Modern garden design has been very popular in recent years. They, on the one hand, reflect our era with its hectic pace of life and high technology, on the other hand, serve as a kind of refuge, where you can relax and be alone with nature. Today we will talk about how to create such a garden in Toronto.

The main features of the modern garden design

The modern design can be called an eclectic, as it absorbed the features of several trends in landscape design – minimalism, the Japanese garden, as well as fashionable nowadays eco-friendly design.

Modern garden – minimum maintenance, maximum comfort

Minimalist aesthetics in modern garden design

Performing a lot of tasks at work, overwhelmed with information, tired of the chaos of city life, we want a simple, clear and free space, where it is easy to breathe, where nothing distracts or irritates. In the garden, the modern design is embodied by clear lines and strict geometric shapes that can be traced in the layout of paths and lawns, in the configuration of flower beds, ponds, terraces.

The design is not overloaded with details – use a minimum of accessories, a limited number of plants. Bright garden flowers prefer a restrained palette and exquisite forms of decorative shrubs, conifers, cereals.

This style is characterized by the use of modern materials – paving stones, concrete, glass, polymer composites, metal, stone.

A place for relaxation

According to the perception of modern design is close to the Japanese garden with an atmosphere of peace, tranquility, harmony with nature. To create it, designers widely use basic elements of Japanese style:

• paving of natural stone;
• gravel backfills and dry streams;
• artificial reservoirs in any form – fountains, ponds, streams;
• compositions from plants of one type.

The trend is to reproduce the natural landscape in miniature and show its natural beauty.

A place to relax in comfort

The naturalness of the landscape is not a reason to deny yourself the comfort. A characteristic feature of modern landscaping is a maximum of conveniences for full relaxation and entertaining.

Often the area with a terrace and an outdoor paved area is an extension of the living room. Not just a place where you can sit outdoors, but a really comfortable room with sofas, chairs, dining area, comfortable couches. Everything that you value in outdoor recreation – from the barbecue area to the mini-golf course – should be at your fingertips.

To provide recreation with maximum comfort, you can build a pool in a modern garden design, our experts will harmoniously fit it into your landscape design.

Minimal maintenance

Considering modern garden design as a place for pleasant pastime, it is important to minimize maintenance work. There are many techniques and technological devices for this task.

• Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand with a hose.
• Lawns, paved areas, and decorative backfills will free you from weeding and loosening.
• Perennials and ornamental shrubs instead of annual flowers will reduce the time for annual planting.

By thinking through these details, you’ll enjoy relaxing in your garden instead of wasting time on complicated garden maintenance.

A ready-made garden

Ordering a landscaping project in modern design, owners often want to get not only a beautiful, but also to the maximum “habitable” garden.  This problem can easily be solved by purchasing large trees and shrubs with a height of 1.5 m and higher in a nursery. This is especially true for slow-growing representatives of the flora – thuja, juniper, boxwood, etc.

A well thought-out and well-designed garden not only looks good, but also increases the market value of the house. Sometimes up to 15-20%. So investing in landscaping, you make a profitable investment, which will pay off in full if you decide to sell the house.

A modern garden design in Toronto is not an amusement park meant to impress or entertain. It is a place where you will feel comfortable and easy. A place that you will fill with your own meaning. We are ready to help you turn your dreams into reality.

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Low-maintenance landscaping

Not so long ago landscape design and low maintenance landscaping had an idea mainly employees of the palace, garden and park complexes, museums, specialists in art history. But development, as we know, moves in a spiral, and the spiral is spinning ever stronger. What was accessible to only a few is becoming the property of more and more people.

And now the housing of the new nobility and just wealthy people is no longer prestigious, even inappropriate without the appropriate design of the space around the house in the English or Moorish style. The discussion of the merits of this or that style, the differences between the Japanese garden and the Chinese, the possibilities of modernity and techno can be heard in various strata of society. Then the need, demand and hence supply began to “descend into the masses”, to democratize.

Low-maintenance backyard

Now at the service of those wishing to equip a place for physical and mental relaxation, not only a mass of firms, specialty stores and individual professionals, but also a huge number of magazines, publications, websites and forums, allowing to be aware of contemporary fashion, to realize their preferences, to identify opportunities.

Of course, there are many more people with “spacious” estates of less than six hectares than there are oligarchs. Therefore, formed a new trend in landscape design, which works a lot of landscape designers, florists – the so-called low maintenance landscaping. It is attractive to those who will not demolish the top layer of soil, build a complex drainage system, to bring and completely replace the entire soil for planting exotic plants, and will try to use what lives perfectly well in this area on this soil and in the existing water regime.

Low maintenance front yard landscaping

And such a corner, a quiet beautiful place, where you can relax, get away from the daily bustle, from the stressful rhythm of life, not like it was 100 or even 50 years ago, is very necessary for modern people. So it is understandable that many country house owners are trying to find on their land not only a place for pantry and seedbeds with greenery, but also for the low maintenance front yard landscaping or backyard.

Low maintenance yard

For some, such a corner can be a small rock garden or dry creek, or a garden of rocks in the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun.

For another, the strings of his soul is better served by a small lawn, playing the role of a clearing overgrown with unpretentious simple flowers, bounded by a pair of tall bushes or small trees, in the shadow of which there are benches in the form of stumps.

Flower beds

Many people would prefer to relax near a small pond with water lilies floating on its surface under a plant bent to the water, and for you it will become a low-maintenance backyard landscaping. Arrange such a body of water now is not difficult – a really deep hole do not need to dig, special film coatings of black or blue color for the bottom and walls give a mysterious depth even quite shallow artificial ponds. Instead of films you can use more rigid plastic structures, fortunately they are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Not so melancholic, but quite romantic corner can be arranged with a pergola, consisting of two or three arches, twined with grapes, vines or climbing roses, wooden or stone benches, surrounded by low-maintenance flowerbeds or vases with favorite flowers.

In any case, to determine what one really wants and what can be realized in the underlying territory, to plan and realize one’s desires is best helped by one’s own sense of beauty, sense of humor and sense of proportion. But you can’t do without special knowledge of landscape design and the opinion of experts from our company “Captain Handy” will help you with low maintenance landscaping in Toronto.

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Garden landscaping: original ideas

Garden landscaping and garden design, landscaping of the adjacent territory and planting of greenery on the site – today it is a whole science. Specialists in landscape design and urban gardening are engaged in it. And everyone likes to see a small piece of their own land beautiful, but this requires not only effort, but also knowledge.

And if you want the continuation of the house pleasing to the eye, expressing a creative attitude to wildlife, you need to skillfully combine flowerbeds and orchards, alpine hills and lawns, paved paths and flower beds.

Each landscaping specialist offers his or her own vision of the ideal landscaping of the site. And it often happens that both the approach is creative, and the original plan was wonderful, but in the end, expectations are not fully met. As a rule, the completed project does not leave room for new plantings, and the long-awaited bush of favorite roses have nowhere to stick.

Garden landscaping project

Specialists do everything under the order is very competent, carefully following the plan, reflected in the project of landscaping of the house or country site. But it’s very difficult – to take into account all the tastes and preferences of the customer, especially when he has not formed an idea of all the possibilities of landscape design and landscaping a living garden.

A beautiful garden, as a rule, is created not one year, especially as the trees and shrubs are growing up, new perennials are gradually planted, bulbous plants and flowers of the year are sown. So the look of the garden is constantly changing. And in order to avoid large expenditures on its improvement and not to create chaos in the gardening because of impulsive decisions, it is important to think everything out, and the site to break down into separate areas, which will be updated little by little year after year.

It’s no secret that any landscaping requires financial investment, and resorting to a landscape designer increases them at times. That is why today there are so many talented self-taught people who managed to make a blooming masterpiece from their site. For this, some needed special textbooks, some were inspired by illustrations of landscaped areas of the yard on landscaping in garden design. Perhaps you, too, will need those ideas, which are picked up in the article, to suggest how to improve the garden landscaping.

Idea #1 – alleys and garden paths

The garden is a place where it is not only pleasant to pick fruit, but also to relax in the summer heat, while these fruits are not yet ripe. It is not very comfortable to walk through a garden that is wet with dew or rain, and in the mite season it is also dangerous. Excellent decoration in the garden landscaping will be tiled or paved with natural material alleys and paths.

It is appropriate to make a border on the edges of the garden alley or plant flowers of annuals, early primaries, daffodils and tulips or fragrant night violets, which every evening will fill the site with intoxicating aroma.   

Idea #2 – Alpine slides and other elements of landscape design

Alpine hill or rockery – the best decoration in the project of garden landscaping, landscaped courtyard or a huge estate with a garden-park design. Typically, it is a small bed in the form of a slide with natural stones, where plants are planted a little chaotic, but in harmony with each other. One of its varieties is a Japanese rock garden. Alpinarium is very effective, and can successfully decorate:

• back yard;
• garden;
• A small artificial pond;
• landscaping of the territory of the individual development of the garden at the cottage.

Idea #3 – flowerbed

Designers offer a lot of interesting ideas so that trivial beds on a small plot delight the eye with their originality. For such an “edible” bed will suit vegetables and spicy herbs, which can be planted in a pattern:

• curly and common parsley;
• dill, fennel and coriander;
• ornamental onions;
• different kinds of lettuce and arugula;
• bush zucchini and patissons;
• ornamental beans and cabbage;
• Mint, lemon balm, thyme, etc. 

These plants can be planted in a certain order or in beautifully fenced beds, patterned or contrasting crops in color and leaf size. For example, garden and vegetable garden – new landscaping ideas.  

Idea #4 – hedges and vertical garden landscaping

The undoubted adornment of modern landscape design remains the elements of vertical garden landscaping. This idea is not new, because back in the ancient world the Babylonian Hanging Gardens of Semiramis were known as one of the wonders of the world. Today, these are posts with holes for growing strawberries and other design techniques.

Hedges are also a well-known method of landscaping. Only today they have received a different embodiment, thanks to new exotic plants adapted to our climatic conditions.

Equally interesting are the evergreen “walls” and thuja and juniper. And there are shrubs, planted with a wall, which bloom all summer or bear bright berries, such as honeysuckle, garden blackberry, barberry, etc. 

Idea #5 – Fountains and garden ponds

Nothing makes you happier than a homemade mini-pond with a handmade stream. It’s not hard to do if you use construction techniques. They are used both inside the house, for example, when landscaping the winter garden, and on the plot.

The main thing is to arrange the tank so that it does not leak, but the water had a natural drain, then the homemade pond will not stagnate, and the excess water can be directed to water the garden. The base can be made of:

• a special container for a mini-pool;
• a tractor tire lined with a tarpaulin and encased in rocks;
• Any metal or plastic container.     

Make a garden fountain on your plot is also possible – by special technology, using the supply of water with a water pump and other devices. Any reservoir in the garden – it is spectacular and picturesque, in addition, it is nice in the heat to relax near the pond on a bench. There are special plants that are planted near water bodies – lilies, water lilies, reeds and different types of reeds. But in the summer you can also move aquarium plants into the artificial pond.

Idea #6 – a garden bench, pergola or garden swing?

Speaking of benches, where to go without them? In a landscaped garden, there should always be a place to sit down with a book, a cell phone or a cup of compote and berry sills. This can be:

• homemade or ready-made garden bench;
• a small bench from improvised materials;
• pergola from climbing plants or a capital construction;
• garden swing under a canopy or in the shade of fruit trees.

Very picturesque look metal or wooden structures over garden benches erected for climbing plants.        

Idea #7 – green lawns

No matter how many beds and flowerbeds there are in the garden, a green lawn not only sets off all that lush blooming, but also remains a great place to lie down for a sunbath or to spread out the kids with toys or to display an inflatable pool.

Tip: When properly planning a homestead plot, it is important to plan a space free of flowers and trees. It can be seeded with special lawn grass or lay out ready-made rolled lawns. But do not forget that they need watering, as any living plants, and they are not immune to weeds.   

Idea #8 – original flowerbeds

Flowerbeds and flowerbeds are the main decoration in the landscaping of the plot. Their popularity is due to the simplicity and accessibility in relation to other elements of landscape design. Until recently, flowerbeds and flower beds did primitive – dug up the ground, fenced with bricks, laid “tooth” and plant flowers. Today, many original varieties of flower beds are offered to combine different types of flower beds in one garden and garden landscaping near me was cheap and beautiful.

Idea #9 – a collection rose garden

Very beautiful looks in the garden collection rose garden, where different varieties of roses also form a multi-level pattern. In the background – climbing or climbing roses, and they can be planted on both sides of the garden alley, closing in an arcade on metal supports. Next, the rose garden is filled with rare varieties and stem roses (in the form of trees), and along the edges, as a living fence, planted low-growing border varieties of roses.

There are also dwarf and indoor roses, which can also be planted in original compositions.

Idea #10 – seasonal and tiered flowerbeds

For example, an all-season bed blooms throughout the warm period – from snow to snow, if the plants are intelligently combined. It should have an intricate geometry of planting, so that the flowers do not interfere with each other. A circle is outlined inside the square, plants of different flowering times are planted along the perimeter and along the circle in parallel rows.

Tiered flowerbeds make a cascade or in the form of multi-storey buildings, from which the flowers hang in rows. Seasonal flowerbeds are also very popular – with chrysanthemums or tulips, which will please the owners with flowers in early spring and late autumn. Tulipanariums can be complemented by daffodils, muskrats and other primroses.

Tip: If there is a withered tree in the garden, do not rush to cut it down by the root, it can be used as a decorative stand. Cut down large branches diverging from the pole as a fork, attach flower pots to the edges, and in summer petunias or other plants will delight you with abundant blooms.

Idea #11 – Landscape and formal gardening

Two basic styles of landscaping can be used for garden landscaping – landscape and formal (cultural). Landscape planting of remote corners uses trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants characteristic of wildlife. This principle can also be used for remote corners of a large garden plot, which is not planned to plant fruit plants and flowers. For example, a gentle slope of the plot adjacent to a river or other body of water.  

Idea #12 – Lighting and garden décor

Elements of artificial lighting of the plot and garden décor – additional decoration of the garden, which will add positive emotions and add originality and coziness to the garden. For example, along the garden alley can be used:

• glowing pebbles with phosphorescent glow;
• Garden lanterns from the electricity grid;
• illumination and garlands;
• local battery-powered lanterns from sunlight.     

Garden décor – it is purchased figurines and funny homemade items that can be made from improvised materials.  

Idea #13 – Decorate the garden in winter

In winter, when most plants are wilting and leaves are falling off trees and shrubs, you want your garden to remain beautiful. Plant evergreen plants which are pleasant to look at even under the snow and grow close to home. On the eve of New Year’s and Christmas holidays it is customary to decorate 2-3 trees in the yard with illumination or garlands.

Beautifully look and originally trimmed bushes that have lost their leaves. Spheres, spirals, borders, cones, pyramids and under the snow look very beautiful. Take care in advance so that your site looks picturesque in winter as well.

Complement the landscape with snowmen, ice and snow sculptures, figurines of reindeer made of vines to create a holiday atmosphere. 

Garden landscaping will cost a couple hundred dollars – if you plant a couple of evergreens right in front of your house, that will add beauty to your lot and minimize the cost of landscaping. Front garden landscaping will look good even in the winter with a couple of evergreens.

Idea #14 – The Garden landscaping near me – “Captain Handy”

Our company has been landscaping and garden landscaping in Toronto and the GTA for years, and our experts’ experience has been tested by more than a thousand people. Ordering our services – you will definitely get a low price for a small garden landscaping and 100% personal approach.

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Xeriscaping and hardscaping

The new word in landscape design doesn’t have to scare you. Xeriscaping is a fairly simple design and construction technique that can help homeowners save cubic yards of water and money over the long term.

Contact the landscape design experts at ” Captain Handy” for advice on how to improve your yard, garden or recreation area, and learn about new methods and practices in modern terrain design and micro landscaping.

Xeriscaping – a method of landscaping with limited use of sod grass, creating an environment that thrives without frequent watering. You don’t have to sacrifice the beauty of your garden or lawn to achieve this effect.

Seven basic principles of xeriscaping have been developed over time, but just a couple of them are enough to significantly save water use for irrigation and watering plants on the property without a significant investment of labor or money.

Planning and designing

Proper xeriscaping requires a thoughtful plan. Determine the conditions that will affect water use, such as sun and wind exposure, as well as the slopes and irregularities of the site. Group plants that require large amounts of water and plants that need less water, watering them separately. This way you can plan your water consumption better.

Soil Improvement

Use soil covers such as compost, peat moss, or manure to improve heavy clay or sandy soils and retain moisture and nutrients in the soil.

Appropriate plant choices

Low-water-use flowerbeds can withstand periods of drought and high temperatures with minimal irrigation. There are many attractive and hardy flowers and shrubs available at most garden centers in a wide range.

Practical lawn areas

You don’t need to remove your entire lawn, but consider removing areas of turf that are impractical or difficult to maintain, such as narrow strips or grass on steep slopes.

Efficient irrigation

Use the amount of water you need to irrigate with minimal wastage. If you have an automatic irrigation system, adjust the frequency and duration of irrigation according to weather conditions and the changing seasons.

Proper care

The amount of work, for xeriscape front yard, depends on the amount of water.

Overwatering contributes to:

• poor plant growth;
• leaching of fertilizers;
• problems with insects and diseases;
• weed growth;
• requires increased attention.

If water is effectively applied and xeriscaping principles are used, less time is needed for garden maintenance and work.

Using hardscaping techniques in combination with xeriscaping on a plot

There is much more to creating the perfect xeriscaping than planting a few succulents and drought-tolerant grasses. With landscaping professionals, we are now focusing on creative approaches in incorporating hardscape into site planning – not just pouring tons of concrete.

Hardscape refers to “hardscape landscaping” techniques in man-made environmental structures that are incorporated into the landscape. Can include paved areas, driveways, retaining walls, sleepers, stairs, walkways and any other landscaping made up of hardwearing materials such as wood, stone, concrete, etc. – Wikipedia says.

Don’t limit yourself to a traditional approach to landscape design. Let the landscape architects at Captain Handy show you what you can really do with any area on your property.  Our professionals are landscape design professionals in Ontario and Toronto.  Check out our favorite creative options in hardscaping.

Retaining walls

First of all, the most common thing in hardscaping is the use of rocks and cement for retaining walls. Retaining walls can help you zone hilly areas of your land, create unique topography on flat areas.

Using hardscaping in projects allows Captain Handy landscapers to unlock more of the site’s potential, create interesting views and stunning vantage points.

Often we find that customers enjoy laid brick or natural stone for a greater “cottage feel. Others use concrete in wall structures and tile on sidewalks and driveways. The skill of talented hardscaping designers is that you can create any vision of landscape in reality.

When you think about the difficulty of implementation, you probably see a specific design.

Even though there are many variations in this design, you may find that there are all sorts of hardscaping options for you. The combination of the retaining wall and sidewalk makes for a rich and finished front yard. In addition, we often find that over-sized stone creates a natural landscape, even though the entire ensemble is man-made.

The beauty of hardscaping is that your landscape can vary greatly from area to area, and you can make all kinds of changes by playing with shapes, volume, and combination of materials. The drought tolerance of an artificial landscape doesn’t require sacrificing function at all.

Patio in hardscape design

When setting up a patio or patio with hardscaping techniques, you can use concrete, wood, stone, tile and other man-made and natural materials. Many of our customers, look at how they can furnish a large organized patio. Since this type of hardscaping is great for entertaining, for many customers it is usually not a problem.

With small yards, large patios can be the best choice in planning with a xeriscape design. Potted plants on top of a concrete or paved brick patio object are popular during the dry seasons. Without sacrificing your water bill, you can create a beautiful garden or large multipurpose space.

Focus Points

Focal points are our favorite part of landscape design in hardscaping. Using cement or pavers, you can create bird baths, secret gardens, outdoor fireplaces and more. Using natural stone and other available materials can help make any landscape, from a simple small backyard, to a square or large garden.

Here we’ve covered the basics of hardscape and xeriscape design. With our help now you have all opportunities to turn your yard into a cost-effective, beautiful, modern and practical landscape that will please the eye from year to year and will save money on care and maintenance.

Contact the experts, designers and architects at Captain Handy for advice on landscaping your yard at the phone numbers and addresses posted on our website.

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