The Big One: The extra mile

Company: LandCare
Location: Seattle

Located 15 minutes north of downtown Seattle, Acacia Memorial Park is a 60-acre cemetery with several species of trees, including sequoias, spruce
and redwoods.

According to Steven Maples, branch manager for LandCare’s Seattle north branch, the property provides several challenges with its hilly terrain.

“A lot of the ground is uneven, and the headstones can settle, which makes mowing a bit more challenging,” says Maples. “The gardens, which are big turf panels, are on a 10- to 15-degree slope, so you’ve just got to take your time to make sure you’re getting a good mow pattern.”

Crews also battle with the Pacific Northwest’s rainy weather. LandCare utilizes 72-inch Exmark ride-on zero-turn mowers and bags all grass clippings to avoid covering markers.

“Unfortunately, wet grass in a bagging unit can lead to a lot of clogging,” says Maples. “There’s a lot more getting off the mower, unclogging the system and starting back up when it’s wet out there.”

Maples estimates that LandCare services about 47 acres of the property mowing, pruning and marker edging.

“We go through and edge up every single marker every other month starting in March,” he says. “I would say there are more than 30,000 markers that we edge. That alone takes upwards of 250 hours.”

LandCare won a Gold Award from the 2022 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program for this project.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

The gem of the property is an ivy-covered mausoleum constructed in 1931. The building holds 29 works of stained glass and a Japanese garden with a waterfall and a reflecting pool.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

According to Steven Maples, branch manager of LandCare’s Seattle north branch, crews use three ride-on mowers to cover the 47 acres they maintain.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

In areas of the cemetery such as these, LandCare crews use 21-inch Exmark mowers for precision between headstones.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

LandCare stays in close contact with the cemetery to ensure crews don’t mow in the same area as a funeral service.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

The cemetery features two distinct areas. LandCare mows the grass in the property’s A-area (seen in No. 3) weekly.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

LandCare crews edge nearly 30,000 markers over five months.

(Photo: Ray Gallardo)

Maples says when mowing and edging, crews pay close attention to flowers and other items placed on headstones to ensure they aren’t disturbed.