The unofficial start of summer kicked off last week and the battle for the perfect backyard relaxation spot is on. For those looking for a little extra help, Summers Landscaping offers a wide variety of services.

“My kids asked me if I always wanted to do this, and no, I just kind of fell into it,” said owner and operator Joel Summers, a graduate of Montoursville Area High School, who now resides in Loyalsock Township.

“I loved to work outside, and I had a couple lawns on the side that I took care of with my dad,” he said.

“When I was in fifth grade, I used to get picked up and I’d go work after school. Just kind of this little family business,” Summers said.

As graduation grew near and Summers began contemplating college, his dad mentioned possibly taking up horticulture and continuing to grow the fledgling business.

“I’ve had a lot of other jobs where it was monotonous work. You did the same thing every day and there was no reward at the end. When you do a design build, at the end of the job, you can step back and see, ‘wow, I really created this,” he explained.

After three semesters, Summers withdrew from Pennsylvania College of Technology in order to focus his attention on the business.

“We started around 1996 and hired my friends to start,” Summers said.

Eager for a more regular schedule, Summers’ father would leave his full-time job at Stroehmanns and partnered with his son, which would continue to do until Summers bought him out last year.

Summers Landscaping began with simple lawn jobs such as mowing and trimming, and while continuing to offer those services today, has pivoted towards hardscaping.

The business is interlocking concrete and paving Institute (ICPI) and segmented retaining wall (SRW) certified.

“We do patios, retaining walls, fish ponds, low voltage lighting, pergolas and landscape,” Summers said, naming just a few of the services offered.

Summers also offers design services.

“I can take pictures of someone’s house and impose images of the plants, the color of the foliage, the size that I feel like they’re going to be maybe a year or two after installation, and them this picture, and they’ll be able to see their house with the full landscape designed, and what it’s going to look like after installation,” he said.

The process has been incredibly beneficial in taking the guesswork out of what the final product will look like, as opposed to showing the customer a rough drawing with just symbols and letters on it.

“We do pretty much everything, including a weed spray service for weeds in landscape beds and liquid spray applications for lawn fertilization for broadleaf weed control, lawns grub control and liming,” Summers said.

“I think we’re the only company in the area that gives a two-year guarantee on our hardscapes. Even my landscapes, when I plant a plant, 90% of them will live,” he said, adding the caveat that any landscaping is, to some degree, at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Due to their dedication to delivering a quality result for their customers, Summers has relied almost exclusively on word of mouth, rather than advertising to bring in a continuous customer flow..

To give potential customers a glimpse of the work Summers is capable of, their location features a fish pond and several other landscaping displays, including outdoor LED lighting.

Though they do not sell plants on the premises, Summers keeps a large variety of plants in their on-site greenhouse, limited only by what he is able to purchase, most of which come locally sourced, all of which are purchased from within the U.S.

“Since I attended Penn College, I’m really knowledgeable with my plants and the nutrients, locations and the lighting needed to help them thrive,” he said.

Viewing himself as a “jack of all trades” and boasting a crew experienced in many different areas, Summers said he does very minimal outsourcing, working with local companies only when a job requires equipment larger than what he has on-hand.

“We all know what we’re doing, and we all think it’s really important to keep up with new trends, new methods and new products to help continue to give everyone the best job we can,” he said, noting that the staff regularly take part in continuing education opportunities related to their varied services.

The strong reputation Summers Landscaping continues to maintain comes down to a dedicated work ethic and honesty.

“When you meet with me and my staff, you can tell that we care. We care about your job, we care about the outcome,” he said.

“We have great, friendly, smiling people, and they’re all very knowledgeable. We’re all certified at what we do and we’ve gained a lot of trust from our clients over time and again, and I think that’s what helps sell us,” Summers said.

“I’m not a business that is trying to talk my clients into spending foolish money. If anything, I’m honest enough that I will talk them out of doing something if it’s not the right job,” he stressed.

“When I go for an interview, I’m not just pointing out landscaping. I’m pointing out issues with their siding, with their gutters, with the lay of their land,” he said.

“I offer a full design service. I’ve helped customers design the entire outside of their house, their color, their siding there, so I have to be honest and very knowledgeable,” Summers said.

As a life-long area native, using his skills to bring joy to his customers is part of what drives Summers to continue such a hands-on approach to the business.

“I love the area and this community, and I just do my best to try to please everyone. It makes me happy. It makes me want to continue doing this,” Summers said.

And, it looks like the business will continue well into the future if his son’s interests are any indication.

“My youngest son is expressing a lot of interest in plants and potentially wanting to take the business over to continue to a third generation,” Summers said.

For more information and a sampling of what Summers Landscaping has to offer, visit their facebook page or their website at www.summerslandscaping.com.