Organic gardens take root in Canada | Reuters

By Julie Gordon

| TORONTO

TORONTO As climate change makes longer, drier summers a reality in many parts of the world, a new trend in landscaping is taking root in Canada.

In Toronto, where precipitation levels were 52 percent below the seasonal average over the past six months, according to government data, residents are trading in their manicured lawns for environmentally friendly organic landscapes.

"Irrigation is a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbW3ayDWVQ huge issue as water is such a valuable resource," said Claire Suo-Cockerton of landscaping company Aesthetic Earthworks. "We are trying to plant material that is more appropriate today in our climate."

Organic landscapers use drought resistant plants and shrubs native to the region, which encourage the development micro-organisms in the soil. This attracts birds and insects to act as natural pest and disease control.

A well-man aged organic landscape is self-sustaining, whereas a traditional yard needs to be watered at least once per week, Suo-Cockerton said.



"It's a drastic lifestyle change for those who incorporate it in their homes," she added.

But the change may be a bit too drastic for average homeowner.

Kevin MacDonald, operations manager of Humber Nurseries near Toronto, said he hasn't seen an increase in the sale of native plants and shrubs. He said the downside to native plants is they are more susceptible to native insects.

"By planting a cultivated variety, that is non-native, you may not end up with diseases and insect problems, simply because the diseases and insects that would https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbW3ayDWVQ traditionally attack that plant are not found in the new location," he said.

Still, the main reason why traditional gardens remain popular may be purely aesthetic.

"In most cases homeowners will have a preference for what looks best," MacDonald said.

While the bare shrubs and woodchips of an organic landscape don't quite have the curb appeal of an ornamental garden, commercial and residential buildings looking to go green are picking up on the trend.

"From a developer's standpoint it's a great marketing tool because people are becoming very conscious of the environment," said Melissa Ferrato of the Canada Green Building Council (CGBG).

The CGBG uses the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) standard developed in the United States to measure the "green factor" of a building. Avoiding pesticides, lawnmowers and leafblowers all reduce a building's carbon footprint, contributing to a higher LEED score.

"Native, organic plants is what we're all about," said Ferrato. "We really discourage the use of manicured lawns and pesticides."

While organic landscaping is only now gaining popularity in the private sector, it has long been used by city parks departments.

"We've been moving away from traditional lawns for many years now," said Patricia Landry a liaison officer at the Toronto parks department. "We are using plants able to withstand drought, pollution and the changing climate."

Organic landscaping makes economic sense for urban municipalities, Landry said. Less money is spent on labor and irrigation. And reintroducing native plants provides habitat for birds and small https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extincteur_automatique_à_eau animals.

While efforts to convert Toronto's ornamental flowerbeds to organic gardens were met with public opposition, some of th e cultivated annuals were swapped with native plants.

"It's about trying to keep a balance," said Landry. "Finding different ways to keep those areas a little more environmentally friendly."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-landscaping-idUSN2563030420071101

50 Landscaping Company Names | hubpages

Landscapers are the elves of Mother Earth, giving her life, keeping her beautiful and healing her wounds. In return, the earth gives high doses of Vitamin D and a way to earn a living.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKWCB_3nMJg on a potential customer, and it could mean the difference between them choosing you or your competitor.

Since most regions have lots of different landscaping companies, you're going to face s ome stiff competition. You need something that will set you above the rest right off the bat. Your business needs to sound professional as well as unique and catchy!

Here's a list of 50 names to help you get some inspiration.

Brainstorming Tips

When brainstorming, keep the following in mind:

Use your industry: Have a name that indicates what type of company you are, even if you don't say it directly.

Use your specialty: If you specialize in something specific such as landscape design, make this clear since it can help you attract a different set of customers.

Use rhymes: Rhymes just have this way of sticking in someone's head, and the stickier your name, the better!

Use your own name: You own this company, right? Be proud! There is nothing wrong with that. Bonus points if there is a clever way to squeeze it in.

Use your location: Your town or street name could be a good source of identity and inspiration. Be sure it doesn't lim it you, however. Who knows where you'll grow!

Keep it simple: Your first or last name + Landscaping is a great name for a company.

Other Things to Consider

A few more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKWCB_3nMJg questions to ask yourself when thinking of your name:



Is it brandable? You're competing with some top-dog companies for the spotlight.

Does it have the green light online? Check for available web domains and social networking pages to see how common the name is.


Does it really stand out? Keep in mind your local competition and steer clear of any names that sound similar.

Is it easy for the average person to spell and pronounce? This will help your name be memorable.

What are the most popular or biggest landscaping companies in your region called? Use them as examples of what works.

Now that you know what to look for in a name, it's time for you to start making a list of your own. Write down 100 names and don't stop until you do! Let some of them be bad. It's ok ay. It's all part of the process.

Deciding on a Business Name

After you've made a list of potential names, you will then begin to chop and hack away at it to narrow it down to the ones that are really good.

Ask for help if you are the indecisive type; you might be surprised at the ideas in the heads of others! And let's face it, people are pretty opinionated, and this is a time when you really want peoples' true opinions.



If all else fails, find inspiration in your work, whether it's cutting grass or planting a new garden. It just might plant the seed that you need to grow a few ideas!

https://hubpages.com/living/landscaping-company-names

Gardening :: How To Care For Perennials In Your Garden

Perennials have long been one of the most popular classifications of flowering plant, and this is likely to continue for some time. There are many advantages to using perennials in the garden, not the least of which is their ability to regenerate year after year. The ability to plant once, and enjoy season after season of beautiful flowers, is one of the things that make perennials so popular with beginning and experienced gardeners alike.

Another great thing about perennials is that they are usually very easy plants to care for and to work with. Most perennials have needs that are quite undemanding, requiring little more than good soil, sufficient water and adequate sunlight. Even so, perennials also have their own issues, and one of the biggest issues is that perennials, due to their nature, are more prone to insect infestation and disease infection than are annuals, which have a much shorter life span. The very fact that perennials remain in the ground season after sea son means that infection can https://skygarden.london/sky-garden gain a foothold, even in the off season.

The best way to combat infection is to stop it from starting in the first place, and one of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to buy only the healthiest most vibrant plants. It is important to pay careful attention to the plants you buy at your local nursery, and to reject any that show signs of damage, disease or insect infestation. That is because healthy plants are better able to withstand any pathogens that may exist in the soil. A healthy plant will be able to withstand and fight off an infection that would kill a weaker one.

In addition, many perennials have been bred to be resistant to common diseases and pest infestations, so if these disease resistant varieties are available it is a good idea to seek them out. Perennial growers have spent many years using selective breeding to choose those plants that are best able to withstand commonly seen garden problems.

After the plants are in the ground, it is a good idea to check them often for any signs of problems. The best time to examine your plants is often when you are weeding the plants or watering them. This is a great time to look at the plants for any problems. Note any plants with wilted leaves, holes in the leaves, spots on the leaves or flowers, wounds on the stems or other possible problems. If you notice any problems, be sure to diagnose it accurately, using either a guide book or the eye of a more experienced gardener. Diagnosing the problem accurately is the first step toward curing it.



How you water perennials can have a big impact on their health. Overhead watering encourages water spots to remain on leaves, and these wet spots can be conduits that allow infection to spread from one plant to another. It is best to water deeply, using either drip irrigation or a soaker hose. Not Sprinkler System Installation Mckinney href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjreVlmEbis">Sprinkler System only will this avoid standing water on the flowers and leaves, but it will also allow much needed water to reach the roots.



Of course, proper care for perennials does not end when the growing season is over. It is important to care for these plants the right way after they have finished blooming. It is important to trim and prune is variety of perennial according to the recommendations for the species. Some perennials need to be radically trimmed back, while other varieties should be trimmed only lightly or not at all. It is important to pay attention to the needs of each variety in your garden.



http://www.articlebiz.com/article/268702-1-how-to-care-for-perennials-in-your-garden/

Solar Garden Lights for Landscaping

Landscaping your yard adds value to your house. This becomes appealing as well as ideal for long term sale. It creates a place that causes it in order to be really relaxing. Your trees obstruct your sunlight from penetrating your personal home, thus, making it cooler in sunny days. Your plants decrease greenhouse gasses and convey http://www.hgtv.com/design/topics/gardening fresh, clean air throughout the night. Indeed, home landscaping provides a large quantity of advantages. Here are the handful of guidelines on just how to landscape your personal home:

Doing laundry, brushing your own teeth or showering produces wastewater referred to as greywater. Greywater is only the wastewater that's leftover through home use including Sprinkler System Installation Arlington laundry, bathing along with washing dishes. Greywater isn't the same as blackwater, containing har mful contaminants like human waste. Blackwater cannot be recycled as it requirements to become cleaned at a wastewater remedy facility.

Choose which usually a component of your home will undertake makeover and also sketch out the landscaping design. Which Usually a component of it is right to put up your backyard in? is it your backyard or the front yard? How do an individual want a garden look like? Perform you want a new grassy location to a family members group event activities, as well as do you would like to fill everyone together with flowers and also shrubs? The Actual landscape must match your home for a person to provide a pleasant look.

According towards the company, they might be specialists in every places involving #landscapeconstruction and also landscaping maintenance. Discussing a clients desires as well as needs and working out a strategy which ends up with their customer's winding up using the ideal outdoor environment for home, requires vision, exp ertise in the subject plus an ability to execute projects in the organized along with effective way. The Particular finish result is an attractive again and also front yard, that's furthermore healthy, clean along with safe. Throughout Orange County, no one ought to settle for less.

When undertaking trees landscaping, it a very great idea to develop younger trees for approximately three causes. If you at just about any time employ a hectic schedule, it is best to grow trees which demand tiny upkeeping. Within many circumstances, any seedling will get up to date along with pass a totally developed tree inside a lot less Sprinkler System than ten years. Feel with regards to employing a skilled lawn specialist in the wedding you possess the actual finances and an individual also don't have got time for this to obtain it done on your current own. Any skilled landscaper understands the very best area to grow, the particula r fertilizer to apply, the spacing in between trees, the dimensions of the actual tree for anyone to plant, and also other associated concerns. Nonetheless, if these plants don't suit your trees landscaping plans, cut these down.

Exterior House Paint Color - Ideas And Tips

How to Hire a House Painter. And generally homeowners have to endure an exterior painting job every 6-8 years, depending about the house and siding. Floor protection from paint splashes, spills and splatters is really a essential and necessary step since the paint can be hard to remove or ruin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-gbNjp6eMo flooring and floor coverings.



5) Who will really be doing the painting? The individual who you meet with to obtain the estimate will not really be the same individua l who paints your house with many larger companies. Sounds similar to this goes without saying, but a novice may well not know the difference in picking paint to have an exterior vspaint for that inside of the house. This has prompted me to pass through on some wisdom I have learned about ladder safety to future generations of enterprising college students.

Ladder safety tip #4: Never use someone else as a counterweight over a 40-foot . Providence painting companies have lots of references that you could turn to as a means of gauging precisely how good they are in their work. It acts like a focal point, and individuals get to see leading door paint close up, so you will probably must touch up on it more often. The finished product will be protected against peel offs as a result of direct sunlight, humidity or heat. To Remove nicotine-stains From Walls:.

Keep a vintage towel, old doormat or rags near the entranceway to wipe the bottoms of your shoes on before leaving th e room and possibly tracking paint across the house. To protect your carpets, pry them off a floor using a wallpaper knife and pull rid of it to expose the floor. Add extensions for the ends of the downspouts to carry the water further away in the house than the existing distance.

For interior paint jobs, a painter needs square footage, the number of room(s) to become painted, height of ceilings, whether it's just walls, ceilings, base boards, current colors around the wall and amount of colors being painted. Again, the painter may have additional questions once they see the property. You'll find this and much more, including probably the most coordinating paint colors to use.

How Eco-Friendly Landscaping Benefits You And The Planet

Considering residential landscaping maybe you have choices. You need to decide what you would like from the landscaping. Most of the people would like their landscaping to be attractive, nevertheless they would likewise want it to add peace in life. A well designed friendly environmental landscape may assure you feeling of belonging and peace these days.

The first lawn care business card is meant for those who are keeping a decreased budget , nor want to spend a great deal on ink. It's a bold, straight-forward black and white design which includes two tree "cutouts" in the top bar to aid tie the theme to landscaping, lawn care, or gardening businesses. The bold, yet very professional design helps it to square out from other black and white cards and never have to rely on color or images.

About 68 percent of architects act on various positions and levels within the architectural, engineering, and related servi ces industry. Such mainstream architects plan and design the construction's appearance, aesthetic appeal, layout, keeping of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr_peYf3eaw air-conditioners and ventilation systems, structural integrity, and strength. The role in the architect starts in the conception of the project and ends if the project is complete, and entails providing technical and other drawings for that construction.



One of the most common mistakes that may increase your landscaping expenses is choosing cheap services. Of course, you may think that you can save big money by choosing cheap services. But, while there is a proclaiming that goes, "you get that which you pay for." Do not expect excellent services and standards that may match your needs in case you paid for something cheap. As a result, you may want to hire another landscaping expert immediately.



Mowing, pruning, lawn cleanups, planting plants and fertilization, specific seasonal related work, plus more all belong to Landscaping OC's landscaping maintenance responsibilities based on a customer's individuals needs. During business hours a landscaping expert is mostly available for an appointment and price quote, or to lend tips on a potential landscaping project.

Landscaping :: Spring Lawn Care Tips

It's that period of year again whenever you need to start worrying about your lawn and the way it will fare when the weather changes for the colder. You will be needing to be prepared if you will get your lawn to check its best through the summer season. This is also the growing season for many routine lawn care measures to be taken. You will see some informative tips on this article which will help you to adopt good proper care of your lawn.

EUR Grass Selection: A big step in going green with your lawn care is making sure that you have grass that is effective at growing without the requirement of a great deal of water. Some simple lawn care tips will even save considerable time and funds in the long run. Hope you will follow them accurately.

Try to not plant trees and shrubs that often grow too much or too wide. Further information on lawn care at http://www. To increase the risk for lawn green and beautiful, you need to feed it with water daily. He's also certainly one of the greater active players inside the league. The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MnS-kftOhE convert organic matter into nutrients as well as the microbes along with other small organisms that take natural good care of your lawn.

Plastic Forks Can Be Useful. While the job to maintain a healthy lawn may sometimes seem long and tedious, it is a worthwhile effort. Summer Lawn Care.

According to Shotzbarger, "The aesthetic and financial value found inside the health of your homeowner's lawn requires an acute attention to detail to be able to maintain. Doing the best thing at the best time is true for my way through life. By removing merely a small amount of leaf material with each mowing, we are training the lawn to develop with a lower height of computer normally would, the lower height we would like is only the ideal heigh t we would like our lawn to stay at. landscapebusinessmarketing. Recommended mowing heights are 3 inches for tall fescue, 2 1/2 inches for perennial ryegrass, and 1 inch for bentgrass.

Do--apply occasional pesticide or herbicide to your lawn. If you neglect to water hydro-seed once it is applied, it'll still germinate and little tiny grass plants will appear. It also counteracts thatch, which is formed by dead layers of grass over new growth. Entering an amount war can hurt your business profitability and you may use a hard time staying afloat using a low profit margin. Instead of getting to spend hours weeding or hours trimming shrubs, think about decreasing the areas that need this type of upkeep.

<< Back to "Home Improvement" Index. Don't forget to follow your landscaping plan and do not go beyon your budget. landscapebusinessmarketing. com to find out much more about lawn care marketing.