Landscaping Near Epicenter at Agritopia, Gilbert

Mixed-use landscaping with a farm-town feel

Also known as: Epicenter at Agritopia, Agritopia

Agritopia grew up on a farm. We'll keep the landscaping just as well tended, minus the tractor.

Epicenter mixes about 320 apartments with nearly 50,000 square feet of ground-floor shops, restaurants and fitness businesses. It held its grand opening in November 2023. Mixed-use landscapes have to please everyone at once. Diners want shady patios. Residents want quiet mornings. Shop owners want clean sidewalks and planters that look good from the street. We plan around all three, with early starts away from homes and steady cleanup near outdoor seating.

We already maintain Cooper 202 at Epicenter, so our crews know the area's rhythm. In a neighborhood known for its farm roots, people notice plants. Trees, shrubs and planters should look healthy, not just trimmed into shapes. We prune to keep natural forms where the design calls for it, water deeply on a schedule that fits the season and replace tired plants before they become eyesores. Good landscaping here should feel like it belongs, not like it was dropped in from a catalog.

Walkable places live and die by their sidewalks. Roots, leaf litter and spray from misaimed heads all show up fast where people stroll. We check heads, sweep hardscape and keep tree canopies lifted over paths and parking. It's simple work, done often. We also check that lights in planters and along paths are working, since plenty of people visit Epicenter after dark for dinner. A dark patch on a walkway is easy to fix once someone notices it.

Header photo: Robert Tewart, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)