May 29, 2020 | Landscape Enhancements
The summer season is almost here and that means lots of barbecues and quality time outdoors! It might also mean that it’s time to upgrade your backyard to make the most out of the summer months. Imagine having your own custom-built patio at your fingertips, always ready for a family gathering or party.
Frontier Landscaping designs and builds custom patios, using quality materials and innovative creativity. We work with you to design a patio that will work with your space and how you want to use it. We can select pavers and other materials to complement the aesthetics of your home and make the most out of your backyard.
A patio can really bring a landscape together. It becomes the gathering place for everything from brunch to barbecues to birthday parties! Create a special, relaxing, outdoor dining area and living space. It is the perfect place to enjoy the beauty of your backyard patio. It is also ripe for fun additions, beyond the barbecue, such as a water feature. Consider building an outdoor kitchen, new patio furniture, or a fire pit on your patio, to make your yard the premier gathering place for your community. You can also add amazing outdoor furniture or porch swings to maximize relaxation. With proper design and installation, a new patio can enhance your enjoyment of the landscape and increase the property value of your home!
Getting your Patio
To start the process, just contact us through the website or over the phone to discuss the possibilities and get an estimate. The Frontier Landscaping team will then come to your home to survey the space and talk with you about how you envision your dream summer patio. From there, we will build a plan and begin to implement it. Our installation team works quickly and precisely to make sure the design is executed perfectly. We always clean up when we are finished and you get to have final approval over everything we do.
Our expert design and installation team have created many gorgeous, successful patios in the Portland-Vancouver area. All the photos you see here are from recent projects completed by our team. To see more of our work, please visit the gallery section of our website. To discuss your ideas for your patio, contact us online today or call us at (888) 544-5006!
Apr 10, 2020 | General, Landscaping Tips, News, Spring Tips
Keeping Busy and #StayHome
As we’re being asked to #StayHome, parents and families are looking for fun ways to keep kids busy. We found a few fun ideas from Growing A Jeweled Rose to help keep kids busy in the garden. We’ve selected our favorites and listed them here. If you try any of these, please post your photos or if you have any other ideas, please share in the comments below. As adults, some of these look fun to us too, so don’t feel like you can’t participate if you don’t have kids at home.
If your kids are a little older and/or are ready to help in the yard, here are a few ideas we found to help keep them busy helping you
Debris Clean- Up
One thing you can do is to clean up your yard. This means removing leaves, twigs, branches, dirt and other items that have accumulated over the fall and winter months. There are some common issues in Clark County & Portland Metro, so if you’re seeing bare batches, there are a few issues you could be facing.
Make it fun – make it a race to gather debris and bring it to the compost pile. Use a stopwatch (or app) to time them.
Composting
Collected leaves, cuttings, spent foliage and other debris will decompose and create nutrient rich humus for amending your garden. Adding organic compost can be a great way to improve the condition of your soil. Composting also helps to improve water retention, airflow and can improve the strength and feel of the soil. The debris in your yard, such as leaves, plants, grass clippings and even kitchen scraps (not animals) can make great compost. You’ll need to turn it frequently to speed up the decomp process.
Make a game for your kids by having them take turns turning the compost. Time them and have them pass the turning tool around to all of them.
Mar 7, 2020 | Drainage Solutions, Garden Styles, Landscape Enhancements
this post was updated March 7, 2020
Rain gardens are growing in popularity as drainage solutions for environmentally-conscious property owners. These carefully-designed landscapes add more than beauty to their surroundings. They are proven to have a significant impact in reducing the flow of contaminated water from urban areas to wetlands, streams, lakes, and other natural waterways.
Installing a rain garden is a powerful way to directly contribute a positive impact on the environment surrounding your home or business.
Why Do Rain Gardens Matter?
As communities grow and develop, buildings, roads, and rooftops replace native habitats. During times of precipitation, the original flow of water through the enviroscape is disturbed. Instead of being naturally filtered through pre-existing forests and soil, stormwater now flows at a high rate over hard surfaces and carries man-made pollutants with it. Erosion and increased flooding become problematic.
Additionally, the higher flow rate of water and contaminants that result from development cause real problems for regional aquatic life and water resources. However, rain gardens offer an exciting array of solutions.
- Slow erosion and alleviate flooding
- Decrease pollution and waste
- Clean runoff naturally
- Reduce the workload for wastewater facilities
- Can be created in public and private spaces of any shape and size, including businesses, residences, or public spaces
What Is A Rain Garden?
Rain gardens are bowl-shaped depressions in a landscape that collect and clean rainwater runoff from hard surfaces nearby, like driveways, roofs, parking areas, and patios.
They are designed with special soil mixes that allow speedy absorption of water — usually a combination of sand, topsoil, and compost. This amended soil filters runoff and also supports a variety of plant growth.
Note: Rain gardens are not permanent ponds. They are sized to allow temporary pooling after rain. In a well-designed garden, all water passes through very quickly, typically from one to two hours (maximum of one to two days) after a storm. This prevents stagnation and mosquitoes.
Photo: WSU Extension
There are a number of ways water can be diverted to a rain garden through a landscape. It may be that one approach works well for a back yard/patio area, but a different one is more effective for dealing with runoff issues in the front.
Design Features of a Rain Garden
Soil
Soil is where it all begins. Reworking the ground to provide the right blend of soil, sand, and compost is critical to having a healthy rain garden. Absorption, drainage, and filtration all rests on getting this foundation prepared correctly.
Plantings
There are three planting zones in a rain garden:
Zone 1 The wettest area, at the bottom of the rain garden. Important to install plants in this zone that can handle “wet feet” for several hours at a time.
Zone 2 The sloped sides of the garden, which may become wet from time to time. These plants provide stability and prevent erosion.
Zone 3 The perimeter of the rain garden, with the driest soil.
Since rain garden design is based on earth-friendly practice, using native plantings to fill out the three zones makes a lot of sense. Native plants create a nourishing habitat for local wildlife, birds, butterflies, and other important pollinators.
Photo: Washington State Department of Ecology
“Plants and soil work together in the rain garden. The plant roots and soil organisms build soil structure, create channels and pores to soak up and filter water, and improve nutrient and oxygen availability necessary to support an abundance of life. While plants help the rain garden absorb stormwater, they also create an attractive landscape for your yard and neighborhood.” — WSU Extension, Rain Garden Handbook for Western WA
How to Know If A Rain Garden Is Right For You
A rain garden may be a good fit for you if you answer “yes” to the following questions:
- Do you want to improve the landscaping and appearance of your property?
- Would you like to directly reduce the amount of pollutants reaching groundwater and storm drains in your community (as well as wetlands, streams, and other natural waters)?
- Would you like to reduce flooding, prevent sewer overflows, and erosion in streams by absorbing runoff from hard surfaces?
- Is providing habitat for beneficial insects and birds important to you?
- Would you like to be responsible for recharging local groundwater by increasing the amount of water that soaks into the ground on your property
Let’s Get To Work
Frontier Landscaping offers professional expertise and support for residential and commercial clients committed to environmentally-conscious landscaping. While the best time for testing soil drainage and groundwater levels is in late winter months, we are available to walk you through the planning process for a rain garden at any time of year:
- Site assessment & testing
- Garden location
- Soil amendment & excavation
- Planting requirements
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- Design aesthetic
- Maintenance goals
- Compliance with city/county regulations
- Long-term success
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Call (360) 574-8979 or contact us to get started on your path to a cleaner, greener future.
Additional Reading: Washington State Extension Rain Garden Guide
Jan 20, 2020 | General
At Frontier Landscaping we receive many requests for Retaining Walls. This is one of the more frequently discussed additions with regards to a clients’ hardscaping, when deciding on their Landscape designs. This can be with a brand-new landscape or an addition to an existing landscape. Some of our clients live on more sloped areas and it is not unusual to want to create flat or level spots within the Outdoor areas to get more usage from the property. When deciding on a Landscape or improvement to the existing Landscape, at Frontier Landscaping we discuss the best way to increase the living spaces and or enhance by adding these features to the design.
A Few attributes of adding retaining walls
- Creates more useable Outdoor Spaces
- Rapid Installation
- Creates vertical, horizontal areas as well as adding curvature
- Concrete, wood, synthetics, brick, blocks, etc.
- Wide variety of colors, sizes and textures
- Provides support
One method of building Retaining Walls consists of modular concrete blocks that interlock with each other. They can be used to hold back a sloping face of soil to provide a solid, vertical front. Without adequate retention, slopes can cave, slump or slide. With construction of our Retaining Walls, higher and steeper walls can be constructed with the ability to retain the force of earth pressure created by the backfill soil, giving more flexibility to your design choices.
Retaining Walls can be installed in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and textures. They can incorporate straight or curved lines, steps, and corners. They are ideal for not only slope support, but also for widening areas that would otherwise be unusable due to the natural slope of the land. Retaining walls are often used for grade changes, and for other functional reasons such as widening driveways, walkways, or creating more space in a patio outdoor area. More usable area for your Landscapes and Outdoor Spaces.
Retaining Walls provide lateral support to vertical slopes of soil. They retain soil which would otherwise collapse into a more natural shape. The retained soil is referred to as backfill.
Oct 8, 2019 | Fall Tips, General, Landscape Enhancements, Landscaping Tips
Have you been wanting to freshen up your space and give your backyard a new feel? Perhaps you’ve thought of transforming your backyard into an entertainment space, perfect for hosting get-together’s and even Holiday events if the weather is right. Below, we selected six renovation ideas to spruce up your landscaping and get your backyard ready for anything.
1. Adding Hardscape
Looking to add texture to your backyard design? Adding hardscape will greatly increase your backyard’s appeal and usability. Hardscape design can be simple, like a river rock path meandering through your greenery. Or you can choose to be bold and do the entire backyard in natural stone slabs., pavers or something entirely different. There are endless design options you can create by choosing natural stone, pavers, bricks, river rocks and more. Our Professionals at Frontier Landscape can help you design outdoor spaces that are truly your own.
Adding hardscape can also create a kid and pet friendly play space.
2. Build a Retaining Wall
Do you have a sloped backyard? Building a retaining wall, or a tiered retaining wall, can create depth and add character. Kick your design up a notch by adding flowers, plants, shrubs, or even a couple of trees.
3. Design a “Native” Landscape Area
In Washington, we have many different colorful trees and shrubs that add texture and form to your Landscape. You might try a Red Dogwood or Ninebark for year-round color. Planting a Native Garden keeps us in touch with the flora around us.
4. Create a Natural Outdoor Space
Do you find lush trees and cascading waterfalls relaxing? You can use natural rock slabs to create a waterfall and river that re-circulates through your yard. Plant trees that give a home to birds, and add bird feeders throughout your backyard.
While you’re at it, add a hammock for relaxing at the end of a long day for when the season rolls back around.
5. Add a Garden or Planter Boxes
Ready for some garden to table living? Starting your own edible garden with fruits and veggies can be very rewarding. You can start big or small, depending on what your outdoor space will allow. Planter boxes are perfect for creating an area for fruits, vegetables, or herbs to grow without compromising on space. This can be rather seasonal depending on your location and winter temperatures. But… once you have the Garden or Planter Boxes, you can rotate “off-season” with color/flowers that work well when your edibles do not.
Our final thoughts on renovating your backyard:
Add some personal touches! Maybe some outdoor sculpture with an artistic flare…Consider adding lighting (pathway lights, twinkle lights or tiki torches), a fire pit, or maybe even a bocce ball court. Personal finishing touches will bring your backyard renovation together and make it the perfect place to relax and welcome friends and family. Have fun and make it your own!
Whatever your backyard renovation dreams or desires are, we want to be a part of them! Contact US! or visit our contact page to schedule an appointment with our Frontier Landscaping Professionals. Start making your backyard dreams a reality.
Contact US to schedule an appointment!
Sep 19, 2019 | Fall Tips, Fire Pits, General, Landscape Enhancements, News
Fire Pits are a popular and comforting addition to any yard, especially in the temperate Pacific Northwest! As our weather begins to change, our busy lives do too. Work, school, kids and Pre-holiday projects are picking up as we enter the Fall Season.
What better time than now to consider putting in a Fire pit? You have likely thought about it on many occasions, but not gotten around to it. Maybe now IS the perfect time.
Here are some of the advantages to consider…
- Increase your outdoor season. Mother Nature decides what portion of the year that we can spend outdoors – or comfortably anyway. And outdoor fire pit extends the portion of the year that you can spend in your backyard by providing a heat source. Outdoor gatherings and family evenings can still be enjoyed well into the Fall and sometimes beyond.
- Creating and Outdoor Gathering place. People love to gather around a fire. A fire pit gives you the perfect focal or gathering point where you can relax with family, friends and neighbors. Putting the word out that you are having a fire that night, and your people will come!
- Light… Let’s face it, fires provide heat but they also provide light. When you add a fire pit to your backyard or outdoor spaces, you are also adding light.
- Adding art and ambiance. Fire pits also add a focal point and a touch of artistry to your outdoor spaces. If it’s a block ring to beautifully tiled fire pits made with natural stone, slate, blocks and even the addition of water, you can really add beauty along with the warmth and light to your yard or garden.
- Fire Pit functionality. In addition to the warmth, light and ambiance that fire pits provide, there are some things that can also be very functional.
Slate, wood burning fire pit.
Block Fire Pit with Grill
Some fire pits can be equipped with a grilling surface for barbecues or convert to a table. Fire pots can be wood burning, propane or natural gas and light with a push of a button or ignite the old-fashioned way… The different versions and possibilities are endless. Based on your personal taste and sense of style, our Frontier Landscaping Staff can help you with the best “version” for you.
Contact US to schedule an appointment!
Aug 20, 2019 | General, Landscape Enhancements, Summer Tips
Summer Landscaping… There is still time to make your landscape everything you had wanted when the summer started. These summer landscape additions can transform an “average” yard into an excellent one. And, with that in mind, you and your family and friends can enjoy the remaining warm weather in the comfort of your own backyard. Use these summer landscape additions to reinvent your design in August and well into Labor Day.
Lighting up the Night
Adding lights along your sidewalks and gardens creates an enchanting ambiance to your yard when the sun goes down. You can have your family and friends over for a summer evening barbecue. A romantic evening for two…Or even some quiet time of your own for an evening. Adding the element of the soft lighting contrasts the darkness and allows you to experience your yard in a whole new way.
Learn more about how we can light up your landscape
The Sound of Water
A fountain or stream in your landscape can transform your yard to a private oasis. There is nothing more soothing than the sound of running water. Water summer landscape additions are perfect for enjoying a summer evening with a book, or a morning cup of coffee. Water features also improve the look of your landscape design. Even the simple addition of a small water feature can enhance the aesthetic quality of your yard. Or perhaps you want to make a bigger statement? In this case the larger water features’ possibilities are endless. You can even make this the focal point of your yard. With any of these choices, you can’t go wrong adding the calming effects of water.
Learn more about our fountain and water installation services
And then there was FIRE!
There are few things in a yard that can make people come together more than a fire pit. A fire pit is a staple for classic American, summer time cooking. Making hotdogs, s’mores or campfire pies is sure to draw a crowd. Incorporating a fire pit into the overall design of your landscape will make the property feel like it’s made for enjoying good food, fun people, and making memories.
Following the right path…
Paths and Patios may start with a new path from the street to your front door so guests don’t have to traverse the front lawn, stairs and a front porch. But don’t stop there!
Paths and Patios can be created using slate, brick, concrete, rough stone, gravel, crushed granite, pavers of all shapes and colors or a mix therein. Frontier Professionals can create paths and patios, steps, fire pits to suit your needs, solve problems and enhance your landscape and property value.
Suited to your own aesthetic tastes, we can create living spaces that extend the hospitality of your home, extended and open up an area for entertaining or create a quiet retreat. We can configure them to fit nearly any shape, size or scope of project; they may be used to meet a number of landscape goals while letting water drain through.
Check our our full range of Path and Patio services
Color…Color…Color…
Summer…You want to make the most of it while you can. Adding flowers along your walkways, on your front step, or in a flower garden will help you enjoy some of the best delicacies of the season. Flowers are easily maintained. They add character and texture to your yard. They also make for a nice contrast between the seasons and give you something fresh to look at and enjoy. There are also different types of foliage plants that have texture and color. Needles, flowers on plants, perennials, annuals, grasses and even brightly-colored bark on shrubs and trees give something even in their dormant season. Your Professionals at Frontier will surely fit your needs and work with you to get the best result possible.
Find out more about how we can add color to your landscape
Jul 26, 2019 | General
The warm weather is here, and if you are like many people, you are beginning to clean up here and there. You may even be looking to make improvements to your property involving landscape, including new walkways, patios, or walls. Hardscaping can make any yard or property look like a million bucks.
What is a hardscape?
The term is something that is not known by everyone, as hardscaping is its own category of landscaping. It usually consists of hard design elements such as stone, concrete, or brick. Some popular hardscape features include outdoor kitchens and living spaces, garden walls, paths and walkways, as well as the maintenance and repairs that come with maintaining these features.
How to give your home that Wow Factor…
Maybe you have been thinking about adding the perfect entertainment area, a stonewall for privacy, or beautiful walkways for your garden or something more. If we might suggest, you might focus on these elements…
Take a look at your Landscape… Below are a few questions to ask before making a hard decision on a Hardscape…
- How do you want it to function?
- Would you like a space to entertain?
- A Space to relax?
- A play space for the kids?
The beauty of answering these questions is that by doing so, you are that much closer to getting exactly what you want when you talk with one of our experts at Frontier Landscaping.
Now, Let’s talk materials…
Some materials you might have seen, maybe liked in someone else’s Landscape or you liked elements of it, but might want a different color, etc. Below are a few more questions to consider before going forward.
- What overall tone or atmosphere do you want these spaces to project?
- What kind of feeling do you want yourself and others to experience?
- What do you visualize the overall, finished Landscape to look like?
Again, this will bring you even closer to having exactly what you want.
Always Ask the Experts!
You can envision your new space for entertaining. You have found the perfect shady place for the kids. You have picked out the perfect hammock placement for naps on weekends…Now, you aren’t sure what to do next. Well, it’s time to ask the experts at Frontier. A Professional opinion is exactly what is needed to make your dreams into reality. By doing that, not only will the elements be in the final project, but it is likely that it will even come out better than you had imagined.
At Frontier Landscaping we understand how important hardscaping is to the overall look and feel of your landscape. When you need help deciding what landscaping work needs to be done, be sure to contact our expert team! Our Frontier Landscaping experts will walk you through our entire design process, and ensure that you will feel confident and clear that your project will be the best that it can be.
Contact US to schedule your appointment!
(360) 574-8979
May 15, 2019 | General
Maybe you are yearning for your own backyard version of our very own breathtaking Multnomah Falls. While you may not be able to recreate one of the world’s natural wonders, you can certainly be inspired to do so. That way, every time you look at your own private waterfall, you will be reminded of that spectacular, breathtaking view…
There are many ways to create this personal water feature, but generally a backyard waterfall consists of two or more pools or bodies of water at different heights. It is just one idea that you would want to discuss with our Frontier Landscape Professionals to see what works for your personal Landscape.
Natural or man-made rocks and boulders are often incorporated into home-based waterfalls. Also, with the guidance of our staff, you can design whatever course you want the waterfall to take… A direct drop (freefall), interweaving channels, or one that breaks into a series of small holding pools or stair steps.
Since the Summer Season is nearly here, now is the perfect time to contact Frontier Landscaping to schedule your appointment to create your garden oasis.
Contact US or call 360-574-8979
Click HERE for more information!
May 15, 2019 | General
At Frontier Landscaping, we believe that Walkways lead company to a welcoming home, meander through flower beds, and even provide passage through a yard. They also should mesh well with both your home’s architectural design and surrounding landscaping. Whether you are starting off with new landscape designs, or removing and starting over- Frontier Landscaping can help you arrive at a plan and project that enhances your Outdoor Living Spaces, adds value to the equity in your home and enhances your Landscape Design…
- Adds equity as well as atmosphere to your Outdoor Living Spaces.
- Creates a finished look of Design element and style.
- Connects one area to another allowing your Outdoor Living Spaces to flow.
- Texture and finishes as well as practicality.
Making your selections
There is a seemingly endless supply of walkway material ideas available out there, and it seems anything that can create a pathway is a possibility. Everything from pavers, timber wood, stamped concrete, brick design layouts, and natural stone are just some of the materials available to give our clients at Frontier Landscaping an idea of what options are available to create the designs that fit your vision and fulfill your needs.
Walkways/Pathways through your garden or landscape are a great way to show off your favorite flowerbeds, your overall landscaping or to invite someone on a journey… Our Professionals at Frontier Landscaping can help you on your way to the perfect look that suits you.
Contact US
Call to schedule an appointment, we look forward to hearing from you!
