When this property opened in 1959, it was home to a popular amusement park near Boston, Massachusetts. The park didn’t last, but the site was transformed into a thriving corporate hub. With over 150 acres that include buildings, ponds, and walking paths, the landscape needs the right balance of care for the tenants and the ecosystem.
Outdoor Pride Landscaping, based in Manchester, New Hampshire, has overseen this unique property for over five years, leading to a 2023 Silver Award of Excellence.
“When we heard the news, it was exciting for both us and our client,” says Bill Butts, vice president of client relations & sales for the company. “We had a customer appreciation event that allowed us to unveil the award and share the story with everyone. Having the property viewed as award-winning inspires our employees and gives them opportunities to be promoted and work on The Edge.”
Over 1,400 acres of conservation land surround The Edge, which has a major effect on lawn care.
“Across the property, we use organic lawn products,” Butts says. “We don’t use any spraying or weed control, so there’s a decent number of weeds. Our client and tenants realize we’re limited with our products, and they’re okay with having some weeds in the lawn.”
As the campus grew, ponds were added to encourage wildlife and add beauty to the property. These ponds limit the workspace in some areas, so the team uses smaller equipment to navigate the slopes near the ponds. As the season progresses, wildlife frequently visits the property.
Deer and geese are the main visitors, so Outdoor Pride uses aroma-based organic products to reduce plant damage from the deer. And for the geese, the team keeps them in certain areas to avoid chewing up the grass. Outdoor Pride Landscaping seeks to coexist with wildlife, so they take measures to encourage them.
“We let the pond edges grow naturally to help with runoff and drainage, but also to create wildlife habitat,” Butts says. “That extra grass layer helps the animals feel comfortable going in and out of the ponds.”
With this much land, The Edge requires a full-time crew of three to manage the property. That number doubles at certain times of the year, especially for the spring and fall clean-up. For snow removal, a crew of six to ten treat the campus using liquid and salt brine to reduce impact on the local environment.
“The brine allows us to put 70% less product out compared to salt and it’s not messy,” Butts says. “The management companies love it because they don’t get lobbies full of salt or ice crystals.”
Beyond the daily tasks, the Outdoor Pride team supports several campus events, like Earth Day.
“The tenant coordinator brings in four or five vendors for an Earth Day event, and we provide best practice tips for home lawn care and pruning,” Butts says. “In summer, we host an ice cream social and bring in an ice cream truck. The tenants can ask questions about their landscape and enjoy some ice cream.”
Outdoor Pride also hosts a holiday planter workshop a few weeks before Christmas. For this event, they supply evergreens for the containers and give a demonstration for creating the arrangements.
Much of the campus is over 20 years old. In recent years, the buildings have received updates on the inside and outside.
“We’ve been working with their management to redesign every building entrance on the property with new plantings,” Butts says. “Many of the new plantings focus on long-term interest and veer away from the traditional plants that just stay green. We use lots of ornamental grasses. We’ve also been working on tenant amenity areas, like the patios and basketball courts.”
Native plants are a key focus near the pond, so the team works with a designer to select plants that help pollinators and match the building décor.
As campus employees return to the office, they’re greeted with a more relaxed environment where they can enjoy the greenspace and have more outdoor amenities. This includes renovated walking paths and patios where they can meet and have brainstorming sessions.
“With mental health being a concern right now, these amenities are great for catching a break or having a meeting in a less formal setting,” Butts says. “We have weekly meetings with the campus leadership team to discuss their ideas and address any concerns that are coming up. Their feedback helps us see things we wouldn’t have noticed ourselves.”
One example is a walking path for the tenants in winter. Since the main trails aren’t plowed, the team created a path to the side of the parking lot.
For Butts and his team, feedback comes in all forms.
“We’ve gotten emails directly from the tenants with compliments about the property. It’s a great motivator for the team when they know they’re making a difference.”
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Be sure to enter your projects when entries open in early 2025.
