This classic site was designed in house and installed in early 2020. After construction, our clients opted to continue the process with our maintenance team to ensure their landscape continued to develop and flourish to the best of its ability. Their maintenance package includes weekly lawn and garden care and yearly spring & fall clean up.
Year 1 vs. Year 3- Maintained By Earthscape
Weekly care focuses on complete weed removal, perennial care such as pruning & deadheading and an overall garden health assessment. In order to achieve the best results our client had attended a meeting with our head of maintenance to note any trouble areas or climates to focus. This allowed our team to be the most efficient on site as they know exactly which areas to focus time and attention on. The front yard sloped lawn proved difficult to manage and mow for our client. With our professional team, the client no longer has to struggle on the tough slope and worries about a damaged lawn.
The cherry on top of this project is the recently updated lighting. Our enhancement team was able to recommend the best locations for lighting to complete the landscape and highlight the best features during the evening. The new lighting plan makes the front yard feel warm and welcoming well into the night.
Need help with your maintenance? Are you looking to enhance your existing landscape ?
It’s easy for our summer gardens to always look their best with so many options for different colours and varieties to be in bloom. However, as summer blooms fade, a poorly planned garden is often left looking flat and barren when the winter weather rolls in. A great garden plan aims for interest in all seasons whether that be with colour, texture or unique structure. In order to achieve a balanced 4 season garden, you must also consider winter and fall, not just the summer months when it is easy to add colour and life to your garden. Incorporating a blend of materials will provide life to your garden in the off season, giving you curb appeal all year long. Check out our planning tips and plant recommendations to keep your garden looking its best from spring all the way to winter:
Planning Your Garden Beds
1. Make Sure Your Beds Are Wide Enough
The first step to creating a four season garden plan is to make sure you have a big enough bed to accommodate it. The size of your garden should be proportional to the size of your house. Oftentimes people are concerned that larger beds means more maintenance. However, with proper planning and grouping of plant material, you will set yourself up for easier maintenance in the long term. A wide bed provides the space for larger groupings and varieties of plants giving you the opportunity to have more seasons of interest.
2. Create a Good Base
Once you have the width of your bed established you can start blocking out where the base of your beds will go. This is typically done with trees and shrubs. It is good to have a mix of evergreen and deciduous materials. When one species loses its foliage the other will remain as the prominent plant in your winter landscape. Selecting trees that have an interesting structure will provide a sculptural element to your landscape when the trees lose their leaves in the winter months.
3. Layer Your Plant Material
Creating a layered garden allows plants that are in bloom to shine. Incorporating a variety of heights adds interest and depth to your landscape. Creating a solid base of trees and shrubs at the back of your garden means smaller perennials in front are not overtaken. This also makes maintenance much easier by having less tedious materials (shrubs and trees ) at the back while materials that need more care (perennials) are at the front where they are easy to reach.
4. Creating a Bloom Plan
Once you are ready to pick your plant varieties, it is a good idea to create a plan. Do your research! This will ensure you that you are selecting the right plants for your hardiness zone as well making sure that you will have interest in all seasons. Remember, the goal is to have something that is constantly in bloom or showy to ensure there are no “bland” seasons in your garden. Enlisting the help of a designer can make this daunting task a smooth process.
5. Consider Texture and Structure
Color is not the only thing you want to look for when planning a four season garden. There are other ways to create interest in the garden especially in seasons where colour is hard to come by. Plants with different textures will give your garden depth. Try mixing in plants with a textured leaf or add some evergreens for instant character. Structure is another great resource for winter interest. Most plants look great with their leaves on. Look for materials that have a unique branch structure to add interest to your landscape when all the leaves have fallen.
With so many options to choose from, creating a garden that can shine in any season may seem like an overwhelming task. Why not reach out to our team? Our group of professionals are experts at selecting plant materials perfectly suited to your space. Get started today >>>
Welcome to Fall! With the wind-down of a busy summer season our focus shifts to getting back into a routine and preparing for winter. As the weather turns colder we start to spend more time indoors and our outdoor chores can often get put off or neglected. However, in order to have a flourishing garden in the spring, it is important to take care of it in the fall.
Why a fall clean up?
Here are a few reasons why getting into a routine with your garden will set you up for success in the following seasons >>>
Remove leaves for a healthy lawn and garden
Excess leaves in the yard block sunlight from reaching the lawn and this reduces water evaporation. With the added moisture on the grass, this can eventually cause fungi, molds, and disease.
Bugs love the moisture that ends up trapped under the layer of leaves. Bugs like to lay their eggs under the organic debris and/or hibernate for the winter which will cause issues in the spring.
Ideal Time for Pruning
Fall can be the best time for pruning many shrubs since this is when plants are getting ready to hibernate, therefore the shock of cutting is less problematic.
Aesthetics
A tidy up of your garden in the fall will allow your property to look fresh, clean, and have more curb appeal. Pretty gardens aren’t just for the summer months. A clean fall garden will allow you to extend the enjoyment of your outdoor space longer into the year as well as make those fall colours pop.
Time
Leaf blowing and raking from the lawn and garden beds can be time-consuming, not to mention the process of bagging them all for pick up! During a busy fall schedule, it is always nice to have someone else do the work, especially when fall weather becomes unenjoyable.
Ready to get your fall gardens in order. Speak to one of our talented garden managers about booking a consult >>>
Earthscape was honoured alongside project collaborators at the City of Toronto Urban Design Awards as the Grange Park Revitalization received an Award of Excellence for Large Places and/or Neighbourhood Designs.
Jury’s comments:
At a time when urban greenspace is at an all-time premium, the revitalization of Grange Park is a welcome redesign that feels at once fresh and timeless, and does a lot with relatively little space for its program. Generous paths balance open sight lines with sheltered nooks and “rooms,” with welcome shade from a carefully maintained mature tree canopy. The jury noted that the paths loop around a central lawn that doubles as green infrastructure to soak and slow stormwater while providing much-needed open public space for gathering, playing, celebrating and sitting. The enclosed dog run in the wooded southern section provides a safe and separated solution for fourlegged friends, while the playground offers fountains, climbers and adventure in an understated but creative corner. The jury was impressed with the park’s quiet confidence and capable program, offset against the gravitas of the Art Gallery of Ontario, a stately backdrop for this people’s park for the 21st century.
You don’t want to pick just anyone to maintain your property. You want someone who is on the same page as you with regard to the goals for your garden. The following is a checklist of essential characteristics you want in your landscape gardener and not surprisingly, they are skills that all our gardeners excel at.
A Good Landscape Gardener…
✓ Puts the Design First
A good landscape gardener will work with your design, knowing the intent the designer had and ensuring it looks better than the day it was installed. They will be able to create a maintenance plan to keep the integrity of the design intact.
A lot of designs feature focal points that add interest to your landscape such as ornamental trees or boulders. Without a gardener that understands the design, these elements can get lost in plant material.
A good landscape gardener will know when they need to alter the design to improve the look and health of the garden. When a piece of the planting design is not functioning as intended or sun/shade patterns have changed, a good gardener will work with the designer to offer suggestions for a good swap.
If your original designer is no longer involved in the process, your gardener will have the knowledge to suggest plant material that compliments the original design.
✓ Is Knowledgeable About Pruning Techniques and Practices
Pruning is an essential skill of any landscape gardener. If done properly, pruning can help the health and appearance of your plant material. There are a few things your gardener should consider when pruning. Bloom periods are essential knowledge. Most plants have specific bloom times where they set buds (i.e. Lilacs). If you prune at the wrong time you may end up cutting off the young buds resulting in a lack of bloom the following season. How a plant is pruned and formed is also very important. You don’t want a company who is going to come in and prune everything really tight. Some plants flourish when they are left to their natural form. Others are even hindered when pruned too tightly. A good gardener will be able to determine which pruning method is right for your gardens.
✓ Understands Proper Disease Control
Diseases can occur in your plant material and be detrimental to the survival of your garden. A good landscape gardener will have a plan to stop the spread of disease to healthy plants. Instead of immediately jumping to a chemical solution, a good gardener will assess the problem and look at alternate solutions. He/she will also recognize when a plant is becoming weak and susceptible to disease, creating a plan to treat or replace it.
Drainage is not an exciting topic but it is critical to the long term success of your house’s foundation and your landscape. In fact, it is one of the most important things that landscape designers address (that, and shade in the summer!)
Why is drainage important?
A successful landscape is a well-drained landscape. With the start of spring, snow begins to melt, rain begins to fall and all of a sudden you have an excess amount of water on your landscape. Water is essential for any landscape to flourish but if you have too much water in one spot, it will begin to cause issues. If you don’t have a plan for where your water is going and what it is going to do when it gets there, problems will start to occur. Learning to identify a drainage issue can help you prevent a minor problem from turning into a major catastrophe.
Here are a few of the most common drainage issues we encounter and how to solve them
1. The Problem: Improper Grading
A very common and potentially disastrous drainage issue to be aware of is water being held at the foundation of your home. Rain gutters and downspouts provide an efficient first step in controlling roof runoff. However, if the rain or melted snow channelled off the roof isn’t carried far enough away from the house, it will collect against the foundation wall or footing and seep into your basement. This can potentially damage the interior finishes of your house like drywall or wood floors. Once water is directed away from your home, improper grading can also cause water to get trapped in depressions in your yard. If left alone, this standing water can cause damage to your lawn and plant material.
The Solution: Controlling Water Direction
You always want to make sure that water is being carried and directed away from your home. Proper grading around your house helps stop build-up at the foundation by providing water alternative places to go. Drainage systems, such as catch basins and pipes, below the ground are another way to deal with water issues. For standing water, swales and creek beds keep the flow moving in a downhill direction to the properly prepared locations. If using gravity isn’t an option, sump pumps can also be used to remove excess water.
2. The Problem: Incorrect Garden Bed Placement & Plant Selection
Before you consider what plant material you want in your bed you need to think about the placement of your beds in relation to drainage. If beds are placed incorrectly they can block the natural flow of water. This can lead to oversaturated beds and dead plant material. It can also cause water to go in other directions it was not intended to go causing damage along the way.
Soil type will also play a part in proper drainage. Knowing your soil type will help you pick plant material based on the amount of drainage your soil can provide. Certain plants will only perform in well-drained soils. If you have heavy clay soil, drainage can be an issue for some plant material.
The Solution: Knowing Your Soil Type and Plan Accordingly
A drainage plan will help you place your beds properly using the correct slopes. With a good plan, water will drain downhill and beds will not inhibit the path of flow. If you’re on a property with heavy clay, raising the bed elevation is also critical to the plant’s long term health.
3. The Problem: Flat Surfaces & No Drainage
If you don’t have enough slope on your hard surface, water will not move. Standing water is not only a slipping hazard but can also affect the quality of your hardscaping in the long term. Having too much slope on a hardscape surface can also create problems! Too much slope can make the surface uncomfortable and in some cases dysfunctional.
The Solution: Applying Proper Slope to Hardscaping
Applying the proper slope to your hardscaping ensures your landscape is safe, enjoyable and long lasting. A slope of 1.5-2% is typically the magic number for a living space. Any more than 2.5% and it will feel like you are sitting on a hill.
On top of proper grading, trench drains are also a great option to move water in the right direction. Strip drains (a version of a trench drain) can also be used as an aesthetically pleasing option for getting rid of water.
4. The Problem: Downspouts Draining Too Close to the Foundation, or Facing the Wrong Direction
When you fail to consider where your downspouts will empty, you are creating potential problems you may not be aware of. Directing water into a bed can cause the plant material to become oversaturated and drown. Sending water onto a hard surface can also cause issues with the integrity and longevity of the surface.
The Solution: Know Where Your Water Should Be Going
Like we mentioned before, you want the water to be moving away from your house. When adjusting your downspouts, ensure water will be moving downhill and consider the plant material underneath it. Trenching the downspouts under walkways and installing pop-up emitters is another aesthetically pleasing solution.
Drainage can make or break a landscape. If you don’t have the expertise to know how to properly take care of the problem, you may end up making the problem worse. Having a landscape plan that takes into account water movement, drainage and soil conditions allows your landscape to function cohesively. If you are having drainage issues or would like to create a plan for future drainage, get in touch with one of our professionals here.
Garden maintenance can be an overwhelming task, especially when you are not a fine gardener and do not have help.
We all know how it goes. You made a big investment in your brand new landscape and it looks great…for now! Before you know it, your weekends are filled with beach days, pool parties and soccer games and the annuals you planted in the spring are being choked out in a sea of weeds.
At this point, your landscape is a source of stress and embarrassment instead of the peaceful haven you envisioned. Landscape maintenance is an ongoing chore especially if you have a large and/or complex gardenscape.
So when do you need to consider hiring a specialized garden management company to help you care for your gardens? If answering the following questions is a challenge, that may be a good sign to give us a call and chat with our garden management team.
Questions to ask yourself…
Do I have a vision for my landscape I would like to achieve?
Achieving a specific look in a garden requires care and time to create and maintain. Keeping it looking neat and orderly just like it did when it was installed, is a full-time commitment to gardening. Specific garden styles can be even more of a challenge to maintain.
A typical English garden looks lovely and vibrant when first installed, but if not cared for properly, it can become an overwhelming mess of plant material. If you are looking for your garden to have four seasons of colour, attract pollinators or have specialty planting you will need someone with a deep knowledge of plant material.
Most companies can handle the standard maintenance tasks of weeding, mowing and trimming but do they consider your vision? A company with staff that specializes in plant material will help protect the investment you have put into your garden and offer suggestions to continually improve it.
If you are struggling with a vision for your garden, a specialized garden management company can help you understand what you want and help you bring those ideas to life.
Do I understand all the aspects of garden care?
Often, one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the look you desire is improper care. Whether you know about certain aspects of gardening or whether you are a garden novice, it takes a certain expertise to execute these tasks properly. This expertise comes with years of experience caring for plant material and education on the right techniques.
Consider the following tasks and whether you or your maintenance company are accomplishing your goals:
Identification of all plant and tree species
Separate and specific care for annuals vs. perennials
Identifying what needs to be deadheaded or cut back
Differential care of woody shrubs vs. small trees
Acknowledging the importance of mulch and selecting the right kind
Understanding specialty pruning requirements and how flowering time effects pruning methods
Dividing and transplanting based on specific plant requirements
If these are tasks that you don’t care about or have the knowledge to accomplish yourself, a specialized gardening company may not be the right fit for you. However, if you are concerned and excited about any of these tasks, a specialized garden management company will be able to take care of all your needs.
What is the future plan for my garden?
As gardens age, they can require some editing and adjustment as the landscape continually changes or out-grows your tastes and lifestyle. Whether you just moved into a home or you have been there a while, planning for the future of your landscape can help ensure it looks great even as it ages.
A landscape gardener can help you at any age or phase of your landscape. A good gardening company will help you create a plan identifying what needs to be replaced to get that WOW factor back or when the garden needs specialized care to bring it back to full health.
This knowledge saves both time and money as a lack of knowledge can cause people to remove material that may not need to be removed. Do you know what you need to do this year to make your gardens look great in 5 years? If not, it might be time to start thinking about a garden management company that can help you with these needs.
What value do I place on my landscape?
Whether you answered yes to one or all of these questions, choosing to hire a specialized garden management company means you decided that you highly value the look and feel of your space. Landscape maintenance is not just about the aesthetics of your property but also heavily influences how you, your family and your friends experience the space.
With carefully curated blooms creating beautiful backdrops and outdoor living spaces that are clean to the tiniest corner, you can truly enjoy your landscape. You’ve invested time and expertise into your garden, you’ve grown with it and if you take the time care for it, your garden will continue to provide the appeal it had on day one.
So can you look after your garden by yourself? If you have answered all these questions and have confidence you can achieve the results you are looking for, then yes. However, if these questions have got you thinking that you may need some extra help, give us a call.
Homeowners who value creative design and exceptional craftsmanship, trust Earthscape’s simple step-by-step process to transform an outdated or non-functional landscape into an exceptional outdoor escape.