Apr 24, 2018 | General
Thank you to our customers, employees, vendors/business associates, peers and community for all the wonderful support! February marks the 30th year in business! WOW, what a ride!
Frontier Landscaping grew from a passion of the outdoors. Steve has loved the design and installation aspect of landscaping since high school and into college. Being able to see a design or idea become a reality on a homeowner’s property inspired Tina and Steve to start working out of their mobile home park with their 1974 Ford truck, trailer and a 60’s Massey Ferguson tractor that they cleaned up and painted. From the beginning we saw the value in clean rigs with nice signage and word of mouth business. Today we have well over 20 trucks in our fleet with the recognizable white and dark blue trucks with wagon logo. We started doing landscaping the first few years while Tina worked another job to make ends meet and also did our books. Steve and a couple of guys started doing the Landscaping. We started growing and added the maintenance department in about 1995 and in 2010 we brought in Sunshine Tree Service a very well- known and respected tree company that started in 1980. Since then the name has been changed to Frontier Tree Service.
Due to our growth and community support, it has allowed us to be able to give back to the community. We have en
joyed many community service events over the years and will continue for many more years to come!
Forward to 2018 we are a full-service Landscape company with three divisions, landscape construction, tree service and maintenance and have grown to over 40 employees. This would not have been possible without all the support of our awesome team members, community and most of all our clients.
We are nothing without our outstanding employees. From the very beginning in 1988 to today they have provided the skills and talents necessary to provide our quality services. Thank you all for taking the ride with us. Many have come and gone and will always be remembered. We are grateful for your service with Frontier. All of our past and current emp
loyee’s passion is what helped mold Frontier Landscaping to what it is today.
We value improving our expertise and safety through training. Some of our employees are certified as arborist, back flow inspectors, erosion control specialist, and pesticide applicators. We also have employees certified in CPR. We are proud of the time they have spent to get educated in our industry.
The future is bright, and we expect to continue growing and exploring new ways to improve our services. We look forward to another 30 years with you!
Thank you again!
Tina and Steve Pash
Feb 13, 2018 | General
While many of us spend our winters focused on indoor activities, if you’ve been thinking about installing a new patio, retaining wall, pavers, water feature, or any other outdoor living space, don’t wait for spring to get started. Winter is the best
time to do it, and here’s why:
The Setting
Take a look at your property in the wintertime: Stark, dormant, monochromatic,and the perfect canvas upon which to design the ideal outdoor living space.
Importantly, this also allows us to take a look at how your property handles wintertime weather, such as water runoff and address any drainage or irrigation issues – whether through repair or installation—thereby ensuring that after your project is completed, it will weather the next winter without some of the unwelcome surprises that otherwise weren’t revealed during the summer months.
We’ll also be able to address tree issues, whether it’s pruning, installation or removal—quickly and with less visual impact.
Scheduling
It’s no secret that during the colder, slower months the line moves much faster to get projects started and completed. And, should your plans call for any permitting, the lowered rate of competition for these services will speed things up for you.
Convenience
If you’re not going to be entertaining outside right now, the need to be patient with a construction zone at your home will be greatly reduced. Once it’s completed you’ll be able to accessorize with plants, planters, and all the fun stuff involved with adding decorative touches.
Economics
Outside of the peak season, we can work with you to design a project budget that works the most efficiently for all of us, and when you’re not rushed, you’re far less likely to discover additional needs that can add to the cost.
Endless Outdoor Living
And while you’re at it, how about a pergola over a hot tub, or a fire pit to extend your outdoors enjoyment beyond our brief summer months! It’s easier than you think to create the outdoor landscape you’ve been dreaming about.
Call us today to get started!
Feb 13, 2018 | Winter Tips
Every year when the cold weather arrives, and the last leaves are falling off your favorite tree, you may think to yourself: “My garden is done for the year!” Well, think again! Some of the most important and rewarding garden endeavors can only be initiated during the winter months. One of these is winter pruning, and it is something that will pay big dividends in your garden or landscape! Pruning your trees and shrubs during the winter months can greatly improve the look (Not to mention the health) of your plants, so that they go into spring looking fabulous! Here are some insights into winter pruning, and why it is so essential:
The single biggest reason that winter is a great time to prune is the fact that your plants will be in a
state of dormancy. When plants are dormant, they are far less susceptible to shock from pruning. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to pruning is that you should aspire to prune your plants as needed from a young age rather than having to do a bunch of drastic pruning later on. You can still prune many older plants, but they are far more likely to become “Frankentrees” if they must be pruned drastically.
Another great reason for winter pruning is that the lack of foliage on your deciduous plants makes
pruning cuts easy to see. This really helps when it comes to bringing out your plant’s best form. If you’ve never pruned ornamental trees and shrubs before, here are some of the things to look for when pruning for form:
- Prune off any dead or dying branches. These branches can harbor pests and disease, plus they just don’t look very good!
- Prune crossing branches or branches that are going towards the center of the plant. Ideally, you want the branching structure of your plant to radiate outward. This is the healthiest shape for your plant, because branches that cross or meet each other are more likely to split or break.
- Prune off any small interior branches that don’t really amount to anything. The goal is to allow good airflow to pass through your plant, and many trees and shrubs can get gummed up with unnecessary foliage on the interior that does nothing for the look of your plant but encourages potential disease issues.
- You’ll also want to selectively thin out the branching on the exterior of the plant so that it allows air and light to pass through the plant. Keep the healthiest, nicest looking branches while removing some of their neighbors. When you prune off these branches, take them back to a branch union (Where they attach to another branch) This helps to keep your pruning cuts from being obvious.
- If you are pruning a plant for size (Like a fruit tree or hedge), be sure to make your pruning cuts right above outward-facing buds. This will generally help future growth to grow in the right direction, and will avoid having long dead stubs at the ends of your branches.
One more great thing about winter pruning? Your plants will flush out lots of fresh growth quickly the
following spring, and you will get to spend the whole warm season enjoying the beauty of your plants rather than looking at chopped up looking trees and shrubs! Enjoy your beautifully pruned plants! Our Certified Arborists can help you get the job done right. Contact us today at 360-574- 8979 if you are interested in sprucing up your fine garden.
Dec 5, 2017 | Winter Tips
It looks like we’re going to get a week of sunny and dry weather so it’s a perfect time to tackle some of our top Winter Tasks to help you get a start on Spring. Then, curl up with a warm drink at the end of the day and outline the projects you want to accomplish next year. Here are our top tips:
- Skip a day at the gym and sweep regularly to keep sidewalks safe. Exercise clears the mind and lets you daydream about your goals.
- Be observant and keep on top of cool-season weeds like Lamium, Clover, and Chickweeds. Don’t know which weed? Check out Oregon State’s Weed ID Handbook.
- If the ground isn’t frozen, you still have time to plant bulbs for a beautiful Spring display. But if you’re smothered in snow? Call us for snow plowing or parking-lot de-icing!
- Is your lawn shaggy or does it have any bald-spots? Take your hairdresser’s advice and take only a little bit off the top.
- Send leaves from any plants that showed stress or disease to the Municipal Yard Waste; their hot composting system will break it down completely. Mow the remaining leaves and put them back on your garden beds as a protective mulch.
- Broken branches or other storm damage? Have our expert tree-pruning crew keep you safe.
- Grow your own? If you’re a home vegetable gardener, planning your seed order is both fun and challenging! The Oregon Extension office has great resources for growing techniques for our area, and the best varieties to help you narrow down your seed order.
- Ensure your new landscaping sails through a stressful summer and put in a water-saving irrigation system.
- Concerned about flooding on your property? Is it time to build that rain garden for year-round water management that is as beautiful, as it is effective?
- Dreaming about outdoor dining on our warm summer nights? Is this the year to finally build that patio? Pull out that stack of magazines and start marking pages, or visit our Houzz page and create your own idea book.
Check out our other winter maintenance services and give us a call.
Oct 31, 2017 | Fall Tips
Investing in Curb Appeal adds tangible value to your home. Did you know that fixing safety issues increases your home’s curb appeal too??
Is your house the one that didn’t get visited this Halloween?
Improve visibility with better landscape lighting. Replace those garish flood-lights that cast bright spots and deep shadows, with softer lighting to enhance your welcoming front door. Make your front walk visible, placing lights strategically at steps and corners, instead of creating an airport runway to the door. One new trend is Moon-Lighting; mimicking the cast of moonshadows by highlight featured trees and plantings along your front walk. Read more about using low-voltage LEDs and let our design and installation team turn your home from spooky to stunning!
Worried about Winter Winds?
Are you struggling to reach your door, ducking under branches and around that shrub that is swallowing your sidewalk? Proper pruning keeps branches from crashing down in our winter wind storms. Our professionals keep an eye on the health of your trees, noticing any summer drought stress, overgrown branches, or insect damage. Our skilled tree service can assess your tree health, provide fungal/insect treatments, install cabling and bracing, or safely remove any dead or diseased wood. With skilled pruning your trees will be healthier and you can be worry-free.
Narrow, overgrown walkways cramping your style?
Nandina domestica Gulfstream, courtesy Great Plant Picks
Just shearing plants to clear the walk leaves unsightly edges and shortens the life of your landscape investment. Our team keeps an eye out for new plant selections that perform well in our local landscapes. Construction Manager Shaun Schmitt recommends the new Nandina Gulfstream, with its colorful foliage in all seasons, and its compact shape. Native plants are also perfectly suited to our growing conditions, but choosing the ones that work best in urban landscapes requires knowledge of how they grow over time. Proper plant placement with these considerations in mind, results in a better looking landscape, and safe front walk.
Make the Call
Are you ready to for a worry-free winter with curb appeal that functions as well as it looks? We’d love to assess your landscape and help you enjoy your home this winter. Call us for an appointment today at (360) 574-8979
Oct 27, 2017 | Fall Tips
Fall is an ideal time to fix your landscape with the cool weather. Now that the kids are back in school and have finally picked up their bicycles and soccer balls, you can finally see what your landscape needs without all of that clutter.
- Did that pretty Maple tree you got as a house-warming gift shrivel in our hot summer? Plant new trees or shrubs to fill the gap.
- Do you get squishy shoes when you go out to the mailbox all winter? Anticipate and resolve drainage problems now, while making the solution beautiful too!
- Want a new vegetable garden? Get a jump-start on installing or changing your irrigation, and be ready to plant as soon as it warms up next spring.
Whatever your project, fall is the perfect time to call us.
Summer Shrubs get Stressed
This plant sails through our seasons! Nandina domestica Gulfstream, courtesy Great Plant Picks, is Shaun’s favorite
Hot, dry weather and bright sunlight causes plants to sunburn and wilt. Plants shut down until the cool weather returns and there is enough water to encourage growth again. Shaun Schmitt, Construction Manager at Frontier Landscaping, loves planting trees and shrubs in the fall, where the cool temperatures and free irrigation help plants settle into their landscape. “When plants are going into dormancy, there is less stress, and plants can put their effort into growing stronger roots instead of trying to flower.” His new favorite shrub, the trouble-free Gulfstream Nandina, has a compact shape, and requires little maintenance. Its solid green color is enhanced by bronze new leaves in spring, and changes to copper and gold in the fall. Let our construction team give you a stress-free fall.
Winter Wet isn’t Here Yet
Now is the perfect time to solve those drainage problems, before soils become too water-logged to work on. We had an astonishing 45 inches of rainfall last winter, making it the second-wettest winter recorded. For a smart, long-lasting solution, think about installing a dry creek-bed. These stylish drainage solutions work hard, can be planted with locally-adapted plants, and can absorb even the largest volumes of water. Schmitt says, “French Drains can become plugged up with silt and bark-dust over time.” When the creek-bed is installed properly, it slows down the erosion-causing deluge and allows the water to percolate into the ground responsibly, instead of into storm drains or your neighbor’s garage. Then, all you need to do is add beautiful plants for a year-round show! Download this Oregon Rain Garden Guide for some great planting suggestions. Check out examples of our recent work, as seen on the Parade of Homes!
Get the Jump on Spring
Want the juiciest tomatoes next year? Convert that unused section of lawn to a drip-irrigation watered vegetable garden. Dreaming of the lushest lawn, or want to surprise your spouse with beautiful new maple tree? Add new lines to protect your investment. When you make these changes now in the off season, you’ll be ready to go in the spring. Leave the math to us, and we’ll work out the most efficient water-saving layout for your new garden. The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago, and the best time to install spring irrigation is today. Call our Construction Department to schedule a visit now!
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Oct 9, 2017 | Fall Tips, General, Landscaping Tips, Outdoor lighting
The crisp fall mornings remind us that the hard-working summer garden has earned its winter rest. Sweeping the front walk and gathering leaves is a quiet exercise in mindfulness, and lets us gather our thoughts for the season ahead. Even though we enjoy our mild weather late into November, we can get occasional freezes and should clear out the irrigation system to prevent cracked pipes. As Halloween nears, ensuring you have a well-lit paths and driveways will make a cheerful and safe approach. And don’t forget to do some minor pruning to remove any broken branches or those that crowd and cover paths. These simple landscaping reminders for fall will ensure you have a problem-free winter.
Winterizing irrigation is quick and easy
We’re lucky here in the Vancouver area to enjoy long stretches of cool, autumn weather, and we typically don’t get the long hard freezes that cause problems. However, it’s always wise to unhook your hoses from the faucets, and add a little extra insulation to any pipes that are exposed. Bring any tender plants in pots up to the porch for extra protection, and buy a bale of hay for extra insulation in the garden.
Plan on shutting down your irrigation system. Even if you drain out your sprinklers, some water remains and can still freeze and crack your pipes, causing costly and unsightly repairs. To minimize your risk, call a professional to blow out any remaining water using the right-sized equipment. We schedule sprinkler winterization from October through early December, but now is a great time to get us on your calendar.
Throw some light on it
It’s also the perfect time to check on your outdoor lighting. Make sure paths are clear and well lit to greet you when you come home from work, and are safe when you have an armload of groceries. For convenience and to save energy, flood lights should be set to come on automatically when you arrive. Properly designed lighting colors and intensity give your home a cheerful welcome. Using LED lighting for landscaping makes sense, saving energy, and lasting longer than traditional lights. October is also a great time for stargazing, so a lighting expert can help you determine how to highlight only the areas you need to be safe without being overly bright.
Fall Maintenance Pruning
All the tips for Summer Tree Care still hold true – cut back shrubs after blooming, and prune fruit trees when they become dormant because it’s easier to see where to prune when the leaves drop. Unfortunately, we’ve also had a prolonged period of drought, so you may have had some branch die-back on a variety of trees and shrubs on your property. Now is a good time to have a Tree Hazard Risk assessment done before the winter storms come. We’ll look for damaged and overhanging branches, weak branch-joins, and insect or fungal diseases that impact the health of your trees. Selective pruning can also open the canopy and make trees more resilient to winter storms. Get an expert to assess your landscape before it becomes a bigger problem.
Frontier Landscaping provides exceptional customer service. Schedule an appointment with our seasoned and reliable crew today.
Oct 6, 2017 | General
Laying the Groundwork for Success in Business
Just like investing in your home’s landscaping to improve its value, we invest in our business. We did our groundwork by having our Third Annual Staff Retreat in Sunriver, Oregon along the sunny Deschutes river. Our employees and their families enjoyed four days of planning and development, rest and relaxation.
We chose ‘Growing Forward’ as our theme to focus our planning efforts. Bill Arman from the Harvest Group provided business insight and inspiration. We worked on goals and long-range planning to ensure we can provide the services you need. To deliver top-notch service and ensure you get the very best experience, we discussed quality and improvement, as well as customer service and communication. Employee support and retention, and of course, training and safety are the foundation of any solid business.
We take great pride in being able to take the time to refresh and refocus our business every year. And besides, there was great fishing and golf. Check out more photos from our retreat on our Facebook page!
Jul 31, 2017 | Garden Styles, General, Landscape Enhancements, Landscaping Tips
Did you know that interacting with nature provides healing benefits to your body and mind? It’s true. Research has shown that within minutes of moving outside, positive changes occur in the body, such as lower blood pressure, decreased heart rate, reduced stress, and improved mood.
A recent community project at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center has inspired us to revisit the specific elements that can bring a sense of rest and healing to a home landscape. Having a place to unwind, relax, and recharge is a gift, especially if you live a busy life on the go.
The Sanctuary Garden, by Christopher and Tricia McDowell, highlights seven design elements of a peaceful space. Whether it’s for just one corner in the yard or a whole property transformation, using these strategies makes it easy to refresh yourself with restful time outdoors.
Enhance Your Garden Entrance
Use a naturally-styled pathway, hedge, steps, or fence to make entering the sanctuary feel special. This boundary can be soft or firm, depending on the level of privacy desired.
Use Soothing Waters
A water feature doesn’t have to be elaborate to evoke a relaxing feel. Even a simple rock bubbler provides pleasing sounds and visual appeal. For larger spaces, a pond or waterfall puts nature’s beauty just steps away from your door.
Color Creatively
Will you be spending time in your sanctuary in the early mornings or evenings? Use low-wattage or LED lighting to set off plants and decorative features to their best advantage when natural light is low. Create beautiful shadows and draw attention to subtle colors and textures of your flowers and plants with discreetly placed lights.
Provide a Resting Place
Whether it’s a single bench or a suite of comfortable garden furniture, pick a spot or two that invites visitors to sit down and stay a while. Consider adding an outdoor bookshelf or blanket box to make it easy to kick back and relax.
Mimic Mother Nature
There’s no better guide to design than Mother Nature for a sanctuary garden. Use natural materials in combination: rocks and boulders, ornamental grasses, wood, shrubs, and flowers. Have a favorite hiking spot or viewpoint? Bring a few elements home with you. You might pair trees and wildflowers, boulders and water, or rocks and ferns to create the feel you love.
Add Pleasure With Garden Art
Accent the natural beauty of your space with an art piece that enhances the mood you’d like to set. Consider colorful ceramic pots, a wind-powered sculpture, or a playful statue to complement the style of your home and continue it in the sanctuary.
Invite Beautiful Visitors
Provide habitat and features to attract birds and butterflies. Using native plants often pays rewards here, as they are conditioned to thrive in the local environment and offer a suitable home to your neighborhood birds. Add a birdbath or feeder to encourage visits from your favorites.
Not sure what to plant? Talk to our landscaping team. We have decades of local experience and will give you our best tips for plant materials that fit your level of interest and design aesthetic.
Following two, three, or all seven of the design principles above will bring you closer to having your own healing sanctuary. The Frontier Landscaping team would be happy to talk to you about the vision you have and how to effectively make it a reality.
“Getting away from it all” might be a lot closer than you think! Call (360) 574-8979 or send us an email to arrange a consultation today.
Jul 1, 2017 | General, Summer Tips, Tree Care
While midsummer is marked by long evenings, BBQs, and time spent outdoors, it’s also a critical time to check up on tree health after a season of intense winter distress. The consequences of a prolonged cold season can be quite serious and aren’t always recognized from the ground unless you know what to look for.
Greg Irwin, Frontier’s ISA-Certified Tree Service Manager, shares: “After an abnormally long winter and short spring, we’re observing excessive rapid growth and full flushing of foliage on many trees. Our top recommendation for most situations is to have trees trimmed for thinning and perform crown reduction for weight issues, structure and balance.”
Winter Distress: What to Look For
Trees That Look Abnormally Full
In years when winter is unusually cold, long, and intense, trees’ dormancy periods are extended – sometimes as much as a month to six weeks longer than average. When the severe winter is followed by a short spring, the result is a near “shock mode” of explosive foliage.
Look over your trees during or just after a rainfall. Do you notice them hanging atypically low, sagging down further than normal? This heavy bowing is likely the result of extra weight from an excess of foliage.
Trees Encroaching Heavily on Other Trees & Shrubs
Are you observing significant encroachment of your trees on other trees and shrubs, even if you had them pruned last year? Clearance issues are common as branches hang low over houses, driveways, and sidewalks.
Bending, Bowing, and Breaks: What’s At Stake
While cabling and bracing can offer partial solutions, the increase in foliage after a prolonged winter puts even small limbs at risk of breaking due to extra weight, on almost any tree species. While larger limbs won’t break, they may bow out so far that they can’t be cabled and will have to be removed.
For large tree sections or limbs that were previously compromised or had beginnings of decay, rapid growth and the resulting excess weight can increase the stress on poor attachments tenfold. Healthy trees are at risk, too, as the weight alone can cause breakage for many ornamental varieties.
Birch trees are particularly susceptible due to their growth habits. If bowed limbs are not straightened up and cabled promptly, they may fail entirely.
Hidden Issues in Healthy-Looking Trees
While bowing and sagging are easy to identify from the outside, other problems remain hidden and can catch you with troubling surprises later.
When a short spring and warm summer follow an extended winter, the speed of new growth can do quite a number on your trees from the inside out. As the growing season progresses, an abundance of internal suckers can create an environment that seriously affects the health of your tree overall.
Additionally, an exponential increase in new leaves means that autumn cleanup is going to be markedly more work than a more typical year as the litter layer dies and falls off. While this isn’t hazardous, a good pruning treatment is smart. Left unchecked, the amount of leaf drop can be doubled in volume, which means twice as much work to clean up later on.
Rescuing Your Trees From Winter Distress: What To Do Next
Call Frontier Tree Service to schedule services for your trees. Our highly-trained ISA-Certified arborists will expertly evaluate your situation and make the very best recommendation for the health and safety of trees around your home or business.
ISA certified arborist, Greg Irwin
“For the 2017 season, our top recommendation for most situations is to have trees trimmed for thinning, as well as perform crown reduction for weight issues, structure and balance.” – Greg Irwin, ISA-Certified Arborist and Frontier Tree Services Manager.
Frontier Tree Services include:
- Pruning
- Ornamental pruning
- Tree, shrub, and stump removal
- Cabling and Bracing
- Chipping
- Planting
- Risk Assessment
- Diagnosis & Treatment
- Cleanup
- 24/7 Emergency Tree Services
Call (360) 574-4125 or send us an email to arrange a consultation today.
Learn more about proper tree care by visiting the Frontier Landscaping blog.
