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18 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Gardening, Landscaping, planting ideas, shrubs Calgary

Ornamental Grasses ideal for Canadian Climates

 

Ornamental grasses are a beautiful way to add a soft, natural look to almost any landscape.  Ornamental grasses are ideal for Canadian climates.  There are many popular grasses that grow well in Canada and Calgary’s climate.  The great thing about these grasses is they are extremely hardy and so the chance of winter kill is very rare.  Grasses are also drought tolerant and need far less moisture than most other shrubs and perennials.  Ornamental grasses are also very low maintenance.  Here are some ornamental grasses ideal for Canadian climates.

Karl foerster reed grass

Karl foerster reed grass is the most popular ornamental grass we plant in Calgary.  It is very drought tolerant and low maintenance.  The Karl foerster provides great colour year round.  They have beautiful seed heads that can be left on during the winter to provide lovely fall and winter colour.  Once spring arrives you can simply cut them back in spring and wait for the new growth to appear.  Karl foerster can grow to over 6 feet in some cases and look best when planted in groups of odd numbers.  For photos of Karl Foerster reed grass visit  shrubs Calgary  

Watch our video on Pruning your Karl Foerster feather reed grass

 

Avalanche reed grass and overdam reed grass. 

If you are looking for a little more colour and variation in your ornamental grass, you can consider avalanche reed grass and overdam reed grass.  The blades on these grasses are variegated meaning they have a mix of green and cream white.  These grasses are also very rough tolerant and in some cases can be left throughout the summer with little or no tap watering required.  Both the avalanche reed grass and the
overdam reed grass will not grow as tall as Karl Forester but will grow to a similar width.  Like other ornamental grasses, they look best in groupings.  We prefer to group them in odd numbers of three or five plants.


Blue Oat grass

Blue oat grass is one of our favourite ornamental grasses ideal for Canadian climates.  Blue oat grass has a rich grey blue colour that compliments any garden bed.  They are a lower, mound growing form of ornamental grass that look great in a modern or traditional landscape.  We often use them in a modern landscaping Calgary project as they give a feel of modern Palm springs or Palm desert homes.  From a distance, they can be mistaken for a type of dessert cactus that is popular in gardens throughout the Phoenix and Palm spring areas. Blue oat grass are super hardy and super tough early handling our Calgary winters.  Their blades can be left on in the winter to provide winter interest in your landscaping.  Like the Karl Forester it is best to prune the dead growth back once spring arrives.

Fescue grass

Fescue ornamental grass is a dwarf ornamental grass that is much smaller than the grasses mentioned earlier.  Fescue grass looks great bordering garden beds when placed in the front.  Fescue requires very little water throughout the summer and they are very low maintenance.  These grasses are often used more as ground cover rather than as feature plantings.   Fescue grasses come in different colours and add great highlights to your low maintenance landscaping  If you are planning on including fescue grass for your landscaping project please remember that they can tend to seed easily.  This means they can take root in other areas of your garden bed and will eventually need to be thinned out.

 

 

15 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david drainage, Landscaping, Landscaping Calgary, Renovation

Drainage Solutions

Spring is just around the corner and so you know all that snow has got to go somewhere.  Is your property able to property manage drainage from snow, spring runoff and the inevitable spring rain?  Lots of snow is beneficial to trees and shrubs but it can cause serious drainage issues around your property if the grading is not adequate.  Drainage is a key concern for many Calgary homeowners.  Homeowners are concerned about water draining towards and around their foundations.  They are also concerned about water setting around patios and walkways causing freezing and slipping hazards. We can provide you with drainage solutions for your property and here are a few examples of drainage solutions you can implement to keep your property safe.

Positive drainage away from your foundation

It is imperative to have positive drainage away from your foundation.  This is done by creating a slope where the high point is against your house and the low point is away from your house.  You will want to create this slope with the soil before you add sod, decorative rock or any other topping.  Creating this positive drainage will help to keep water away from your foundations.  We grade our slopes at about one inch for every eight feet. We implement this on all of our grading including patios and walkways.  You may find that over time your property has settled and therefore your lawn or patios or walkways have settle along with the sub surface.  In some cases this may require removing the surface layer of sod or walkway and regrading the property so the proper slope is present.

Proper downspout placement

We constantly encounter issues where downspout placement is inadequate or where downspouts are not placed in the correct areas.  We find this issue to be most common around walkways, especially high traffic walkways in front yards.  Downspouts need to be placed in areas where they will not allow water from your eavestrough to drain onto walkway.  Sometimes this will require adding to or adapting your existing downspouts so they will help with drainage.  Many homes have neglected downspouts that remain in bad areas for years.  This can eventually cause erosion to your property, wash out of soil and gravel and even water making its way through foundation cracks and into your basement.  Try to place your downspouts in an area where it will serve your property best. Some times placing your downspouts into or towards garden beds will help provide your trees and shrubs with water throughout the season. Just make sure the garden bed is not right next to your foundation.

 Avoid burying your downspouts

If at all possible it is important to avoid burying your downspouts.  We find this to be one of the most common landscaping mistakes  Buried downspouts can cause all sorts of long term problems so whenever possible make sure to run you water overland and not underground.  One of the main reasons buried downspouts are an issue is simple.  The water below ground thaws last in the spring time.  The water on your roof, in your eves troughs and downspout drains first. So during Calgary’s big thaw in spring time all of the thawing water from above ground runs into a solid iced plug that is located underground.  This means your eavestroughs will not drain properly because there is no where for the water to go.  The backed up water will likely freeze again as cool weather returns and that can cause all sorts of problems to your landscaping.  We have creative drainage solutions such as using an arbor for a drainage aid.  This process involves running your drain pipes over to the arbor, allowing you to avoid burying your downspouts.

Use an arbor for a drainage aid

We often use decorative arbors as a drainage aid.  We use these arbors to straddle walkways and we run the drain pipe or downspout over top of the arbor and to the other side of the walkway.  This diverts the water and drainage away from the walkway.  The arbor also provides an attractive landscaping feature in your front or back yard.  The drain pipes can be hidden in the arbor so that they are not visible.  See our page arbors and pergolas for your front or back yard for more on this subject.
If your property would be improved by the look of a beautiful cedar arbor you could consider this option as one of your drainage solutions.

Use plantings to absorb the water

You can use plantings to absorb the water from some of your drainage.  Trees, shrubs and sod can really help with drainage issues especially if they are located in key areas.  If you are planning a new garden or new landscaping then  Planting trees and shrubs  in these key areas would be a great idea.  We find that larger trees and shrubs work best for this application as they require more water.  When planning this method make sure that you are not diverting too much water to your trees and shrubs as overwatering trees and shrubs can be as harmful as under watering.  Using run off water for trees and shrubs is a great way to recycle and it will save you time and money as your hand watering will be minimized.

Rain barrels

Rain barrels have become very popular in landscaping in Calgary.  The idea behind rain barrels is to capture the run off from your downspouts or rainwater and use that water for other purposes around your gardens or landscaping. You will see most rain barrels at the side of homes next to the downspouts.  Some homeowners use small pumps in their rain barrels that lead to a hose for hand watering trees, shrubs and perennials. Rain barrels are a great way to collect water and recycle the water.

French drains

French drains are often used as a last resort when overland drainage is not possible or if there is just too much water for your property to handle.  Most properties in Calgary are designed to manage the drainage overland without the need of underground drainage solutions.  French drains involve digging a deep hole somewhere on your property and filling the excavated area with washed rock.  The water is then diverted to this area away from your home and foundation.  The diversion can be done naturally or with the use of weeping tile or Big O drainage pipe.  French drains if built properly can handle a very large amount of water and will greatly reduce the amount of water you have on your property.  They don’t require any substantial maintenance and can be left alone for years.

Our estimates include all sorts of ideas for drainage solutions.  Contact us today for your free consultation and estimate. 
Ph:  403-452-8552

13 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david General, Landscaping, Landscaping Calgary, Renovation, Wood landscaping features , , , ,

Transform your pillars with stone or wood cladding

Calgary has many older neighbour hoods with older homes built in the 1960’s and 70’s.  Many of these homes are located in communities just outside the city core.  They include Lake Bonavista, Acadia, Haysboro, Lakeview and many other communities.  Many of these homes have old style pillars built at their front entrances or straddling their front steps.  If you want to look at other options besides simply painting over the steps then you may want to considering cladding your pillars with wood, stone or both.  You can transform your pillars with stone or wood cladding and it will totally change the look from old and dated to new and fresh.

Wood cladding for your pillars

Wood cladding for your pillars is a great choice for existing pillars that need a quick makeover.  Cladding your pillars with would can quickly change the look of the pillars to something bold and fresh.  Your pillars may be located in the front of your property, straddling your front entrance or porch.  Pillars can also be found bordering back yard patios.  For wood cladding you can choose from various kinds of wood but the most popular choice for wood cladding around pillars is cedar or Meranti hardwood. Both Meranti and cedar cladding will require annual staining or oiling to keep the rich wood tones looking vibrant.  There are various style options to choose from including shaker style as seen in the photo to the right.  Using wood cladding for your pillars will be a less expensive option than stone cladding because wood cladding is much less labour intensive.  Make sure to have a qualified professional or journeyman carpenter install your wood cladding to guarantee you will have great looking pillars as your finished project.  Wood cladding compliments patios and walkways
and many front step ideas work well with this application.  IF you have arbors and pergolas on your property the rich wood tones of your pillars will match nicely with those components as we

Stone Cladding for your pillars

Stone cladding is another way to transform your pillars.  Stone cladding is a more costly option than wood because it is more labour intensive.  There are endless possibilities when it comes to stone cladding.  These include natural stone and cultured stone, often called artificial stone. Some high end cultured stone can looks as authentic as natural stone.  If you want to insure the look remains the same for many many years then natural stone is the way to go.  Natural stone will not fade or change colour over time. Cladding your pillars with stone will give your pillars a bold and rich look and the stone matches very well with natural wood cladding.  Stone cladding goes extremely well with paving stones  exposed aggregate or concrete patios.  Stone cladding can also be installed on the facing of your actual house in the front or back area.  If you have some front walkway ideas you could consider matching your new front pillars with the new ideas.  Both natural wood and natural stone cladding will go very well with any natural stone you have on your property.  The two are meant to be together!

Chinook Landscaping and Design works with a number of great natural wood and stone suppliers.  You can visit their websites by clicking on the links below.

Amico stone
Stone Concept
Kayu Canada

 

12 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Gardening, Landscaping

Landscaping ideas for Calgary gardens

Garden beds can become overgrown, tired looking and outdated if you don’t keep on top of the plant growth. We would like to offer you some landscaping ideas for your Calgary gardens that will help get your gardens looking great again.  There are some basic and inexpensive things you can do to spruce up the look of your gardens.

Define your borders!

Defining your borders is one of the most important landscaping ideas for your Calgary gardens.  Grass from your lawn over time will grow into your garden beds and/or your garden bed plants will encroach on your lawn.  We see this everywhere in Calgary gardens and often one of our first tasks as a landscaper is clean the borders up.  The simplest and least expensive method to define your borders is of course by using a natural spade edge.  This is done by simply taking a spade and edging around your border.  Make sure to dig the full depth of the spade ( about 5 inches ) in order to have a long lasting border. Remove the old sod or plant material from the area you edged and discard.  A spade edge is a great option of you are on a budget.  A big draw back to a natural spade edge is that over time the grass or plants can grow back into your spade edge.  In order to prevent this you will need to re-edge annually.  If you are looking for a more permanent solution, you can consider installing a vinyl edge, mowing pavers or a raised garden wall.  These are more expensive options for landscaping ideas for Calgary gardens than a natural spade edge but this solution will last much longer over time.  It will also save you a lot of labour.

Thin out overgrown or unwanted plants

Overgrown plantings are nut unusual if your garden has not been maintained properly.  In order to thin out overgrown or unwanted plants you will will need to decide whether to just prune them back or to remove the plant in its entirety.  Start this process by first establishing if your plant is healthy or not.  If it is unhealthy then it is probably best to remove it from your garden.  Some types of plants look great when they are compact but when they are overgrown they can tend to look ragged and weed like.  You can start by pruning them back then step back and take look to see if that creates a nicer visual appeal.  If they still don’t look good then simply remove all of the plant.  After you thin out overgrown or unwanted plants you may be left with larger open areas than you initially envisioned.  If you like you can choose to plant some replacement shrubs in these areas.

Group your new plantings

We have found that most gardens look best if we group our new plantings.  Grouping you new plantings means using several plants of the same variety in your garden.  So, for example, in a garden bed you could plant three Karl forester grass, three Cherry bomb barberry and two Calgary carpet junipers.  This looks better than eight plants of different varieties.  If you group your new plantings you will notice they look more orderly and natural and grouping will draw your eye to these areas where the colour is concentrated. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course so grouping plants may not be for you.  The vast majority of our customers prefer plant grouping and it is one of our favourites for landscaping ideas for Calgary gardens.

Plant perennial gardens separately from shrub gardens

Mixing perennial and shrub gardens is not always a good idea especially if you are going to use a weed barrier for your garden areas.  Perennials require much more maintenance than shrubs.  Perennials come up again from the soil each spring so you do not want to restrict their growth with the landscaping fabric.  We often recommend that customers have separate beds for perennials and shrubs.  This allows you to work your perennial garden including weeding and cutting back perennials. Shrubs do not require as much room to work around and often they won’t require maintenance for many years.  Shrubs can be left alone aside from watering and occasional pruning.  So you can apply a layer of landscaping fabric to your shrub beds and enjoy a mainly weed free garden.  If you want a very low maintenance garden then you may want to choose only trees and shrubs at your plantings.  If you enjoy working your garden and pruning, weeding or turning the soil then plant perennials.

 

Give your garden beds a fresh topping

Adding a wood, rubber or stone mulch to your garden beds can make all the difference in the overall look.  If you are going to add a mulch topping of any sort you may want to include a weed barrier around the plants before adding the topping. This weed barrier or landscaping fabric will greatly reduce the amount of weeds you have in your garden. Make sure to tuck your fabric in around the base of the shrub so weeds will not encroach on the base of your shrub.   You can choose a wood mulch with options such as cedar mulch, bark mulch, bark nuggets or black mulch.  There are endless options for stone mulch.  Some stone mulch include 20 or 40 mm Rundle rock, rainbow rock, limestone and tan washed rock

Visit these pages for more landscaping ideas for Calgary gardens

Shrubs Calgary – Pictures of shrubs that grow well in Calgary
Trees Calgary– Pictures of trees that grow well in Calgary
Yardsmart and the Calgary Horticultural Society
Garden bed edging

Download our handy materials calculator app at the apple app store

ChinookLandscaping by ZealousWeb Technologies
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/chinooklandscaping/id786154404?mt=8

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Call us for your free consultation and estimate
 Ph: 403-452-8552

 

11 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david front step ideas, Landscaping, Landscaping Calgary ,

Front Step Ideas

Front step ideas are often not talked about much in the world of landscaping.  You can create a beautiful new landscape but forgetting about your old, cold, concrete steps can make for an eyesore in the middle of your Oasis.

Boring broom concrete is not a pretty site

The term most commonly used for the standard front step in Calgary is broom concrete.  This means a simple grey concrete mixture is poured and then broom finished.  Boring broom concrete is not a pretty site and often the concrete is stained, faded and chipped.  Dressing up your front step does not have to be costly althoughthere are some more expensive front step ideas we will get into later.  There are many inexpensive ways to spruce up your step that should be within the budget of most Calgary homeowners.

Pour dyed concrete over your step

You can choose to pour dyed concrete over your existing step.  The least expensive option of a pour over would be to have the concrete dyed before it is poured.  Concrete dyes for steps are usually some shade of grey.  A darker grey definitely looks better than the traditional light grey concrete look and it will hide stains much better than a light concrete step will.  In order for the new poured concrete to last and not chip or crack you will need to make sure you have at the bare minimum one inch between the existing step and your front door jam.  Any less than one inch and the concrete will chip away in no time and you will be left with no inexpensive options in order to have it repaired.  This is our first choice for front step ideas if you are needing to watch your costs.

A pour over with stamped concrete or exposed aggregate

One of our favourite front step ideas is a pour over with stamped concrete or exposed aggregate.  This is not a very expensive option and it will basically look like you have poured an entirely new step from scratch.  You can choose to have your concrete stamped in many different patterns that imitate natural or modern looking stone work.  A dye is also included with stamped concrete to help give it a rich finished look.  Exposed aggregate is another great option and works especially well if you have existing exposed aggregate walkways.  Exposed aggregate steps also look very good with paving stone walkways or traditional broom finished concrete walkways.  As with the dyed concrete option you will need to make sure you have enough clearance above your existing step in order for a pour over to work and last for many years.

Installing tile over your front step

Of all the front step ideas to choose from installing tile over your front step is one of our top picks. You need less than a half inch of clearance below your door jam for this option so it means you won’t need to break out and haul away your old step.  So, although the costs for tile are higher than a pour over you will at least save on the break out and haul out of your old step. In most cases, unless your step is crumbling you will be able to install tile over top.  You can choose from a vast array of natural stone tile for your front step and most of the natural stone tile is suited for Calgary’s climate.  As well as being suited for our climate, the tile will not be very slippery at all and certainly not more slippery than a traditional concrete step.  Installing tile over your front step should always be done by an experienced tile setter. Tile setting is an art and if you aren’t careful choosing your installer you can end up with poorly installed tile that becomes uneven or cracks over time.  Tile is one of the most costly options for your front step but the finished look is well worth it.  Tile matches very well with patios and walkways of varying styles

Break out the old and bring in the new

Maybe it is time to start from scratch and break out the old and bring in the new. Removing your old concrete step may be the only option if you have limited clearance between your existing step and door jam, making a pour over impossible.  If you want to start from scratch with an entirely new front step you will need to first have the existing concrete jackhammered out and hauled away.    Once that has been done you can choose between the poured stamped concrete or exposed aggregate we talked about earlier in this article.  Or you can choose to have a new step built out of either paving stones or wood.

Paving stones for front steps

Although paving stones inset in stone retaining walls are often used for steps in Calgary this is not an option we typically recommend.  This usually our last choice for front step ideas.  The reason for this is simply because there are more components to this method and therefore the chances of your steps lasting for a very long time are minimized.  Poured concrete of some form is in our opinion the best option for a front step.  Front steps get a lot of use over time and therefore a very solid structure is imperative.  In order to have paving stones as part of front steps retaining walls will have to be built.  These retaining walls will then need to be filled with compacted gravel and then sand and paving stones are installed.  These multiple steps mean there are many areas that can become weak over time.  If your retaining walls settle even a little then your steps will be uneven and start to be a tripping hazard and a headache to shovel.  There is no question that over time a solid poured structure will out last paving stones inset in retaining walls.

 

 

 

 

 

10 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Gardening, planting ideas ,

The best eating apple trees to grow in Calgary

The best eating apple trees to grow in Calgary

Calgary is a region with its own inimitable expression of weather; experiencing startling winter conditions even after a sunny moment, and not forgetting the notorious chinook. However, and surprisingly enough, many tree species have thrived in such environments. To put this into perspective, tens of thousands of fruit bearing trees have existed in Calgary, blessing folks with the benefits that come with them like edible, healthy-rich fruits.  There are many other fruit trees that grow well in Calgary  but we think an apple trees will give you the largest yield of all fruit trees.  There are a number of apple trees that can thrive in Calgary and become options for homeowners to ponder on. If you enjoy eating apples, here are some of the apple plant trees that do well in Zone 3 climate.

Norland apple

Norland apple tree is a multicolored tree in itself; with its leaves and flowers changing colors on seasons. It is one of the best eating apple trees to grow in Calgary.  At the start of spring, its flower buds blossom in pink and midway, the buds turn into white flowers with pink overtones throughout the branches. Also, in fall, their green pointy leaves become yellow in colour, hence showing you how your yard can’t lack in color and bliss year round.

With the help of pollinators like bees, the deciduous tree bears chartreuse crunchy apples in early fall, which are usually characterized by a red blush when ripe. Inside, the crispy apples are white in color.

Since they are great producers, it is prudent to pick them as early as possible before they ruin the yard and walkways. The Norland apples can also be prematurely picked before ripening as they can be stored well. They can be freshly eaten or cooked.

Notably, when growing the Norland apple treein Calgary, provide sufficient sunlight, space for spreading and a moist condition.

Prairie sensation

The Prairie sensation is a new type of apple available in Calgary. It finds its origin In the University of Saskatoon  where it was developed to endure the severe prairie climate. However, its flowering and foliage characteristics are still similar to that of Norland apple tree.

The also deciduous plant tree produces crispy apples in large amounts between late summer and early fall. The apples are usually red with a crimson, green blush. Inside, they have sweet white juicy flesh. These apples are usually of high quality and perfect for fresh eating, cooking and baking.

The apples produced can be as large as 8.5 cm in diameter. To ensure growth of such large sized apples, pruning and thinning of the tree is important. Also, since they are generously produced, it is wise to pick them and store them before they fully ripen. This will similarly prevent the yard from being messy because of fallen apples.

Since the apple tree is of high maintenance, it requires a second pollinator. When growing in Calgary, it should be provided with full sunlight, moist conditions and space for spreading.

Goodland apples

This is another bountiful apple treethat is great for your orchard in Calgary. Goodland apples have excellent edible qualities being characterized by light green color and round shape.

Sharing the same overtones as the Norland apple tree throughout the seasons, it yields fleshy white apples between late summer and early fall in plenty. The apples are usually of good size (6-8 centimeters in diameter) and can be stored up to 20 weeks in a cool dry place.

The crispy, flavorful Goodland apples can be freshly eaten, cooked or made as apple sauce. In Calgary, they serve as recipes when making sweet side dishes or homemade desserts.

Winter Cheeks

This is another hardy apple that comes to life in mid-September in Calgary. The Winter Cheek Apple tree is a variety that is disease resistant and shares same features as the Norland apple tree all year long.

The winter cheeks apple are red in color. They are also very fleshy, crisp and sweet making them edible when fresh. Furthermore, they can be of use when cooked or baked. Their edible qualities make them idea for such purposes.

Alberta Gold

Going by the name, Alberta Gold apples are usually goldish in color or preferably yellow. If you are a fan of gold-lit thing, this is for you. The Alberta Gold produces crispy apple fruits that taste juicy and sweet to the tongue buds.

The Alberta gold apple can be enjoyed as fresh fruits and can also be cooked. The apples can be picked and stored for 12 weeks under cool and dry conditions.

M360

Though the name may seem techy, this is another natural apple tree that can grow well and produce fruits in Calgary. M360 apples are also juicy and sweet and ideal for desserts such as apple pies.

The M360 apple trees produce fruits that can be stored for as long as six month.

 

There are many other trees to choose from for the best eating apple trees in Calgary.  If you looking to eat healthy apples year in and year out while keeping the doctor away, consider the apple trees above which well in Calgary. They will also prove worthwhile as attractive features in your garden.  Visit our trees Calgary  gallery to view more trees that grow well in Calgary.

 

09 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david fences and decks, Landscaping Calgary

Cedar Privacy Fence

In this video we discuss the unique and beautiful look of a cedar privacy fence.  A cedar privacy fence adds warmth and visual appeal to your property.  Check out the video to learn more.

Horizontal fence boards are key to a cedar privacy fence

Traditional cedar fences or pressure treated fences are often built with their fence boards running vertical.  For our cedar privacy fence we install our fence boards horizontally.  Horizontal fence boards are key to a cedar fence.  This board placement gives your fence a semi transparent look that keeps your landscape backdrop looking light and open.  Traditional vertical fence boards can feel more wall like and less visually attractive.  The cost for installation of this fence will be higher than a traditional fence as the there is more labour involved with this kind of fence project.   This style of fence is a great addition to your modern landscaping project.

4 x 6 fence posts are best for a solid fence.

Using 4 x 6 or even 6 x 6  fence boards for your cedar privacy fence will help give your fence the strength it need to withstand our freeze and thaw temperatures here in Calgary.  Many contractors or homeowners use 4 x 4 posts to build their fences.  The fence post is the spine of your fence and therefore a 4 x 4 post will not be adequate.  We have replaced many fences with 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 fence posts because they were leaning or falling over.  Along with the fence post it is important to add at least two bags of concrete.

Heavy duty gate hardware is a necessity

We are often called to repair gates installed by other contractors.  The number one issue with their gates is the quality of their gate hardware.  Flimsy hinges and latches have to carry the load of a very heavy gate and they will not withstand the stress over time.  Using heavy duty gate hardware is a necessity if you want your gate to stay in position and open and close easily.  If you are going to spend the money on a beautiful fence it is well worth it to spend a few more dollars for proper gate fixtures.

Semi transparent stain protects while still showing off the natural wood

Semi transparent stain is the best stain to use when staining your cedar privacy fence.  There is enough protective coating to give your fence protection against the sun but at the same time it still shows off the natural wood grain of your cedar privacy fence.  A cedar privacy fence is one of the most additions you can make to your Calgary landscaping.  To keep it looking great make sure to stain your fence annually.

There are many styles of fence and deck products to choose from.  Check out our fences and decks page for more.

09 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Landscaping, Landscaping Calgary, Outdoor kitchens Calgary

Modern Landscaping Calgary project

Many of our Calgary clients are looking for more modern landscaping components for their Calgary landscaping.  In this video David Abbott from Chinook Landscaping Calgary discusses some of these components including:

Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor kitchens are becoming more and more popular in Calgary.  Even though our winters can be long and cold don’t let that stop you from enjoying outdoor cooking.  For this landscaping project we used a Techo bloc outdoor kitchen The Techo bloc outdoor kitchen is made of precast stone and includes a electrical outlet, double burner and granite counter top.  Granite counter tops are ideal for outdoors in Calgary because they can handle the cold and stay looking great year round.

Kayu hardwood deck

We installed a beautiful kayu hardwood deck next to the outdoor kitchen.  Kayu is a beautiful mahogany type hardwood that is much more durable than cedar.  Natural woods like Kayu can really warm up your outdoor space and are especially important if you have a lot of cold landscaping components like concrete or paving stones.  Placing the deck boards on a forty five degree angle gives your deck a sleek modern look.

Basalt bubbler water feature

Basalt bubbler water features are low maintenance water features that don’t require much for winterizing like ponds or waterfalls.  These subtle yet soothing water features give you a realizing calming element to your landscaping.  The water flow can be adjusted to increase or decrease the amount of water coming out of the top of the basalt bubbler.  This in turn increases or reduces the volume of the feature.

Cedar Pergola

This simple cedar pergola creates a cozy feel to the back yard and compliments the kayu hardwood deck very well.  It is built with basic cross beams that are not too ornate and therefore they don’t take away from the rest of the landscaping.  The cedar pergola provides some shade but not too much to block sunlight to the plantings underneath the Pergola.   Cedar Pergolas are a wonderful addition to any modern landscaping project.  Both the pergola and the deck will require annual staining each spring for fall in order to maintain their rich natural wood tones.

Learn more about our modern landscaping wood structures by visiting Pergolas and arbors .

You can also visit our arbors, pergolas and privacy screens page

Ask us about what components to use for your modern landscaping Calgary project.

 

07 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Gardening, Landscaping, Landscaping Calgary

Chinook Landscaping Calgary

In this video David Abbott discuss various key components of landscaping in Calgary. Chinook Landscaping and Design has been involved in and created some unique and interesting projects.  Landscaping is our passion and Chinook Landscaping Calgary loves to landscape and it shows!

In this video we discuss:

Front steps, more than just something to step on

Typical concrete front steps are everywhere in Calgary and quite frankly they can be quite boring.  Considering the front step is the entrance to your home it is important to dress it up a little and welcome visitors with something other than boring cold sterile concrete.  The front steps we built for this project were built with tumbled roman Pisa stone.  Inset in the steps are roman euro paving stones.  The front paving stone patio approaching the steps where made with similar matching materials as the steps.

Roman Euro mowing pavers help define your borders.

Using a paving stone border around your garden beds is a great way to define your borders.  Defining your borders is key to a great looking landscape.  Mowing pavers make it easy to mow right over your lawn without the hassle of having to trim around raised border edges.  Our paving stones are installed with a compacted gravel base that helps prevent frost heaves in the winter time.  It is very important to have a proper base under your paving stones or you will end up with uneven pavers in a very short time.  We install polymer sand in-between our mowing pavers to help keep the weeds and grass from growing in between the pavers.

Trafalgar Paving stones make for a great looking paving stone patio

A beautiful paving stone patio is the focal point to most back or front yard landscapes.  Paving stones are more costly than concrete and exposed aggregate but the look is much more attractive.  For this project Chinook Landscaping Calgary installed Trafalgar paving stones and implemented a unique application of cutting the paving stones around the beautiful backyard tree.  The trafalgar paving stones have a classic timeless look that will not become outdated in the future.  Again, we used polymer and in between the paving stones to prevent weed growth.

Fences are the back drop to your landscape.

Many people focus on their landscaping and forget about one of the key components to their landscaping.  The backdrop of your landscaping is your fence so make it a beautiful, long lasting fence that will compliment your existing landscaping.  Most landscaping companies use 4 x 4 fence posts for their fence installations but at Chinook Landscaping Calgary we insist on either 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 posts.  The fence posts are the spine of your fence and installing flimsy 4 x 4 posts will mean you have a weak fence, especially in Calgary’s freeze and thaw climate.  Installing 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 fence posts will insure your fence will stay upright and solid for years to come.  Fences are a very important part of your landscaping both for aesthetics and for security.

Chinook Landscaping Calgary is your one stop for unique, long lasting and beautiful landscapes.  Call us today for your free onsite consultation.  Ph: 403-452-8552 or visit our estimates page.

 

07 Mar 2019
0 Comments By david Gardening, Landscaping Calgary, Wood landscaping features

Arbors and Pergolas for your front or back yard

Wood features are a great way to soften the look of your landscaping.  Arbors and Pergolas can give you that soft touch and arbors and pergolas for your front or back yard can be a practical landscaping feature too.

Whats the difference between an Arbor and Pergola?

Some of our Calgary clients are confused by the difference between an arbor and a pergola.  The differences are quite clear really.  An arbor is typically much smaller than a pergola.  An arbor is often used for a garden accent or as an archway over your front or backyard entrance.  A pergola is normally used over top of a patio or siting area to provide shade and/or privacy.  A pergola normally has numerous large cross beams whereas an arbor may only have a two or three.  Read more about arbors and pergolas for your front or back yard.

Pergolas for shade and More

Pergolas for shade are quite common in Calgary.  They are very useful in blocking much of the sunlight that shines onto your patio or sitting area.  You can choose to have a greenhouse like fibreglass roof on your pergola to keep out the rain and reduce sunlight or you can leave the roof open for partial shade from the cross beams.  Pergolas being used for privacy is another common application.  Often we find that neighbouring homes have high decks that overlook our clients properties so in this case a pergola can provide excellent privacy over top of your patio or hot tub area.

Arbors can aid in drainage solutions

Did you know that arbors can be a great aid for drainage solutions?  We often use cedar arbors to straddle a front or back walkway.  Instead of running your drain pipe underground you can choose to run your drain pipe over top of the arbor and therefore over top the walkway and down the other side of the arbor.  This allows you to avoid underground drainage.  Overland drainage is always preferred over underground drainage because underground drainage can freeze up in spring and cause your eavestrough to over flow.  We can hide the drain pipe in the arbor beams so they are not visible.  You can visit our page on drainage solutions to learn more about using arbors for drainage issues.

Arbors for beautiful landscape accents

Arbors make beautiful landscape accents.  The warm look of cedar can help to soften your landscape while providing an ornate accent to your property.  We can build arbors in a variety of styles and they can be stained or painted according to what matches your landscape best.  The soft look of cedar arbors is particularly helpful when you have a lot of concrete or cold landscape components.

Materials used for building Arbors and Pergolas

Arbors and pergolas are almost always built out of either cedar, Meranti hardwood or pressure treated wood.  If you want a rich wood look for your arbor then cedar or meranti is best.  If you plan on painting your arbor then pressure treated wood be appropriate and is also the least expensive option.  Using arbors or pergolas for your front or back yard are is a great idea regardless of what material you use.

Have a look at our Arbors, Pergolas and privacy screens page for more