscape that endures for years to come.
