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Landscape Architecture

Easy DIY Landscaping That Increase the Value of Your Property

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

DIY Landscaping Tips for Ottawa Weather

When it comes to do-it-yourself home improvement projects, taking care of your own landscaping in order to increase the value of your property can be a huge money saver.  That being said, there are many landscaping mistakes you’ll want to avoid else your DIY landscaping project might end up costing you more if you need to bring in the pros to fix your mistakes.

There are countless DIY landscaping projects out there that, when executed right, can increase the value of your property. All you need is a little bit of patience, a break in the weather, and a few tools you likely already have on hand.

Here are a few easy landscaping tips from us at Ottawa Home and Garden Landscaping & Interlock that can increase your home’s curb appeal as well as your backyard patio enjoyment.

Maintain Healthy, Green Lawn

A well-manicured lawn is one of the best ways to instantly improve your home’s curb appeal. A nice lawn truly draws the eye and always gets and maintains the attention of neighbours and passersby. The lush colour of the lawn and the pleasing smell of freshly cut grass makes the entire property more appealing. Plus, it’s also a great feeling to walk barefoot on healthy grass or turf on a hot summer day!

While maintaining a healthy lawn is relatively easy, it does take patience, tons of water, lots of cutting, frequent fertilizing, and, depending on your location, de-mossing every now and then. It might take some trial and error, but it’s always worth the effort in the long run.

Installing Rock Gardens

You can create an equally appealing outdoor landscape and minimize the amount of time it takes to maintain a healthy lawn by installing a rock garden instead. Using natural stones in designated areas can bring a unique feel to an outdoor experience, and the beauty of natural stone can be endless. Rock gardens instantly improve the look of areas where grass has been stubborn to grow, or where weeds persist. They are especially attractive options in the summer because they don’t require constant watering.

Installing your own rock gardens is simple. All you need is something to smother out weeds and provide a foundation for the rocks, such as a natural burlap or plastic underlayment, and the right river rock and decorative stones to suit your budget and design preferences. We also recommend having a strong shovel and wheelbarrow on hand for this project. Along the way, you can boost the look of your rock garden simply by adding succulents and large stepping stones to the mix.

Designing Flower Beds

To take your DIY landscaping skills one step further, consider adding some colourful flower beds to bring dimension to your outdoor space. Planting the right seasonal flowers can be a delight for potential buyers, and it’s easier than you think to get started. For starters, use a long cord, rope or string to outline or sculpt out a space for the flowerbed. By using simple tools like a garden hose and a can of spray paint, you are able to adjust the size, shape and overall design of the flower beds before you begin to excavate the area.

Once the area is cleared, you do not need to worry about adding retaining walls or plastic edge restraints to keep the grass from migrating towards the defined flowerbed. By using a shovel or edging tool, you can maintain the bed’s outline with very minimal effort. Have you ever seen retaining walls or plastic edge restraints on a golf course bunker? No. This is because these features are not functional for the space, nor are they are all that attractive. You can save thousands of dollars from the initial cost and potential reinstatement costs of raised garden bed landscape features by following the example of your local golf course. This process of maintaining the edging of a flower bed is also time-effective, since in many cases you may only need to attend to the outline once or twice a year, or as you see fit.

Choosing the Right Vegetation

With your flower beds in place, it’s time to choose the right plants to suit Ottawa’s climate. Start by taking pictures of your flower bed space at different times of the day and knowing what direction the flower beds face. Bring this information with you to a local nursery. In many cases, an on-site horticulturist can provide free advice on plant species that could work in harmony with your space, saving you spending thousands of dollars on hiring a landscape designer to do the exact same thing.

Before you get started on any DIY landscaping project, always follow the bylaws in your area to ensure your project goes as smoothly as planned. This may include, among other things, having all services marked and documented before you start. For more inspiration for your future DIY landscaping projects, we encourage you to look through some of our Ottawa landscaping projects.
If you like to take care of your own landscaping, take heed not to make these common landscaping NO NOs.

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Landscape Architecture

9 Questions to Ask an Ottawa Landscaping Company Before Hiring Them

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

ottawa landscaping company team

Question the Ottawa Landscaper You’re About to Hire!

Whether you are looking to improve your existing property by cleaning up the exterior, or you are putting the finishing touches on a brand new home build, landscaping is an important part of the building process. In many cases, when a project goes beyond trimming a few hedges and painting an aging fence, it’s time to call a professional Ottawa landscaping company.

Before you go and call just anyone, you should first understand that there are a lot of different types of landscaping companies in Ottawa to choose from.  And you’ll want to vet the Ottawa landscaping company you’re going to hire by asking them a few key questions.  

  1. How long have you been in business?
    Follow this question up by asking how many years of experience the landscapers have doing the specific task you are looking to have done. Keep in mind that many landscapers play on the fact that lawn cutting is considered landscaping in some areas, and just because he or she says they have been involved with landscaping for X amount of years, this doesn’t necessarily mean they have been installing certain types of projects for the same amount of time.

 

  1. Can you design AND build the project?
    Just like there are home designers and home builders, there are landscape designers and landscape builders. There are also companies who do both aspects of the job. Make sure you know who you’re dealing with! This is important since the design and build firms know all the limitations of the designs and products, and can make fast, effective, responsible decisions without having to consult a third party (the landscape designer). The expense of hiring both a designer and a builder is usually avoidable, since many landscaping companies carry out both the design and build portions of the project at hand any way.
  1. Can you show me your design plans for my project?
    When it comes to figuring out a plan for your backyard makeover, a lot can be achieved by numerous discussions and tours of photo galleries, but an actual mockup of the design elements in your backyard is critical for all parties. Find out if these mockups are included in the landscaper’s quote or free estimate. Being able to see for yourself what it all looks like gives you more of an opportunity to hammer out the perfect design before any trees are chopped or any holes are dug. By building for the future and keeping the additional phases of the project in mind, you can save yourself from having to take apart and reinstate a finished portion of your overall plan.

  1. Do you have references?
    Don’t mistake a landscaping company’s online portfolio for real references. Find out if the company is willing to share actual references with you. Contact these references only if you feel inclined, but at least find out how the company reacts when you ask for them. The last place you want to end up is on the 6 o’clock news with a horror story about how you didn’t ask the people responsible for the botched job in your backyard for references.
  1. Will you be onsite and involved in the entire process?
    Oftentimes when you’re talking to a larger landscaping company, you’re speaking with someone in the sales division. Things might be going well, and you’re feeling more and more like a good relationship is developing, until the day the work begins, and the person you’ve been talking to for a while is nowhere to be found. This can be alarming and disappointing, so skip this feeling from the get-go by finding out if the person you’re speaking with directly will be the one facilitating the work. Sometimes it’s obvious, but not always!
  1. Who is responsible for the site production while the work is in progress? What levels of communication are implemented between all those involved?
    Although this information probably isn’t critical in your decision of who to hire, it’s good information to have and it might narrow down your choice. You’ll want to make sure you’re kept up to speed on the project and that the person responsible for the work in progress is someone you feel you can trust, someone who can make good, honest recommendations, and someone who sees your vision.
  1. Are you and your employees insured, and how many workers will be on site?
    Basic homeowner’s insurance doesn’t always extend to trade workers. You need to make sure that if an accident occurs on your property, you are not on the hook for any damages, to people or the property itself.
  1. Will you be using sub-contractors for any aspect of the project, and are they insured?
    Likewise for sub-contractors. Some landscapers have to outsource some of the more niche elements of the job, like when they require technicians to wire up patio lighting or install a water fountain, for example. Find out everything you can about the sub-contractors who will be showing up for the project.
  1. What is your preferred payment schedule?
    In many cases, your dream backyard may have to be worked on in a few phases over a long period of time. Depending on the scope of your project, the landscaper might require a down payment for materials. Also find out how long the plan will in fact take, since many landscapers get busy. You’ll want to make sure the payment schedule gels with the construction schedule so all parties win at the end of the day.

Landscaping can be a fairly substantial investment, which is why a lot of time and energy should be spent on looking for a skillful, trustworthy Ottawa landscaping company to suit your needs. Fortunately, deciding on the right company is the hardest part. Once that decision is made, it’s time to sit back and watch as your outdoor living space dreams come true!

To find out more about the landscaping process or to discuss your dream backyard, please contact Ottawa Home & Garden at 613-833-2645. We are an Ottawa in-ground pool installation & landscaping company who has been serving Ottawa and surrounding areas since 1999.

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Landscape Architecture

Landscape Design in Ottawa using Artificial vs. Real Grass

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

 

Artificial Grass vs Real Grass for Ottawa Weather

Grass, whether it is artificial or real, is an important part of residential landscaping. We are big proponents of adding it to our landscape design at Ottawa Home and Garden. A well-maintained area of grass on a residential property is a welcome sight and can cool an area down, as it does not reflect sunlight like other ground covers like concrete products, asphalt, or even wood decks do.

Deciding on a type of lawn for your property used to be as easy as selecting a grass seed and being done with it, but now homeowners have the option of laying artificial grass instead. But is it really worth it? Let’s take a look at using artificial or real grass in landscape design.

Artificial Grass

Artificial grass or sod is available in a wider variety of colours, textures and lengths than ever before, making it an attractive, tempting option for some homeowners. It is usually made up of a combination of rubber and silicon for the infill (present in higher-quality options), nylon or polypropylene for the grass fibers, and, much like carpet, polyester tie cord for the backing that holds everything together.

And, as the material and quality of artificial grass have both improved, it’s gained a broader range of applications. Once more or less reserved for use on sports fields and putting greens, artificial grass is making its way into playgrounds and even residential properties.

The benefits of adding artificial grass to a landscape:

  • The product is very durable and resistant to most natural conditions that can wreak havoc on a surface area.
  • It is great for constantly shaded areas of your property since it holds its color for a great deal of time.
  • It doesn’t require watering, cutting, or fertilizing.
  • Depending on the quality afforded, it WILL fool the neighbours.
  • It won’t die if it’s neglected and won’t ever be overrun with weeds, moss or insect pests.
  • It doesn’t lead to a lot of mess (grass clippings and dirt) being tracked inside.
  • Artificial grass is less likely to attract neighbourhood pets from doing their business where they shouldn’t: YOUR green space!

The drawbacks of adding artificial grass to a landscape:

  • This product can be very costly to install properly since the installation requires excavation and backfill of required materials for structure and drainage.
  • In some cases, a water drainage system may be required since standing water or rainfall can undermine the structure of the base.
  • Repair and/or replacement of artificial grass can become very costly.
  • Many people miss the sensations associated with the real thing.

Real Grass

Natural sod or grass, which is required by most builders to be installed before people take possession of new homes, can either be rolled on a prepped area as pre-grown sheets, or planted by seed and left to grow in just a month or two. With landscape design in Ottawa, there aren’t too many drawbacks to having an abundance of natural grass on your property, but there are some.

The benefits of adding real grass to a landscape:

  • It is an extremely cost effective way to cover a surface area compared to artificial turf.
  • Areas covered in real grass absorb the rainfall. This is helpful for our city drains since it doesn’t add unnecessary water runoff that may over-tax the city’s water system.
  • Natural grass, when well-maintained, is a beautiful sight and feels nice to the touch. It even smells nice. Maintenance, of course, varies based on the area and application.
  • If an area does become damaged, the reinstatement or repair to the natural sod can be very simple and carry a much lower cost than artificial turf.
  • Who can resist the feeling of real grass between their toes, or the smell of freshly cut grass in the spring and summer?

The drawbacks of adding natural grass to a landscape:

  • Upkeep requires regular fertilization and a ton of water, which can be scarce in the summertime.
  • Upkeep requires constant cutting, which can be time-consuming and pricey, depending on the equipment used or the company hired.
  • Real lawn attracts insect pests and neighbourhood cats and dogs.
  • Freshly cut grass might be constantly tracked into the house, creating a bigger mess indoors than artificial sod.

 

When it comes time to decide whether or not you want artificial grass instead of the real thing installed on your property, the choice comes down to more than just a numbers game. It’s not necessarily about what you can afford, it’s about what you ultimately want to look at every day. Sure, artificial grass will appear green even in the hottest months of summer, but looks aren’t everything, and eventually neighbours might catch on that you’ve been faking it. However, if caring for your lawn is just not your thing, artificial grass might be worth every penny invested.

For any questions about any of the above, contact an expert of landscape design at Ottawa Home and Garden today. We’d love to hear from you!

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Landscape Architecture

Landscaping Services in Ottawa

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

The Many Facets of the Ottawa Landscaping Industry

The Ottawa landscaping industry covers a lot of ground and includes everything from designing and building outdoor properties, to cutting lawns, installing flower beds, controlling weeds, pruning hedges, and more.

With this in mind, we at Ottawa Home and Garden are very specific about what we do. Ottawa Home and Garden is a full landscape services company insomuch as we are a landscape design and build company who specializes in residential properties. We focus on your needs and wants to come up with an outdoor design that complements your personality and lends a fantastic appearance and functionality to your outdoor living area.

Ottawa Home and Garden – What We Do

As a design and build company, Ottawa Home and Garden takes into account all the appropriate stages of a project, from start to finish. We are specialists who spend 100% of our time on this process of designing landscapes and then building them. In other words, we are not involved with lawn or property maintenance. If outdoor construction is your main focus, we’re your guys! A lawn-cutting company is not equipped to redesign and reconstruct your outdoor living space like we can.

Ottawa Home and Garden – Our Objective

Our objective is to design spaces that beautify properties, and then take those landscape designs and implement them during the construction process. We do this using our client’s vision, along with a list of methods that are all dedicated and specific to the construction task at hand. In other words, our goal is to take a client’s vision and find a balanced elegance to their imagination using our many years of experience and proven track record.

Structuring your Landscaping Project

When it comes time to start building, we switch our focus to the project’s structure. It is important to be aware of the surrounding areas, sub-base and newly installed base if needed. We look to see how the existing sub-base will hold up to the new construction and see what we need to do to make sure the construction process goes smoothly.

In Ottawa there are many different grades and sub-grades that need to be considered, such as clay, sand and rock, which may have been used as backfill by the home builder. Experience plays a huge role in identifying existing materials and understanding the situation in order to make the necessary decisions moving forward. Not only can Ottawa Home and Garden sketch out a landscape design plan for you, but we also have the experience to build it properly.

Designing and Building Around Landscape Obstacles

As we build our landscape designs, we always take into account the biggest obstacles: frost, water and erosion. Water is not healthy for the longevity of your dream outdoor living space. Creating sufficient water drainage is our priority from beginning to end. We must slope or grade the moisture away from your house. With this in mind, we design the space accordingly. We have been on site to see these structures installed, so we have an understanding on how they are built and as a result understand how it all works. In some cases, we can even design areas to harness rainfall for use in the garden or for use in irrigation systems.

When it comes to landscaping services, Ottawa Home and Garden’s main goal is to protect your investment. This means also having a plan in place for potential erosion. In some cases, a retaining wall might be needed. If this is the case, then so be it. But if a retaining wall can be avoided, ultimately we want that, (providing we don’t compromise structure of the project) since walls can eat up a large chunk of a project’s budget.

So, when we discuss reclaiming land to use for a patio or lounge area, we address certain requirements, but at the same time we look at ways we can achieve the same goal by thinking outside the box a little, such as by using different materials or construction methods.

Ottawa Home and Garden prides itself on using our 16 years of landscaping experience and professionalism to create beautiful outdoor living spaces.

 

For more information about our landscaping services, please take a look through our portfolio, and give us a call or email us today. We’d be happy to provide you with a free landscaping estimate and go over your options.

We look forward to helping you create an outdoor dream space you will want to show off year after year.

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Landscape Architecture

Landscape Design Services in Ottawa

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

Landscape Design Services

Ottawa Home and Garden is an

Ottawa landscape design and build firm. What exactly does that mean? Simply put, we do it all! We design your landscaping project and arrive on-site to build the designs ourselves.

There is a lot of work that goes into a landscape design – from the first meet and greet, to coming up with an attractive, updated, functional design for your space. Our landscape designs are customized to your wants and needs. We take what you tell us you are looking for, and design around your ideas while picking up on small nuances and details to create an elegant space that is also practical and balanced. Our overall objective is to create outdoor living space designs that are affordable, functional and attractive, without being too over-the-top.

Landscaping – Where We Start

One of the first steps Ottawa Home and Garden takes is working with you to find out what you’re looking for. We then get to work on measuring up your space so we can design it so it works for your home.

Communicating with our clients is key. We need to know your needs and wants. In the landscape design process, we will ask you:

  • How often will the space be used?
  • What will the space be used for?
  • How many people will be using the space?
  • Does the space need to be designed for a younger / older crowd?
  • Should we design the project to endure multiple build phases?

When it comes to Ottawa landscape design, trends come and go, so it’s important to design a space that is classic enough to outlast what’s trending. At Ottawa Home and Garden, we excel in such designs. We will keep going back and forth with our clients until they are 100% satisfied with the landscape design services we are proposing before we break ground.

Any changes to the landscape design costs the client money and time, and this is something we go to great lengths to avoid.

The Benefits of a Landscape Design and Build Firm

To ensure your landscape project goes as smoothly as possible, we believe it is best to hire a landscape design and build firm, and Ottawa Home and Garden is exactly that!

Why should you go with a company that can both design your landscape project and build it for you? The answer is simple. Design and build firms like ours can see potential changes, construction challenges, or hiccups right from our first meeting, and address them right away. This process allows us to identify products and space limitations.

With our on-site and on-hand landscape design and build process, we can consult with you on the right products and the optimal applications for specific products throughout the entire project. The imaginations of our clients is our top priority, and we never want our clients to have to sacrifice time and money making avoidable changes halfway through a project.

By drawing out your ideas and matching them up with the proper measurements, we can manage all the pieces of the puzzle to complete your project, problem-free, from the beginning. When you deal with Ottawa Home and Garden, there is no third-party approvals to seek, which is nice because doing so only ends up slowing the process down and costing you more money. You can also rest assured knowing that those who design your space will also be building your space, which leaves out all the unknowns as to who will do what.

It’s possible to spend your entire budget with a landscape design-only firm – but at that point all you have is a beautiful, expensive drawing or design. However, we’ll manage all these moving parts decisively and effectively for you.

Ottawa Landscaping – We Know What Works 

We live in Ottawa like you do, so we understand that in our climate, the limited outdoor living time we get is precious. This means landscaping decisions need to be made on time. Communicating directly with our clients is monumental in achieving this. Ottawa Home and Garden can help you come up with the perfect Ottawa landscape design to maximize both the value of your property and the enjoyment of your outdoor living space.

 

Orleans backyard pool and patio

For more information about Ottawa Home and Garden’s landscape design services, please take a look through our portfolio, and give us a call or email us today! We’d be happy to provide you with a free estimate and go over your options.

We look forward to helping you create an outdoor dream space you will want to show off year after year!

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FAQLandscape ArchitecturePatio DesignTips & Tools

Should You Install Retaining Walls?

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

Hills and slopes are a lovely feature in a backyard, but can be difficult to landscape around. Between rain runoff and erosion, maintaining an attractive garden or landscape with a hill is challenging at best. By adding a retaining wall to your yard, you can prevent many headaches! Of course, retaining walls are great for adding variation to flat areas as well.

Do you have a hill in your yard? Check out our retaining wall installation services!

Benefits of Retaining Walls

There are many benefits to installing a retaining wall in your yard aside from managing erosion and runoff issues.

  • Low Maintenance: Once built, retaining walls require little to no maintenance to upkeep. Stone walls will be structurally sound and able to withstand all weather for years to come.
  • They Add Value to Your Home:  You can add curb appeal by installing retaining walls thus turning a hilly landscape into a beautiful garden area. Whether or not you have a hill, they can be added to any area of your yard.
  • Terracing: For hilly areas, you can create a perfectly flat area for a great home garden or terrace by using a retaining wall. Terracing is great for flat areas, too. If your yard doesn’t have good natural drainage, an elevated garden with a retaining wall could be the perfect solution.

Learn More about Retaining Walls

In addition to being useful and functional, retaining walls are also extremely attractive. At Ottawa Home and Garden, our stone retaining walls are durable, flexible, and versatile and come in several different options.

Ottawa Home and Garden is a premium installer of retaining walls in the Ottawa area. Check out one of our completed projects, like the beautiful retaining wall we installed in Nepean.

If you’re in the Ottawa area, Contact Ottawa Home and Garden today for all your landscaping needs!

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Landscape ArchitecturePatio DesignTips & Tools

Creating the Perfect Patio

by Ottawa Home and Garden
written by Ottawa Home and Garden

Do you love entertaining in the summer? Do you have an outdoor space that is ideal for an evening of fun with family and friends? Creating the perfect patio space can make all the difference.

But what makes a patio great for entertaining guests?

We have a few tips to help you create a dream entertainment space that will have everyone dropping in.

Create Conversation Areas:

When designing your patio, we keep conversation areas in mind. Incorporating a large open area allows guests to mingle together, and landscaping can also provide intimate spaces throughout your patio. With a comfortable area that offers plenty of seating options, your guests will be able to relax and unwind.

Fire Pits:

Fire Pits are a great feature when it comes to entertaining, provided building codes or permits allow this feature in your area. When you add a fire pit to a patio, it gives guests a place to sit and warm up after a dip in the pool, or enjoy the breeze. There are various ways you can incorporate a fire pit in your patio space to encourage conversation among guests, and on a cool evening, a fire pit allows you to extend the hours you entertain.

Lighting:

Safety should be of primary concern when entertaining. No one wants to end the night in the ER due to a terrible fall or slip. Good landscape lighting can prevent this. Adding lighting throughout your landscape and within your pool can reduce injuries, as well as add ambiance. This way, guests can feel comfortable late into the night.

Greenery:

Plants and flowers around your patio can provide shade and privacy. You can use different kinds of plants and trees to create a unique design. Be sure that your landscaping is easy to care for and will not create extra work when it comes to cleaning your outdoor space.  Guests enjoy lush green areas but don’t enjoy having to pick leaves and seeds out of the pool.

If you are looking to create the perfect outdoor entertaining space for your home, contact the experts at Ottawa Home and Garden. We can help you design the perfect outdoor entertaining space that will help you create memories that last a lifetime!

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Contact Us

632 Pleasant Park Rd,
Ottawa, ON K1H 5N5, Canada
613-833-2645
info@ottawahomeandgarden.com
Call Us: 613-833-2645

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