Winter Preperation

With winter approaching it’s important to properly prepare your garden beds and lawn for these harsh climate conditions. I will make a two part section about winter preparation and maintenance. The first one will look at garden bed maintenance and plant preparation. Next week’s article will talk about lawn preparation and tool winterization. Being well prepared for winter can ensure the success for plant success.




It is important to deeply water all plants before the winter season. The reason for this is because during the winter the plants are unable to draw water from the frozen soil. Plants with a lack of water during the winter are more susceptible to winter injury. Starting in autumn begin to reduce the amount of water given to plants. This is so that the plant can properly prepare for winter and doesn’t produce new growth that can’t harden off for the winter. Once deciduous plants lose their leaves for the winter begin deeply watering your perennials, deciduous and coniferous plants before the ground freezes. This will make sure your plants have plenty of water throughout the winter.

Having your garden beds properly mulched will help protect your plants roots from the winter conditions. While snow insulates the ground, weather conditions can be very drastic. Having a layer of 2-4 inches of mulch will provide a good layer of insulation for the plant roots to help them from the changing temperatures during the winter months. Leaving fallen leaves in the garden beds is also another way to insulate your plants roots.



Late autumn is also a good time to cut back certain perennials. Some perennials, especially grasses, provide great winter interest. Others however become very weak and ugly looking. These should be cut back so in the spring so they can have a fresh start to growing and it also reduces the amount of spring garden preparation you must do.



Here’s a video showing some pruning techniques for perennials: Putting Perrenials To Bed

Tree problems can occur from sudden change of temperatures, usually at night when the temperature drops dramatically. Two common problems are called frost cracks and sun scaled. Frost cracks occur when there are substantial freezing and thawing tempuratures causing the water in the tree to expand and contract. A frost crack appears as a vertical crack in the bark and is usually found on thin barked trees. Sunscald is another form of winter injury that can cause cracks and splits. Sunscald occurs when cells in the living tissue underneath the bark thaw out on sunny days. This mainly happens on the south or west side of the tree. The cells rupture when they re-freeze when the temperature drops. When enough cells in a given area rupture noticeable damage will occur. Sunscald looks like discolored, sunken areas on the tree. This can lead to fungus or pest infections.




The tree on the left has a frost crack and the tree on the right has been affected by sun scald.

There are a couple ways to help prevent frost crack and sun scald. The most common one is to wrap the tree in white wrapping paper or white plastic wrap. Another method is to paint the tree with white paint but this method is mostly used in orchards since it will be aesthetically displeasing. These methods will help reflect and block the sun so the temperature within the tree doesn’t change as drastically. Wrapping with plastic also helps prevent against rodent and animal damage. They will be less likely to eat a plant that is wrapped because it makes it more difficult for them to access. You can also use a pest repellent spray if rodents are a common issue in your garden.

Hardscaping; A Variety of Materials

Hardscaping is a commonly used term in the landscape industry. It refers to the none living aspects of a landscape usually stone and wood structures. In this article I will be focusing on different materials to use when creating a hardscape plan.

There are many applications that stone products are used for. Retaining walls, walk ways and water features are commonly built from stone. This is because it is a long lasting product and provides defined areas and structures. The two most common types of stone products are referred to as precast or natural. Precast products are man made from a variety of materials including brick, natural stone and concrete and come in a large variety of shapes, styles and colors. Natural stone is stone that comes from a quarry and is used in the landscape. Depending on the type of stone and application it can either be saw cut or left the way it is from the quarry. Using different colors, textures and productes you can create a very beautiful and diverse landscape.

Precast products are commonly used for walk ways and retaining walls. There are many different shapes, styles, textures and colors that precast products can come in. Its a great product to work with since each stone is to a proper measurement making installing these products very simple. Some of the biggest precast stone distributors are: Permacon, Unilock, Hanson,and Oaks. They all provide a wide variety of stones that will surely meet the needs of your job. Depending on the stone yard in your area they will carry different companies. Below we will look at a variety of different pavers.


These are commonly used laying patterns for pavers. When purchasing a paver ask the manufacturer for a technical guide. This will allow you to see the different laying patterns that are possible for that paver.

These are a very basic rectangular paver. Its a very easy to lay since its consistent shape and creates very nice clean lines. There are many available laying patterns for this paver.

There are commonly three different shapes of pavers in this selection. It creates a very clean, random pattern. A very textured paver with visible joints provides a very elegant look.

These pavers mimics a natural flagstone look. A textured paver with changing lines that provide a mosaic effect. The benefit to using this paver over natural flagstone is that it will be more stable installation and will have less shifting and expanding of joints.





Natural stone can be used for walkways, retaining walls and fountains. There are many different types stone, each with its own characteristics, colors and textures. Natural stone is commonly more expensive then precast for both the materials and labour. Since the product is natural there is usually variations in the size of the material making it more time consuming to install. Below I will show examples of different natural stone products.


Armour stone makes great retaining walls, especially in larger applications. The stones are very heavy so they wont shift when retaining a large amount of area.
Natural stone steps are a nice addition to any landscape adding a lot of character.

Square cut flagstone add a very elegant and formal look to a landscape. Square cut flagstone is usually "wet laid" meaning its installed on top of mortar. This is to ensure it doesn't shift and the lines stay straight.


Random flagstone is a great way to define different spaces in the landscape. Its random lines breaks up the straight lines from pavers. Coming in a variety of colors makes it a great addition to any landscape. It can either be dry laid (installed on and aggregate base) or wet laid (installed on a mortar base).




Check with your local stone supplier for the company and products they carry. Look at using a combination of precast and natural stone products to create a unique and diverse hardscape!

Sinking of pavers is a common problem throught the landscape industry and can be very dangerous. Heres a video showing a basic lift and relay of interlocking pavers:

Softscaping; Plant Selection and Layout

Softscaping is a commonly used term in the landscape industry that composes all the living parts of the landscape. There are many things that can be incorporated into a softscape, including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers. Some of the most important things to take into consideration when planning a softscape are climate, plant selection and plant layout. Using different plant arrangements and materials you can create a softscape that provides a beautiful show year round.


Knowing your sites existing condition is the first step to take when planning a softscape. Plants thrive in different growing conditions and it is extremely important to put the right plant in the right place so they flourish. Find out what kind of soil you have (clay, sand, loam) and the sun/shade conditions of your property. Depending on the plants you choose you may have to add soil amendments to improve existing soil conditions. It is always beneficial to add organic matter to your soil through composting and mulching.

Heres a video talking more about different soil amendmants:


Once you understand your site conditions I recommend going to your local nursery and look at the plant material they have. This will help you see the plant material available to your climate zone. Write down plants that interest you keeping in mind there final size, texture and bloom time.

Plant Selection -
Do not just look at the plants with the prettiest flowers when at the nursery! Some of the most fabulous blooms (rhododendron, magnolia) may only last up to 2 weeks. It is important to look at foliage textures and colors that work well together. You want to create a season long show in your garden so choosing plants that have contrasting bloom colors and different bloom times is important. Living in Canada our growing season is limited for certain plants. A basic rule that should be followed is that 60% of your budget goes towards coniferous shrubs and trees and the remaining 40% be used for perennials, deciduous trees and shrubs. This is so your landscape provides year round interest and doesn’t just go flat once all the perennials die. Using grasses is also a great way of adding winter interest!













The pictures above show the increase in plant size over the course of only three years!

Planting Styles-
There are many great garden styles to choose from that will influence your plant selection. Things that can influence your planting style are the structure of your house, existing or planned landscaping, personal preference and maintiance. With peoples increasingly busy schedules low maintenance gardens are becoming increasingly popular. Choosing the right plants can minimize maintenance; but remember these are low maintenance not no maintenance plants.

Plant Layout -
Always place your plants in the garden bed based on the final size they will reach. When planting a new garden it is important to allow three to five years for perennials to reach maturity. Your garden may look bare at first but be patient and give it time to fill in. This will save you money and time in the future because you won’t have to be removing over crowded plants.




This plant was planted to close to the house.

D-I-Y Landscape Design; A Personal Reflection

Allow your home and landscape to be a personal reflection of your favorite styles, concepts, colors and shapes. Coming up with the perfect design for your yard can be a difficult task. However at the end of the project, you will be leaving a personalized legacy in your yard for years to come. In this entry we will look at the steps you should follow when creating a landscape design.

Before putting pencil to paper, take a walk around your neighbourhood and go to your local garden/stone suppliers for inspiration. Bring a camera with you and take pictures of ideas, design and plants that catch your eye. Also pick up a few books or catalogs that you can look back at for ideas. Check out this video called "Principles of Landscape Design" to see how contrast, texture, color, scale, repetition and rhythm all play important roles when designing a landscape.

First thing you need is a site layout of your property. The property survey that came with your house is preferred since it shows property lines, utilities and is to scale. If you don’t have that you can do a simple sketch or computer drawing of your property.


Inventory - This is the first step of creating your design. Go around your home and take an inventory of existing site conditions. These can include: sun rise and set, wind, elevations/drainage, existing plants, heavy shade/sun, good and bad views, noise, soil conditions etc.


Analysis – This is where you look at you site conditions in your inventory and start to create very basic ideas for these spaces. The objective of this is not to put thought into the material or design of the space but just to allocate areas.







Program – Looking at the spaces you created in your analysis start to think of different ideas, structures and materials that could be used in this area. Do this in a chart form. Maybe planting a shade tree or building a shade structure in the sunny location or installing a type of screen or tree line to block out that bad view. The more ideas you can come up with for these spaces the better. Never limit yourself to a single idea; the more you put on paper the more you have to choose from.


Concept Plan – This is the stage where you start putting your ideas into a design. Reflect back on your program and begin to lay out how you want your spaces used and shapes for that area. You should begin laying out garden bed areas and where you want to see hardscapes or landscape features.



Planting Plan – Once you have a good idea where your hardscapes are going you can start choosing specific plants for the garden beds you laid out in the concept design. Look back at the inventory design to see lighting and soil conditions to ensure the plant is in the right growing conditions.


Master Plan – In this stage you will look to finalize garden bed shapes and the specific materials, patterns and layout of your hardscape structures. If your unsure of materials stop in at your local stone supplier and they usually have product guides and display that can help in your decision. Adding color is a nice finishing touch making the design much easier to read.




Creating beautiful designs takes many years to perfect. Take your time and use it as a reference when you start installing your landscape. Following these steps can help you create a realistic design and help you visualize your dream back yard before putting a shovel in the ground!

Here are some links that can help provide you with some inspiration. They will show you different styles and ideas that can be used in your landscape design:

Landscape Design Advisor

Home and Garden Landscaping

The Landscape Design Site

This is a very useful forum where you can ask questions regarding design, plants and installation: Landscape Design Forum

About Our Landscape

An attractive landscape can improve a family’s life in many ways. Your back yard can act as your own vacation spot to get away from today’s fast paced society. A well designed landscape can be used to entertain your friends, watch the kids play or a romantic evening. Using different materials your landscape can provide different sounds and smells while having a constantly changing picture every time you look out the window. It has been shown in studies that being able to see out doors at a natural landscape it can increase productivity at work and even helps recovering hospital patients. With some creativity and professional advice it can be very easy to create a back yard getaway that is a representation of you and your family.

Having a diverse landscape your adding aesthetic value to your house and at the same time you are helping the environment and the community around you. Plants help air quality conditions because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis. Plants and trees also create a place for many forms of wildlife to live. You will be able to watch and enjoy the presence of the different animals and birds in your backyard all year round.


Not only can your landscape create a place to relax it also increase your property value. According to Money magazine a landscape renovation can have 100%-200% recovery value compared to 75%-125% if you were to do a kitchen remodel. Having a beautiful landscape will increase curb appeal and attract more people when trying to sell your home. Using the proper plants can also reduce heating and cooling bills. During summer shade from one deciduous tree can reduce a homes cooling bills by up to 20%! Coniferous tree can be planted to block the cold NW winter winds resulting in lower heating costs.