We are lucky to live in a city like Seattle, where folks value our trees.
In our city, most homeowners understand that trees bring beauty, peace, and calm to our surroundings. Parents encourage children to look closely at trees and appreciate the habitat they provide for birds and squirrels (and yes…sometimes unwanted pests, too). Their canopies impact our neighborhood streets by providing shade on hot days, and they make our air cleaner.
As a Seattle-area tree management service owner, I’ve had the opportunity to chat with other services nationwide. They are shocked to hear my stories of how much our clients care about their trees. In many cities, homeowners view their trees as a nuisance, just a cost center to be managed.
Building community
Trees can also help us build community. Today, more than ever, we are in desperate need of connection. We want to be seen by our neighbors, and we want our kids to play together.
Most homeowners have trees near their edges of their property, with the canopies crossing over into their neighbors’ properties. This can cause conflict around tree management, who should pay for it, and how quickly it should be done. Given Seattle’s cultural focus on preserving trees, I would encourage you to take a community-oriented approach to tree management.
Use those shared trees as an icebreaker to meet and build neighborly relationships before the trees become a point of conflict. Ask them questions, like “Are any trees along our shared property line causing concern?” From there, you can figure out how to manage costs and access to the property when you have an ISA-certified arborist out to assess the trees.
Avoid property conflict
Trees are amazing community assets that should unite neighbors, not pit them against one another. And look, I’m not naive—I get it—people will often have different priorities, opinions, or budgets when it comes to tree management.
We have been caught in the middle of many neighbor disputes. In those situations, a good outcome involves each neighbor hiring their own ISA-certified arborist to give opinions. In a bad outcome, each hires a lawyer.
A proactive approach to tree management is the best way to limit the odds of conflict and increase the odds of connection. When you’re proactive, you can enter the conversation with no agenda other than to build a partnership with your neighbor. By the time the trees present an issue, it’s too late – now both parties have an agenda.
Bringing a neighborhood together
We recently got a call from a homeowner who had a majestic old Big Leaf Maple that had a significant portion of their tree fall and crash to the ground. They called us to look and confirm whether the tree remained viable. When our ISA-certified and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist examined the tree, he found significant damage and structural integrity issues, leading it to be classified as a hazardous tree.
We mobilized a crew to remove the tree. The homeowner notified his neighbors of what was happening and many came out to pay their last respects to the tree before our crew got to work. A precious poem was wrapped around the tree.
Even in a sad moment, the tree can provide a foundation to bring a neighborhood together.
The good news is that most of the time, with some healthy neighbor cooperation, we can preserve our big trees (and little ones, too)! Potential options include installing dynamic cables to provide structural support, tip weight reductions to reduce weight on the over-extended limbs, and soil amendments to help the tree access the nutrients it needs.
What can Blooma do for you?
As a locally owned and operated small business, our team is also a community member. We have a vested interest in the greater Seattle area, and Seattle tree management specifically — remaining a city that values our urban forest, and we’re proud to do our part to preserve those trees.
When you have an arborist on your property, here are some questions to ask:
Are you an ISA-certified arborist?
To become an ISA-certified arborist, one must have 3+ years of tree work experience and pass a certification exam. We consider that a minimum threshold for anyone giving professional advice about trees.
Are you on commission?
There’s nothing wrong with being on commission, but it’s good information for you as a homeowner, given the potential for incentive misalignment. At Blooma, we have chosen not to have our arborists on commission so they can truly act as trusted advisors.
Can you provide me with some options?
A good arborist should be able to provide you with different options to meet your budget & objectives.
Are your crews part of your company? Do they have ISA-certified arborists on the crew?
This helps you confirm that the arborist won’t just subcontract the work to a different company. They should know their crew well. Crew training is also crucial — the best case is to have ISA-certified arborists on the crew.
Does your company use climbing spurs when pruning trees?
Climbing arborists commonly use climbing spurs to help them access trees. However, these cause minor wounds to trees and should only be used for tree removal work. All tree pruning work should be done solely by rope access, called “spurless climbing.” All climbing arborists know how to climb with spurs, but not all are proficient at spurless climbing.
Will you handle permitting & required public notices?
Some arborists handle permitting in-house, and some expect the clients to do it. And some… don’t do them at all. You need to know who manages code compliance to avoid a hefty fine from the city. At Blooma, we take care of permits & public notices in-house. If the project permit requirements are too complex for our team, we will refer you to a consulting arborist who can help guide you through the permitting process.
At Blooma Tree Experts, our mission is to be a source of safety, inspiration, and peace — for each other and our community. We aim to accomplish that mission by empowering our passionate arborists to do great Seattle tree management. We look forward to supporting you and your neighbors.
