Family-Owned Since 1998
A+ BBB Rating
No Subcontractors
ICPI Certified & Techo-PRO Certified
Landscape Ontario Member
What We Do: Design and Build, Not Just One or the Other
Ottawa Home & Garden is a landscape design and build firm. That distinction matters. We design your outdoor space and then our own team builds it. One contract, one team, one point of accountability from the first conversation through to the day you use the space for the first time. Andrew and Jaime Peterson have been doing this work in Ottawa since 1998, and every project is completed with direct owner involvement from the design stage through to construction.
We work on residential properties across Ottawa and the surrounding region. Our scope covers interlock patios and pathways, retaining walls, grading and drainage, garden beds, backyard design and transformation, poolscaping, outdoor structures, and full property builds. What we do not do is lawn cutting, hedge trimming, or property maintenance. We are a construction firm for outdoor living spaces, not a lawn care service.
If your project involves building something (a patio, a pool surround, a retaining wall, a complete backyard redesign), that is our work. Our project portfolio shows the range of what we build and the standard we build to.
Why Ottawa Homeowners Trust Ottawa Home & Garden for Landscaping and Hardscaping
26+ Years Building Ottawa Properties
Andrew Peterson grew up in the Ottawa Valley construction industry. His family has been working with Ottawa properties since the 1960s, which means he understands Ottawa’s specific soil conditions, frost lines, sub-grade variability, and drainage challenges at a level that comes only from decades of hands-on work in this exact region. Jaime brings a decade of 3D landscape design experience and the operational discipline that keeps projects on budget and on schedule. See the full story on our about us page.
A+ Better Business Bureau Rating: Zero Complaints on File
Our A+ BBB rating reflects a track record of completed projects with no complaints on file. For a project that affects your property and your investment, working with a contractor whose reputation is independently verifiable matters.
5/5 Stars on Houzz
Every review on our Houzz profile is from a real Ottawa client. Read them alongside our Google and BBB reviews on our testimonials page.
ICPI Certified & Techo-PRO Certified
Our team holds ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) certification and Techo-PRO certification. These credentials govern interlock installation and hardscaping standards. They are not marketing designations. They reflect training, tested knowledge, and accountability to a professional standard that governs how interlock and hardscaping work is designed and installed.
Landscape Ontario Member & WSIB Accredited
We are members of Landscape Ontario and hold WSIB accreditation. Every person working on your property is part of our team and covered under a single contractor. There are no subcontractors, no coverage gaps, and no coordination failures between trades.
Our Landscaping and Hardscaping Services in Ottawa
Landscape Design
Every project we build starts with a design. We take the time to understand how you use your outdoor space, what you want from it, and what the property’s site conditions will allow. We ask about how often the space will be used, who will use it, whether it needs to accommodate children or older family members, and whether the project should be designed to allow for future phases. We measure your property and produce a design that reflects your goals and works within the structural and drainage realities of your specific lot.
Our designs are produced with the full construction process in mind. Because the same team that draws the design builds it, we identify potential challenges (grade changes, drainage requirements, sub-base conditions, access constraints) at the design stage rather than discovering them during construction. This is one of the core advantages of working with a design and build firm over hiring a designer and a separate builder. You can review our full project process to understand how we move from first meeting to finished build.
Interlock Patios, Driveways, and Pathways
Interlock is one of the most technically demanding elements of Ottawa landscaping. The sub-base preparation, compaction standards, and drainage design determine whether an interlock installation holds for 20+ years or begins heaving within five. Ottawa’s freeze-thaw cycles punish shortcuts. As ICPI-certified interlock installers, we build to the standard that Ottawa’s ground conditions demand: proper excavation depth, appropriate sub-base aggregate, correct compaction, and drainage slope designed to move water away from structures and foundations.
We install interlock patios, pool surrounds, driveways, walkways, steps, and garden borders. We work with Techo-Bloc, EP Henry, and comparable quality suppliers. Stamped concrete is available as an alternative. See our page on stamped concrete vs. interlock in Ottawa for a side-by-side comparison.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls manage grade changes, prevent erosion, and, when designed well, become a defining feature of the outdoor space rather than just a structural necessity. Ottawa properties with slopes, raised garden beds, or grade transitions from the pool area to the patio frequently require retaining wall work as part of a complete backyard design. We assess whether a retaining wall is structurally required or whether grade work alone can solve the challenge, because walls carry a cost and we never install one that is not needed.
Grading, Drainage, and Site Preparation
Ottawa’s soil is variable: clay, sand, rock, and mixed backfill are all common depending on the neighbourhood and the age of the development. Clay retains moisture. Poor drainage causes heaving, erosion, and foundation risk. Before we build anything, we assess the existing sub-base and design the drainage solution that protects the finished project for the long term. Grading designed to direct water away from your house and pool area is not optional. It is the foundation of every project we build. Ottawa’s heavy spring runoff makes this particularly important, and our 26+ years of Ottawa site experience means we have seen every sub-grade condition this region produces.
Poolscaping and Pool Surrounds
A pool installed in bare ground misses most of its potential. Poolscaping is the practice of designing the landscape and hardscape as a unified system with the pool at its centre. We handle pool installation and the complete surrounding build under one contract: interlock decking, landscaping, water features, fencing, lighting, and outdoor structures, all planned together from the first drawing. Because our team installs both the pool and the surround, there is no coordination gap between a pool contractor and a separate landscape crew.
Backyard Design and Outdoor Living Spaces
We approach every Ottawa backyard as a complete outdoor room. Our backyard design work encompasses the full property: patios, built-in seating, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, garden beds, lighting, and planting plans. We design around how you actually use your outdoor space, not around what looks impressive in a rendering. The goal is a space that works for your family, holds up to Ottawa winters, and is a place you actively choose to spend time.
Garden Beds, Planting, and Soft Landscaping
Our landscaping work extends beyond hard surfaces. We design and install garden beds, perennial and annual planting schemes, edging, and grassed areas as part of complete property builds. All planting selections are made with Ottawa’s climate zone and freeze-thaw conditions in mind. We do not specify plants that will not survive an Ottawa winter without intensive protection.
Why a Design and Build Firm Produces a Better Ottawa Project
Ottawa homeowners have two options when approaching a landscaping or hardscaping project: hire a design-only firm and then a separate builder, or hire a design and build firm that handles both. The design and build approach produces a better outcome for one straightforward reason: the people who draw the design know the construction realities of building it.
Design challenges are resolved before ground breaks
Drainage requirements, sub-base conditions, access limitations, and material performance under Ottawa’s freeze-thaw conditions are all known at the design stage. A design produced without construction knowledge is a drawing that may look good on paper and fail in execution. When the designer and the builder are the same team, problems are solved before they become expensive surprises mid-project.
No third-party approvals or coordination delays
When you work with a design-only firm and a separate builder, every change request travels between two separate businesses. Timelines stretch, communication gaps widen, and the client ends up managing the coordination between parties. With Ottawa Home & Garden, one conversation reaches the designer and the builder simultaneously, because they are the same people.
Budget clarity from the first meeting
We produce an itemized estimate after the initial site visit. Because we know the cost of every construction element we specify, you see a real number from the start rather than a design budget followed by a separate build budget. The project is scoped, designed, and priced as a single unified piece of work.
Serving Ottawa and Surrounding Communities
We complete landscaping and hardscaping projects across Ottawa and the greater region. Completed builds span Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, Barrhaven, Stittsville, Manotick, Greely, Riverside South, Beacon Hill, Cumberland, and communities throughout Ottawa, Mississippi Mills, North and South Dundas, and Prescott Russell. Our full service area coverage is listed on our locations page.
- Ottawa
- Kanata
- Nepean
- Orleans
- Barrhaven
- Stittsville
- Manotick
- Greely
- Riverside South
- Cumberland
- Mississippi Mills
- North and South Dundas
- Prescott Russell
Whether you are coming from Kanata, Barrhaven, or Orleans, we are ready to visit your property, assess your site conditions, and give you an honest estimate for your Ottawa landscaping or hardscaping project.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAbout Landscaping and Hardscaping in Ottawa
Contact usWhat is the difference between landscaping and hardscaping?
Landscaping covers all outdoor construction work: both hard surfaces (patios, driveways, retaining walls, steps) and soft elements (planting, garden beds, grassed areas, grading). Hardscaping refers specifically to the hard surface elements: interlock, concrete, stone, and structural work. At Ottawa Home & Garden, we handle both as part of complete outdoor builds, since a properly designed outdoor space integrates hard and soft elements rather than treating them as separate scopes.
Do you handle both the design and the build, or just one?
We are a design and build firm. Our team designs your project and then builds it. The designer and the builder are the same people, which means construction challenges are resolved at the design stage, not discovered mid-build. There are no third parties, no coordination gaps, and no situations where the design cannot be built as drawn. Our full project process covers exactly how this works from the first site visit through to completion.
What distinguishes a landscape design and build firm from a lawn care company?
A design and build firm like Ottawa Home & Garden focuses exclusively on outdoor construction: patios, retaining walls, interlock, grading, drainage, poolscaping, and complete backyard builds. We do not cut lawns, trim hedges, or provide ongoing property maintenance. If you need construction work done in your outdoor space, that is our scope. If you need regular maintenance, that is a different type of company.
Can you work on a project in phases?
Yes, and we plan for it from the start. If your full backyard vision will be built over multiple years, we design the complete space upfront and phase the construction in a sequence that avoids having to demolish finished work to complete later phases. This is particularly important for interlock and drainage work, where the sub-base and grading decisions made in phase one affect every subsequent phase.
How do you handle Ottawa’s soil conditions and freeze-thaw cycles?
Ottawa’s sub-base varies significantly by neighbourhood and development era: clay, sand, rock, and mixed backfill are all common. Clay retains moisture and is prone to frost heave. Poor sub-base preparation is the most common cause of interlock and patio failure in Ottawa. We assess the existing sub-base conditions at every site before designing the foundation and drainage solution. Our interlock installations follow ICPI standards for excavation depth, aggregate selection, and compaction, and all our builds are designed to move water away from structures and foundations. This is not discretionary. It is what protects your investment through Ottawa winters.
Do you use subcontractors?
No. Every person working on your project is part of our team. We do not hire outside crews for any phase of the work. This is important for quality control: the same people who designed the project build it, to the same standard, with direct oversight from Andrew and Jaime Peterson on every job. Read more about how we work on our about us page.
How long does an Ottawa landscaping project take?
Timeline depends on the scope of the project. A single interlock patio typically takes 3 to 7 working days. A full backyard build combining a patio, retaining wall, poolscape, and planting can run 3 to 6 weeks. We provide a realistic timeline at the quoting stage and communicate throughout the build so you always know where things stand. Projects are scheduled to avoid Ottawa’s frost season: we typically build from late April through October.
What should I ask any Ottawa landscaping company before hiring them?
Ask whether they design and build, or only do one. Ask whether the work will be completed by their own team or subcontracted. Ask to see references from completed projects that are at least 5 years old (so you can assess how the work has held up through Ottawa winters, not just how it looked when it was new). Ask for an itemized quote rather than a lump sum. Ask who will be on site overseeing the work day to day, and whether it is the same person you met during the sales process. These questions will narrow the field quickly.
Ready to Build Your Ottawa Outdoor Space?
Ottawa Home & Garden has been designing and building Ottawa outdoor spaces since 1998. ICPI-certified, Techo-PRO certified, A+ BBB rated, and fully WSIB accredited: our team brings 26+ years of Ottawa-specific construction knowledge to every project. If you want a landscaping or hardscaping project designed properly and built by the same team that drew it, we are ready to start with a free site visit. Visit us at 632 Pleasant Park Road, Ottawa ON K1H 5N5 or reach out today.