Inside The Design: Parade of Homes Landscape 2016

We love the ‘wow’ factor of a new landscape. After all, delivering amazing results is a trademark of our business. Does it surprise you to learn that up to 20% of the work that creates these transformations is invisible once the job is complete?

A gorgeous finished project is what you see, but decades of experience lie beneath the surface. Here are six considerations that went into creating our 2016 Parade of Homes landscape in Ridgefield, WA.

We Love Your Dirt

It may not be glamorous, but we’re serious about getting soil preparation right. While choosing plants, lights, and water features is fun, it’s no exaggeration to say that every landscaping success begins in the soil.

For this project, we tilled in 2-3 inches of 3-way soil to improve the existing clay soil. While new county codes require this improvement, we have long encouraged homeowners to take this important step.

Benefits of Soil Improvement

• Helps break down clay
• Provides higher water and nutrient penetration
• Reduces runoff
• Lawn and plants: better structure for root systems, less pests, fewer weeds

Smarter Water

Water-wise irrigation begins weeks ahead of the sprinkler heads you’ll see around a yard. We plan with integrity. Using drip irrigation around shrubs saves money and waste. A rain sensor to shut off irrigation on wet days and nights is environmentally-friendly.

Rain Bird offers a solid warranty on their products and is one of Frontier’s preferred providers. We take advantage of position and ability to purchase high-grade, long-lasting systems for our clients.  

After installation, our irrigation specialists remain available to evaluate your yard’s changing needs, including backflow testing, spring startup, and winterization to keep your investment safe.

Ooh-La-Lawns

This gorgeous lawn owes its beauty to our first consideration — improving the soil. With a rich layer of amended soil, lawns and plants will flourish from the start.

Additional considerations to keep things in perfect shape include regular lime and fertilizer application, gypsum, aeration, and more based on seasonal needs. Our maintenance department tailors a care plan to each yard that goes well beyond weed control.

Lighting The Night

LED lighting is applauded for its energy efficiency, but quality design goes beyond illuminating entrances and pathways for security. Artfully-placed uplights bring out texture in trees and rockery, while a well-lit water features adds elegant beauty to nighttime views.

Creative illumination extends a home’s sense of outdoor living long after the sun goes down.

 

Let Nature Lead

The combination of moving water, textured rocks, and clusters of plants is eye-catching in nature, and we follow suit for creating beauty around a home. This pond, deep enough for fish, is designed with hiding places to protect them from raccoons and birds, while a high-quality filtration/skimmer system keeps things clean.

Fresh plantings are carefully spaced to allow mature growth in coming seasons. Use of accent rockery and boulders throughout the landscape gives texture and dimension.

Ever mindful of security, a double-lining and a layer of sand below the base of water features ensures they’re stabilized for long-lasting enjoyment.

 

 

The Crowning Touch

Perfect plant choices bring together beauty and function. Things we are always keeping in mind for a home include:

• Attracting hummingbirds, pollinators, and beneficial insects
• Creating bird habitat
• Screening for privacy
• Protecting from wind
• Softening sharp angles
• Opportunities for edibles and harvests

The right plants offer a wide variety of benefits as well as complement a home’s style. The finishing touch is a layer of bark dust. It’s pretty to look at and also suppresses weeds and retains moisture. Low-voltage and LED lighting illuminate trees and flowerbeds so the views are enjoyable in the evenings, too.

Frontier Landscaping Inc was established in 1988 for the purpose of providing customers with a full-service landscape experience. We specialize in high-end residential landscapes, but we’re available for projects of any scope and size.

 

We have been customers of Frontier Landscaping since October of 1995. They did the landscaping on our current home and have maintained it ever since. I can’t say enough good things about the Frontier Landscaping office and crew. They have always been very professional and responsive to anything we have asked for.

 

We are currently building a new home that will be featured in this year’s Parade of Homes and once again they are doing all of our landscaping. Steve, Shaun and the rest of the crew have really done an excellent job. They fully landscaped 3/4 of an acre that includes two incredible water features, landscape lighting, several beds, sprinkler system, and numerous plantings. Throughout the process they kept me informed, gave me great advice and finished on time! We couldn’t be happier and don’t hesitate to recommend them.

~Shannon and Todd