Chinook Landscaping and Design – Landscaping Calgary Specialists
Calgary, Alberta
403-452-8552
Mon-Fri 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM.
04 Sep 2018

Fall is a great time for landscaping in Calgary

Fall is a great time for Landscaping in Calgary!  Did you know that trees, shrubs and sod do much better when planted in the cooler fall months than they do when planted during our hot summers? Trees, shrubs and sod start to go dormant in fall and therefore they are far less likely to go into shock when they are planted.  Summer is in the middle of their peak growing season so it is very hard on plantings and sod, especially with our hot, dry summers.  The cooler fall weather combined with the plant dormancy cycle means you can don’t have to worry about planting trees or shrubs or laying sod.  Chinook Landscaping and Design typically installs plantings, paving stones, retaining walls and all other landscape components right up to and beyond Halloween.   Visit our website at landscapingcalgary.org  for more or Call us at 403-452-8552 for your no cost estimate.

16 Aug 2018

Artificial turf or real grass for your landscaping

07 Jul 2018

Sod or seed for new lawns?

Many of our customers ask us what is the best way to establish a new lawn.  Do you use new sod or simply seed over loam?  The fastest way to a new lawn is definitely by sodding over fresh loam.  Sod is instant green and takes far less maintenance than seed.  Seeding a new lawn can be very tedious and the seed requires a lot of water at regular intervals throughout the day.  If the seed is allowed to dry out it will not germinate.  The one advantage to seeding a lawn is cost.  Seeding is much less costly than sodding.  Like seed, sod requires regular watering but it will not die out as quickly as seed will.  If you have the budget for sod then sodding your new lawn is the way to go.   Regardless of whether you use seed or sod for your lawn you should always make sure to have a good layer of quality screened loam on your property.  Rolling and grading the loam is also important so you are left with a smooth level surface.  Always remember to create a positive slope away from your property to allow for good drainage.  Chinook Landscaping and Design.

See our estimates page to book your free sod estimate.  Or call us at 403-452-8552

22 Jun 2018

Chinook Landscaping awarded Consumers choice for 3rd year.


Chinook Landscaping and Design was recently awarded the Consumers Choice Award for the third year in a row.  Since 2015 Consumers Choice has won the distinct award of being the top Landscaping company in Southern Alberta.  We work very hard to make sure our customers are happy and we are proud to have our hard work recognized in the industry.  Built on Trust, Chinook Landscaping and Design always puts our customers first!

04 Jun 2018

Spruce Solutions

Large established spruce trees are noticeable everywhere in Calgary front and back yards.  These trees are typically Colorado Blue spruce and can grow to be 30-40 feet tall and take up the majority of your yard.  We are constantly asked about ways to manage spruce trees and keep them as part of the landscape.

Firstly, it is never a good idea to have your lawn area compete with spruce trees.  The spruce tree will always win.  They are known to be very hard on lawns for several reasons.

– They drop needles and shed them constantly throughout spring, summer and fall.  These needles can break down and change the quality of the soil.

– Spruce tree roots are very shallow and extend for a great distance to other areas of your yard.  The roots draw moisture out of the soil and deprive your lawn of water and nutrients.

– The large spruce tree branches shade preven sunlight and water from reaching your lawn.

So, we can see that having lawn under or close to your spruce tree is probably not going to facilitate a lush healthy lawn.  If you want to keep your lawn then we recommend pruning the branches up on the bottome 3-5 feet of the spruce tree.  This will give your lawn more sunlight and moisture.

The best option when it comes to spruce trees is to create a defined border around the perimiter of the spruce trees drip line.  The drip line is the tip of the longest spruce tree branches.  Create this border by using a natural spade edge, mowing pavers, Vinyl edge or raised pre cast or natural stone.  This border will mean your lawn and gardens will not have to compete with the spruce tree and you won’t have to mow around the branches. The messy needles and waste can be cleaned up without trying to rake them out of the lawn.  You can place fabric and 40mm rock under the spruce tree and use a blower to blow out needles and waste each season.   Keep in mind that over the long term, the roots may grow and lift some areas of your border.  The border can be adjusted and levelled again by notching out a section of the root.

01 May 2018

Whats with all the pollen this spring?

You have probably noticed pollen like you never have before this season.  Yellowish mustard powder is everywhere this year in Calgary.  Vehicles homes and streets are covered with pollen.  Why is it so noticeable this year?  In a typical season various trees and grass put out pollen at different times of the spring/summer  This winter was anything but typical and winter stayed very late.  So because of that all of the trees combined with the grass are putting out pollen at the same time. They don’t want to lose the opportunity to propagate.  Its a survival thing.  Calgary has not seen much rain this spring so that has compounded the issue.  A few days of heavy rain would help to wash the pollen off trees and grass, streets, cars and homes. Allergies are through the roof of course because Calgarians are getting a mega dose of pollen all at once. There is not much you can do besides keeping windows and doors closed, rinse your walkways, patios and outdoor furniture. Make sure to take your allergy medicine if you have a major allergy to pollen.  There are some positive aspects to all this pollen.  We know if it is out there then the greenery around is continuing to thrive.  Pollen is very high in nutrients so although it may be a real irritant for some, inhaling accidentally throughout the day may give you a dose of healthy nutrients!!

30 Apr 2018

Landscaping Calgary Awards

Chinook Landscaping is proud to have been chosen the best landscaping contractor in Southern Alberta.  The landscaping Calgary award was given to us by Consumers Choice for the 3rd year in a row.  The award means a great deal to our staff at Chinook Landscaping and it shows our commitment to customer service.  Our Motto is ” Built on Trust” because we have always been dedicated to providing our clients with the best service possible.  From the very start Chinook Landscaping and Design has never requested deposits or progress payments from our customers.  This demonstrates a great deal of confidence in our work and it puts our customers at ease knowing they will not have to be concerned with paying anything for their landscaping until we have completed their project and they are 100% happy with the outcome.  Our objective is to always put our customers first by using the best products available, implementing quality workmanship and providing unbeatable service.  Our commitment to service does not end after the jobs complete.  We follow up with our warranties by replacing plantings that may have died, or repairing and resolving any issues that may occur after the work is done.  You can count on Chinook Landscaping and Design to always be there for you.  From start to finish and beyond!  Click here to read more about our landscaping Calgary awards

07 Apr 2018

What is the best deck material to use in Calgary?

There are several options for materials when it comes to building your deck.  Calgary has some extreme weather that can go from very cold to very warm.  This extreme weather can be hard on decks so choosing the right material is very important.

Here are some deck material options to consider:

Pressure treated wood.

Pressure treated wood is the least expensive option when it comes to deck material in Calgary.  Pressure treated wood can withstand Calgary’s extreme weather quite well and the smooth surface of pressure treated wood allows you to shovel it easily.  Pressure treated wood can be left without painting or staining but you can also choose to paint or stain it if you like.  Pressure treated wood is quite a common material used on Calgary decks.

Cedar Wood decking

Cedar wood decking is a very attractive option to use for your deck material. It’s beautiful, natural wood tones are enriched when you add a semi transparent stain.  The stain really brings out the wood grain so it is highly recommended to use the stain both for appearance and to protect your deck.  If you choose to use cedar wood decking you will need to stain it once each season.  This can be a lengthy process so some of our clients choose to go with a composite deck material so they do not need to worry about annual maintenance.  Cedar decking is more costly thanpressure treated wood but if you don’t mind having to stain it then it is well worth it.

Meranti hardwood decking

Meranti hardwood decking is a rich mahogany hardwood that is extremely durable and the rich wood tones are hard t

beat.  Many of our clients choose this decking material because it last for a very long time and is very resistant to Calgary’s ever changing climates.  Meranti hardwood has a dark brownish red colour that is typically darker than cedar.  Meranti hardwood decking does cost more than cedar or pressure treated and labour costs to install the decking are also higher.   This type of decking can be left raw without stain but it will turn to a faded grey colour after a few seasons.  Meranti is much more attractive if you protect it with a stain that brings out the amazing wood tones.

Composite Decking

Composite decking is becoming more and more popular for use as a deck material.  Composite decking used to be less reliable because it was made of recycled material.  Most quality composite decking is now made with virgin material so that means it is less likely to warp or fade.  Composite decking can still fade over the long term and its rich wood like tones may not be as realistic after several years.  Composite decking can be hot to walk on as it absorbs the heat. There are very many great options for composite decking now and many of the higher end decking products look identical to wood.  Composite decking is one of your more costly deck options but with zero maintenance many of our clients choose it over natural wood.

20 Sep 2017

St.Boniface School playground

Chinook Landscaping was proud to contribute to the St. Boniface School Playground in Lake Bonavista Calgary.  There were many sponsors who helped make this project such a great success and we are proud to be one of them. We provided all the labour and materials to help construct the paving stone feature area.  The feature area included custom engraved paving stones that were provided by sponsors including local Lake Bonavista families, individuals and various Calgary corporations.  We really enjoyed being part of the project and we are proud to be part of the Lake Bonavista Community.  Enjoy your playground kids!!