Chinook Landscaping and Design – Landscaping Calgary Specialists
Calgary, Alberta
403-452-8552
Mon-Fri 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM.
27 Apr 2024

Calgary water restrictions and landscaping

There is a lot of concern among Calgary homeowners regarding Calgary water restrictions and landscaping.  The city of Calgary warns outdoor water restrictions may be coming. in the near future if drought conditions persist.  Chinook Landscaping and design is receiving a lot of requests for Xeriscape landscaping and requests for totally removing front or back yards or both are becoming more common.  What to replace the lawn with? Typically, the lawn would be replaced with professional grade fabric as well as decorative rock or mulch.  You can add some interest by adding decorative boulders or driftwood or even a garden Gnome or two.

Should you remove your lawn?

It’s a big step to decide to remove your lawn.  The looks of lush grass is very attractive to many homeowners in Calgary.  Lawns are hardier than we give them credit for.  There are some summers where traditional Kentucky Bluegrass lawns can go without water for the entire season.  We tend to overwater our lawns in North America.  Underground sprinkler systems can be tempting to run on a daily bases but lawns don’t require that much water unless they are just getting started.  It’s actually healthier to allow your lawn to dry out a little in between waterings as this helps roots search for water, go deeper and become stronger.  Even so, lawns to some homeowners are not worth the hassle and cost. Annual costs can really add up and include mowing, fertilizing aerating and power raking.  Not to mention the cost to the city and the taxpayer for emptying compost each week or bi weekly.  Even with the extra costs though there are many homeowners who love their lawns and will keep them just as is.

Water restrictions and landscaping plantings are important

A Xeriscaped or drought tolerant landscape includes plants that are native to the Calgary area and plants that require less water. A popular planting option currently is Karl Forester grass and Blue oat grass as well as many other varieties of grasses.  We often see grasses do fine throughout an entire summer with not manual watering required. The occasional rainfall is enough to keep the grasses alive and healthy.  Shrubs that do well with less water incude varieties of Potentilla, Dogwood, Ninebark, Hawthorns and Lilacs as well as many others.  You can check out Yardsmart – Trees and Shrubs on the City of Calgary website for more options. This site has a lot of information on Calgary water restrictions and landscaping.  It is important to keep in mind that although there are many varieties of shrubs and perennials that do well with less water they will initially require hand watering for the first year or two.  Once the shrubs are established and their roots are deeper in the soil they will be able to handle less water.

Decorative rock is maintenance free

Decorative rock is a great option for a xeriscaped yard.  Once it’s installed it really is maintenance free.  Decorative rock needs to be installed over a professional grade layer of landscaping fabric to help reduce weed growth.  If you are concerned that too much rock can look cold adding some natural wood mulch can help soften the look.  Planting trees and Shrubs throughout the landscape will also help to warm and soften the look of rock.  There are many options when it comes to decorative rock.  Some of the most popular ones we install are Montana rainbow, rundle rock, salt and pepper and tan rock.  Many clients of ours like to use two different rock colours for a contrasting look.  The initial cost of landscaping rock to install can be costly when you include labour, hauling and delivery but it’s a one time insolkalation and unlike mulch will not require topping up on a regular basis.  Decorative rock is a great option to consider for Calgary water restrictions and landscaping.

Maintenance for a xersicaped yard

Landscape maintenance for a xeriscaped yard should be minimal especially with decorative rock as your mulch.  Perenncials can be higher maintenance as they require spring or fall clean up and removal of the dead foliage.  Shrubs and grasses are a lower maintenance option and should only require occasional pruning once they mature serveral years from when they are planted.  other than pruning there may be some persistent weeds that are from weeds seeds that blow into your yard.  The weed seeds are much more likely to germinate in mulch than they are in decorative rock.  The weeds can be pulled or sprayed making sure not to spray surrounding shrubs.

If you are interested in an estimate for a xeriscaped yard or have questions about Calgary water restrictions and landscaping give us a call to discuss your project.  403-370-4447

 

04 Apr 2020

Landscaping you can do around your home while waiting out the coronavirus COVID-19

Consider some things you can do around the exterior of your home while you wait out the coronavirus COVID-19.

 

Clear snow from around your foundation areas

Now is a great time to clear snow from around the foundation areas of your home.  You may be in an older home where paving stones or concrete walkways and patios have sunken.  This sinking can create positive drainage towards your house.  When you see areas like this it is best to use a shovel to move the snow away from the foundation and pile it in an area where the spring run off will not create run off towards your homes foundation.  Try not to pile this snow on top of your garden or shrub areas as this extra snow will slow the spring growing of your shrubs and perennials.  As well, there may be salt in the snow and too much salt is not good for your plantings.

Divert runoff from your downspouts and away from low lying areas

We almost always see downspouts that are set up incorrectly and create issues with water draining towards your home.  IF you can safely divert the downspouts to another area it is best to do that before the big thaw starts.  If you can’t divert the downspouts then you should consider creating trenches in the snow to help channel the water away from your home and towards low lying areas.  A drainage assist arbor may provide a good drainage solutions for diverting water over your pathways.  You can call Chinook Landscaping  if you would like a estimate for that.

Rake up leaves, pinecones

Some areas of your lawn may be free of snow at this time,.  You may also have areas under your large spruce trees or other trees that have been protected from the snow.  Now is a good time to get a head start on spring maintenance and rake up leaves, pinecones and other debris around your yard.  You can toss the lawn debris directly into your compost container.

Prune trees, shrubs and perennials

Early spring is a great time to prune trees, shrubs and perennials.  It is always best to do your pruning before your plants wake up and start to put out fresh green buds.  Pruning trees and shrubs can easily be done with a good pair of pruning shears or you can also use a small hand saw.  Pruning larger trees may require a ladder and special tools so make sure to be very careful if you plan to prune large trees.  It may be best to hire a professional arborist for your larger trees.  Shaping shrubs can be enjoyable and you can trim them with pruning shears or a automatic hedge trimmer.  This is also a good time of the year to trim back your hedges.  If you have a cotoneaster hedge and it is diseased with oystershell scale you may want to consider pruning them right to the ground.  This will allow them to regrow without the virus.  If you are going to do your own pruning make sure to follow guidelines on pruning trees and shrubs

Create a landscape design on your computer or with a pencil and paper

If you have lots of time on your hands you could create a landscape design on your computer or with a pencil and paper.  If you want to try landscape design on your computer there is lots of landscape design software out there to help you with this.  Professional landscape designers use expensive CAD based Software but you could try some of the more simple software options if you are not familiar with Autocad.  Some software you could consider is smartdraw
If you just want to try sketching with a pencil and paper a great way to start is by getting out your RPR.  RPR or Real Property Reports show the footprint of your house on your lot.  Make some extra copies and sketch in patios and walkways, trees, shrubs, landscape features, retaining walls etc.

If you would like help with a landscape design give us a call or request an estimate on our estimate request page.

 

 

 

21 Mar 2020

COVID-19 and Landscaping in Calgary

Updated March 1st, 2021  Like everyone else around the City and around the world we are closely monitoring the Coronavirus COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.  These are unique times indeed and we are doing our best to stay open for estimates while still practicing social distancing.

Estimates at a distance

Many of our customers are calling or emailing us to ask about Coronavirus COVID-19 and Landscaping in Calgary.  We are still open for estimates but in order to help with social distancing we will not be meeting with customers inside their homes.  As well, we will make sure to keep at least 2 metres from our customers while providing estimates outside. There are many estimates that can be completed accurately by emailing with our customers.

We had hoped this would be over by now

A year ago at this time we were all hoping the Covid-19 virus would come and go quickly.  That has not been the case of course.  During the summer last year we experienced longer than usual wait times at our suppliers so jobs were taking longer than they would have before the virus arrived.  We also found there to be a substantial increase in material costs due to so many homeowners focusing on renovations around their homes while being locked down.  Things change quickly but at this time we believe we will continue to be able to safely landscape outdoors.  We have implemented many safe work practices to help keep our clients and our employees safe by abiding by the Chief medical Office of Health and Public Health guidelines/directives.   Of course, if new guidelines and orders from Alberta health arise we will be sure to strictly follow them.

Some landscaping supplies are limited

At this time we have found that most landscaping supplies are not affected.  However, we have experienced some delays in material shipments due to COVID-19 and very high demand. Most of our manufacturers are still producing landscaping products and getting them to our retailers on a tinley manner.  The cost of most landscaping materials has increased.  These increases included wood, paving stones, decorative rock and trees and shrubs.

We are working safely in small crews

We have reduced our crew size from four workers two two or three workers maximum.  Our workers arrive in different vehicles and do not carpool to worksite locations.  We have plenty of hand sanitizer on site and in all our our vehicles.  Employees are instructed to use hand sanitizer frequently throughout the day.  We are very mindful of neighbours and pedestrians and we always give them the right of way if they happen to be in the area.

We are accepting full payment via Visa or Mastercard and if you like you can make payments over a thirty day period with no added fees. Deposits remain optional.

Help others and stay safe

We would like to remind everyone to please help those who are vulnerable and/or elderly by doing whatever you can for them.  Also, please remind your friends, family and coworkers that social distancing and self quarantining will help to greatly reduce the spread of this virus.

There are warm days ahead.  Stay healthy!

 

07 Feb 2020

Don’t pay for a landscaping estimate

We want to give a quick thumbs up for all the landscape contractors out there who work hard to provide free estimates to Calgary homeowners.  Chinook Landscaping and design has provided free landscaping estimates to our Calgary customers for over twenty years.  Landscaping estimates should be something that is provided at no cost regardless of what your project is.  There are some companies that will ask you for a fee in order to provide you with a landscaping estimate.   It is understandable to charge for a landscape design but a landscaping estimate should always be free,  Your landscaping estimate should include the following important details.

Itemized list of landscaping components

It is important to have a detailed itemized list of your landscaping components included in your estimate.  Some estimates just list a grand total for all the work you have requested.  We find our customers really like the detailed list of components.  This way you can pick and choose the landscaping components you want.  The separate costs for each landscaping component will help you decide whether the amounts fall in line with your budget.

Dimensions of hardscape components

Your estimate should include the dimensions of hardscape components like patios, walkways and retaining walls.  Knowing the dimensions will help you compare prices with other estimates you have received.  The dimensions will also allow you to double check the hardscape areas to make sure the measurements are correct.  There will always be some differences once your landscaping components are installed but the initial estimate should give you a very good idea of the dimensions of hardscape components.

Varieties of trees and shrubs

Knowing the varieties of trees and shrubs is very helpful.  This is an important part of all the free landscaping estimates we provide.  There are many trees and shrubs that grow well in Calgary but not all of them grow well under varying conditions.  Varying conditions include sun exposure, water availability, soil conditions and drainage.  We provide shrub and/or tree recommendations based on these variables.  It is very important that the appropriate shrubs and trees are placed in areas where they will flourish otherwise your plant investment will be wasted.

Landscaping options

We always like to included landscaping options in our estimates.  These landscaping options are important and give homeowners some choice when it comes to different landscaping items.  Common landscaping options include hardscaping such as patios and walkways.  We like to list material options for patios and walkway such as paving stones, exposed aggregate, stamped or broom finished concrete.  The prices of these different materials can very greatly so having options is very important.  Tree, shrubs and perennial options are also valuable and should be included in your landscaping estimate.  Many tree and shrub varieties will grow well in similar conditions so its good to know what your options are.

Request your free landscaping estimate 

22 Jan 2020

Do you really need a landscape design?

We have seen many landscapers in Calgary push their landscape design packages to Calgary homeowners but do you really need a landscape design?  Landscape design components can look great on paper but quite often the beauty is not translated into being practical or affordable. As well, if a landscape design is not accurately created it can cause many issues once your installation begins.

Landscape designs can cause more problems than they solve

A landscape designs main purpose is to give you and your landscape contractor an exact plan to create your landscaping project.  We have seen some designs where measurements are not accurate, grade changes are not accounted for and landscape design components just don’t fit in the spaces they are supposed to.  When these mistakes occur it can cost you money to re-install the comments and/or cost you time wasted on head scratching.  Drainage issues may also occur when grade changes are not taken into account.  These drainage issues can cause major issues with your landscaping and in the end these issues will cost you money.

Choose your landscape designer carefully

If you do plan to go ahead with a landscape design make sure you are diligent in choosing a designer with several years of experience in Calgary.  There are many landscaping companies in Calgary, some of them are very new to the city and they may not understand the climate changes, drainage issues and other factors that come with Calgary’s unique weather.  If you have a smaller project then a landscape designer is likely not going to be needed.  You can save the design costs and put the money towards the actual landscape work.

Smaller landscaping projects usually do not need a landscape design

If you have a smaller landscaping project such as patios and walkways, fence, mowing pavers or small garden bed retainers then you likely won’t need a landscape design.  These smaller landscaping components can easily be sprayed out on your property.  A spray out design on your property is the best design of all as it is there in front of you and drawn on the space the landscaping component is going to occupy.  Revamping garden beds is another time when you probably don’t need a landscape design.  Allow for mature growth when you plan a garden bed and place the shrubs in their pots in the garden.

When we recommend a landscape design

Landscape designs can be a very important part of your landscaping process but not in all cases.  We recommend a landscape design for our Calgary landscaping customers often.  Landscape designs are particularly important if you have a large landscaping project.  A large landscaping project with multi levels or large grade changes is another case where you may need a landscape design. If you have a new home with no landscaping in place yet then a landscape design will be helpful but only if it is done correctly.  If you are a visual person and cannot visualize your landscaping then you will benefit from a landscape design to help you see the overall plan more clearly.

Check out our landscape design Calgary page for more information.

 

 

21 Jan 2020

When is it time for Lawn removal?

Many lawns around Calgary can begin to look old, overgrown and weed infested over time.  Even new lawns can look sick and poorly established if the loam underneath was not installed properly.  The question is when is it time for lawn removal?

Bad soil or loam means your lawn will struggle

Many newly installed lawns were not properly prepped with good quality loam, some properties have little or no loam and the sod or new lawn was just laid on top of silty clay.  You may have purchased a new home from a builder in winter only to discover a sick poorly established lawn once spring arrived.  Bad soil or means your lawn will struggle and you will struggle trying to get it looking healthy again.  Regardless of what you do to help it your lawn will still have problems getting established and staying healthy.  New sod care  with Fertilizer your lawn will help a little but only in the short term.  Aerating and powering raking are also short term solutions.  Poor soil means it is time for lawn removal.

Weed infested lawns can be an endless battle

What to do with weeds? If your lawn has been infested with weeds and there seems to be more weeds than lawn then it is likely time for lawn removal.  Many weeds like dandelions for example can be controlled with herbicides or by weeding by hand.  Other more evasive weeds like clover and quack grass can take over lawns quickly and they are not easily controller by herbicides or hand weeding.  Weed infested lawns can be an endless battle.  You may find yourself weeding on a daily basis and you still aren’t able to keep up with the weed problem.  It iss time for lawn removal if weeds have taken over your lawn.

Lawns growing over and above sidewalks and walkways

Over time your lawn can begin to get higher and higher until it is many inches above your walkway or city sidewalk.  This happens because the lawns roots are getting larger and larger taking up more space beneath the grass blades.  This causes the lawn to rise up making it very awkward to trim or mow it properly.  You may also notice that your lawn is leaching soil onto your walkway because the soil is above the walkway or sidewalk.  Dew worms can also cause major problems with lawns and they are also in many cases, responsible for pushing up lawns and leaching soil onto walkway.  You need to remove old sod if dew worms have become a persistent problem.

We can help you with sod or lawn removal and answer any questions you may have.

 

 

 

 

 

16 Jan 2020

A great alternative to salt for your walkway

For many years now Calgarians have been using salt or gravel to melt snow and ice from their slippery winter walkways and sidewalks. Salt can be especially harmful to your plantings and sod and other landscaping. A little salt is ok but too much salt can cause short and long term damage to sod, shrubs, trees and perennials.  Not only is salt damaging to the foliage but more damage is caused by salt being taken up by the plants root systems.

Salty spring runoff is harmful

In the spring or during warm chinook weather, the snow melts and mixes with the salt.  This salty spring run offThe water and salt is absorbed by the plants root systems and eventually reaches toxic levels.  In spring, during new plant growth, you may notice your plants are slow to leaf out or they are not showing any signs of life.  Your lawn or sod may look brownish and the grass blades may be mushy. Minimize salt damage to your lawn in Calgary.

Lava rock is a good option

Lavagrip is a great option to using salt or gravel.  Lavagrip is actually crushed Lava rock that provides a very grippy surface when applied on walkways on patio surfaces.  The lava rock is harmless and won’t damage your plants or lawn.  Lava rock is porous and this allows your plantings to still get air even if you apply a lot of lava rock to your walkway.  Lavagrip will not melt ice and although it provides a good drip on top of ice it is still best to shovel your walkways clean of snow and ice.

12 Dec 2019

Slippery winter walkways and what not to install.

Walkways are a very important component to your overall landscaping. Not only do they welcome visitors to your front door and create curb appeal but they are also of course used to walk on frequently.  There are many common front walkway ideas  to choose from but there are some very important things to consider when planning what type of walkway you are going to install in order to provide a safe and practical walkway for your friends and family.

The safest and least slippery walkways

The safest and least slippery walkways are without question paving stones, broomed concrete and natural stone. The reason these are the safest and least slippery  is because they have no sealant or clear coat applied to them. You can choose to apply a sealer or clear coat to your paving stones but we DO NOT recommend that. Sealant causes the paving stones to become extremely slippery when there is any moisture from rain or snow on them.  Paving stones are poured and formed out of concrete so they are basically raw concrete with colour and texture in them.  Broomed concrete is the standard walkway that you see at the front of most homes and is also used for city sidewalks.  Natural stone is typically not slippery but again, do not apply a sealant or clear coat to the natural stone.  Also, we do not recommend natural stone for a commonly used walkway because of its irregularities that can be challenging when shovelling snow.

Clear coat sealants can cause problems

Clear coat sealants are often used on walkways and patios.  They create a wet look that is visually appealing but can be very slippery to walk on.  You can consider adding a grit of sand or fine gravel to your sealant to reduce slipping issues but this grit can wear off.  As well, the grit can reduce the visual appeal of your concrete or paving stone walkway.  If at all possible we highly recommend going with the natural look.  Avoid sealants and stick to raw concrete or paving stones for high traffic walkways.

Stamped concrete is very slippery

Stamped concrete is very slippery when there is any rain, snow or moisture of any kind on it.  Stamped concrete patios and walkways require a sealant and it is this sealant that creates the slippery surface.  We have seen some landscaping companies install stamped concrete for front walkways. When winter arrives the homeowner is applying salt everyday or putting down mats or warning signs for pedestrians.  DO not make the mistake of installing stamped concrete where the walkway is going to be used often.  If you are planning on installing stamped concrete around your hot tub then please be aware that it will be very slippery when it gets wet.

 

14 May 2019
weeds

What to do with weeds?

Weeds, weeds and more weeds!   Don’t you just love them?  Weeds are a persistent and common issue in Calgary and across the globe for that matter.  As you probably know, weeds are a plant just like other perennials.  They are here because they have evolved to survive and as we all know, weeds will do whatever it takes to survive.  What to do with weeds is one of the most common questions we get from our customers in Calgary.  Landscaping in Calgary is challenging that is for certain and weeds make landscaping here even more challenging.

The most common weeds in Calgary

Calgary has some particularly and very evasive weed varieties with. Choosing the best shrubs for Calgary can help reduce weeds in your garden bed.  Knowing these weed varieties and how to deal with them is important when maintaining your landscaping in Calgary.

Dandelions

Dandelions may taste great in a salad but they can be a real irritant when they invade your beautifully landscaped garden beds.  The City of Calgary has stopped spraying Dandelions in many areas throughout the city.  Up until a few years ago the city sprayed with a chemical called 24D.  This chemical would kill dandelions while not affecting the health of grass.  The City of Calgary would spray this herbicide on city parks and playgrounds.  Now, 24D has been deemed as a carcinogen recently so now it is not used as frequently as it used to be.  What does this have to do with you home garden?  Dandelions are famous for there seed blossoms that occur in a beautiful burst, buried in the soft white and fluffy seed pods.  These seed pods are perfectly designed to float throughout the environment during the smallest of breezes.  The seeds fly away and settle wherever they end up.  The result is a new crop of Dandelions popping up throughout the city.  You are likely used to seeing more Dandelions if you are close to city parks and playground because there seeds can migrate to your garden beds and lawns very easily. Reducing or eliminating Dandelions is possible even if they have invaded your lawn areas.  There are many weed and feed options available at your local garden centre.  These offer a way to reduce your Dandelions while fertilizing you lawns.  Hand digging your Dandelions is effective as well but this will need to be done repeatedly whereas a weed and feed application will only be required every few months during the growing season.  Roundup is very effective at killing dandelions.  But please be sure to wear protective gloves, glasses and clothing and do not spray Roundup if there is any breeze.  Drift from the spray can and will kill neighbouring trees, shrubs and sod.

Quack grass

Quackgrass is the most evasive and persistent weed we have come across.  Just when you think you have a nice clean garden bed that is Quack grass free it pops up again seemingly out of no where. Quackgrass is a super tough native grass that grows wild throughout Alberta.  It is a very tough resilient grass that will invade your lawns and garden in no time if you don’t take the time to fully eliminate it.  Quackgrass in lawns is particularly troublesome when it creeps into your lawn area.  The grass has deeper roots than conventional lawn grass like Kentucky Bluegrass or creeping red fescue grass.  Therefore, rooting out Quackgrass can be a chore to say the least.  Quackgrass making its way into garden beds is a very common problem in Calgary landscaping.  Many homeowners and landscapers make the mistake of simply removing Quackgrass leaves that are showing from the top of the soil.  This is a mistake because Quackgrass will always come back unless you remove Quackgrass at the roots.  Quackgrass has very extensive root systems so in order to make sure they will not continue to evade your garden beds you need to make sure all of the root system is removed.  You need to remove all of the roots and root systems that occur far below the surface of the grass itself.  We often encounter perennial garden beds that are overrun with Quackgrass and in order to eradicate the Quackgrass completely we have to turn the soil at a depth of 16″ or more, remove the root system and replenish the soil with good quality garden mix. Quackgrass is not usually easily killed with herbicides like Round up

Clover

Clover is one of the strongest, hardiest weeds in Calgary.  Clover is a super strong plant that has a very extensive root system.  Like Quackgrass, Clover does not respond well to herbicides such as Roundup.  Clover can spread very quickly and it can take over garden areas in no time at all if it is not removed.  Herbicides may slow clover down but removing them completely is the key to eradicating clover.   Clover needs to be removed from the root like most evasive weeds. Established clover is known to have a tap root that can be a foot long or more.  Pulling out these long tap roots can be a real workout for your forearms.  You may be tempted to simply cut out most of the root but these roots will sprout into new clover plants in no time.  So be sure to remove the entire tap root to make sure the clover will not return.

Managing your weed problem

There are many ways to greatly reduce your weed issues.  As we mentioned above, hand weeding is a great way to reduce and eliminate weeds but it has to be done repeatedly in order to insure your weeds will be eliminated.  Here are some ways to reduce your weed problems.

Landscaping fabric and mulch

Landscaping fabric or weed barriers are commonly used in garden beds to slow down weed growth.  Weed barriers are often called landscaping fabric or cloth.  There are many weed barriers sold in big box stores that are essentially useless when it comes to slowing down weeds.  These cheap weed barriers allow lots of light in them so plants will continue to thrive. A professional landscaper will always use a good quality weed barrier.   If you are planning on installing your landscaping yourself then avoid buying you weed barrier from a big box store.  Instead of a big box store, choose a local garden centre or landscape supplier to buy your landscaping fabric or weed barrier.  If you can tear landscaping fabric apart with your hands then it is definitely not a good quality weed barrier.  We recommend a good weed barrier for low maintenance landscaping for Calgary.  Choose a thick and strong landscape fabric that will not allow light through it.  If any light gets through, your weeds will eventually get through too.  Mulch on its own will not reduce your weed problem very much.  Especially if they are very tough weeds like the ones we listed above.  Mulch has other uses such as aesthetics, and helping your soil retain moisture.  If one of the main purposes of your mulch is to prevent weeds then you will need to add a landscape fabric or weed barrier first.  If you are xeriscaping your yard in Calgary you will want to use fabric and mulch for your garden beds.  Mulch comes in many forms including cedar mulch, black mulch, bark mulch and decorative stone mulch. New mulches include rubber mulch.  Read more about how to properly install landscaping fabric by checking out our post Does landscaping fabric really work?

Herbicides

Herbicides are less and less desirable and acceptable these days.  Some of the most effective herbicides like 24D are no longer available.  24D was very effective at killing dandelions in lawns so it was used widely throughout North America.  Companies such as Greendrop can apply a weed and feed solution that is very effective at killing dandelions while fertilizing your lawn.  We have found that this weed and feed solution kills 90% of dandelions in lawns. You can purchase a weed and feed solution at local garden centres such as Greengate  and apply it yourself.  Make sure you do not apply too much of this solution and follow the instructions.  Too much fertilizer or weed killer can be detrimental to your lawn.  There are many spot weed killers like Roundup on the market that are extremely effective at killing weeds.  Roundup has mixed reviews when it comes to health concerns.  There are many studies saying Roundup is not a health risk but other studies say otherwise.  Never spray Roundup like chemicals if there is any breeze at all.  The drift will kill your lawn , trees and shrubs.  Roundup needs to be sprayed directly on the weed only from a very close distance.   If you choose to use a weed killer like Roundup it is best to follow directions, never spray in a breeze and wear protective gloves, glasses and clothing.  So, what to do with weeds?  Ultimately, the best way to reduce your weed problem is to hand weed or use a weed barrier and mulch.

 

06 May 2019

Modern patio Ideas

Techo bloc modern patio slabs

The landscaping industry has come a long way and now there are more modern patio ideas than ever to choose from. You can choose from pouring concrete slabs. large slab pavers and architectural slab, Composite or hardwood decking or traditional cedar decking.  Paving stones used to be only available in small bricks with very little options for styles and colours.  Now, that has all changed.  Manufacturers are now creating larger and multi sized paving stone patterns that come in a wide variety of styles and colours.

Paving stones and patio slabs

Modern great interlocking patio with rectangular fire pit and flame burning
Dakota paving stones with linear fire pit

Paving stone manufacturers such as Techo Bloc and Rinox are coming up with more and more styles and colours every season.  Many of the new styles of pavers are actually throwbacks to many many years ago yet they are returning as popular landscaping trends in Calgary.  You will see similar paving stones in older European cities such as London, England. You can even find pre cast paving stones that look like natural stone.  Large slab pavers or architectural slabs are also becoming more and more popular for modern patio ideas. Landscaping trends are definitely leaning towards larger paver slabs.  The patio slabs can be installed tightly together to create a solid patio.  They can also be laid out in a linear fashion with either crushed decorative stone in between or inset directly into sod.  This modern patio look goes best with modern homes.  The linear lines really compliment this style of home.  You can also use the patio slabs for walkways to continue the modern look throughout your front or back yard.  We do not recommend installing these patio slabs as a walkway unless they are installed tightly together.  If they are not installed tightly together and there are spaces in-between them, you will find your walkway will not be shovel friendly.

Poured concrete benches and patios.

Using concrete as you main structure for benches and patio will give your patio a very modern look.  Concrete benches can be poured in many shapes and sizes depending on your needs.  The poured concrete look gives your patio a clean and sleek modern feel. The concrete itself can be dyed in various different colours and can even be blended to give you a mix of colour throughout your patio and benches.  Concrete patios are nothing new but there are many different styles that are new.  The California look is based on modern homes in places like Palm Springs.  The California style is lighter concrete that is white or off white.  Traditional concrete patios can be poured using exposed aggregate or stamped concrete.  Stamped is still a good option and there are now more patterns and colours than ever to choose from.  We do not recommend stamped concrete for busy walkways around your home because they can tend to be slippery

Soften your modern patio with wood accents and plantings

warm arbor wood structure
Warm up your patio with a cedar arbor

If you plan on using large slabs or poured concrete for your patios and walkways it is important to soften the look.  Large areas of concrete can tend to look too industrial and cold and although these paver slabs are modern looking this landscaping trend needs to be softened with wood or plantings,  So you can choose to warm these areas up by incorporating warm wood accents.  For example a concrete bench looks fantastic if you add cedar or meranti hardwood seating area.  Adding these wood benches will installing warm up your patio.  You can also choose to add a wood pergola or arbor above or beside your modern patio.  These wood structures will make your patio setting more intimate and cozy.  There is nothing like natural plantings to warm up the cold look of concrete.  You can add plantings to your patio are by using them as border plantings along the permitter.  You can also choose to add cedar planters on top your patio and plant your plantings right into the planters.  If you plan on having concrete benches installed on your patio then you can incorporate planters right into the benches and plant your shrubs, perennials or annuals into the planters.