Whether you have an old house, new house or something in between; an old garden, new garden or badly overgrown garden; there are some things you can do in each and every landscape space. Here are a few of my favorite things to do in the garden. Enjoy a meal outside. You could have a rusty little bistro set that barely seats two, or an impressive outdoor dining area, but it doesn’t really matter. Food just tastes better when dining outside and the simplest meal becomes much more enjoyable when you eat it in the great outdoors. Place a colorful urn or pot outside your door. You will see it and e ..read more

Article by Samantha Young Many of us love gardening and don’t need an excuse to do it, but for those of you who do, here are 15 reasons why gardening is good for you. Gardening may seem like a chore for some but with a multitude of benefits, a little pruning can go a long way. From banishing stress to burning calories and saving you money, here are 15 reasons why you should be gardening. Beats Depression In a study, individuals who showed common symptoms of depression were instructed to garden for six hours per week. Not only was a measurable improvement shown after three months, thes ..read more

In 2016 we had an amazing opportunity to renovate and improve the landscape surrounding a beautiful French-inspired family home near Cambridge, Ontario. The already stunning property sits amongst a forest of trees that used to be a nursery. The beautiful French country stone work and architecture of the home was easy inspiration for the landscaping and planting that was chosen. There were three main areas that were transformed: the front of the home, the vegetable garden area and rear of the home. The front of the home already had an outstanding presence but was not really working for the cli ..read more

By Christine Gracey I have to admit to hibernating inside my house at this time of year as much as possible.  I do look longingly out the windows and stare at my front and back yards. And I plot and plan ways to improve my outdoor living space. I am not sure that all my plans will come to fruition, however just the planning is fun. One of the hardest things is trying to remember what areas need improvement. I sometimes can’t remember what happened last week, so I need some visual aids to remind me of the specifics. That means I need to take photos of areas that need work throughout the ..read more

SITE MAP http://dagracey.com/landscape-architecture-page/ http://dagracey.com/landscape-contractors/ http://dagracey.com/landscaping-company/ http://dagracey.com/mississauga-landscape-design-company/ http://dagracey.com/residential-landscaping/ http://dagracey.com/toronto-landscape-designers/ Vaughan Landscaping The post Site Map appeared first on DA Gracey & Associates ..read more

By Christine Gracey With the green grass and the colourful leaves and flowers of the summer just a distant memory, it is a good time to take a hard look at your garden and see how you can add some winter interest to increase your enjoyment of your outdoor space at this time of year. There are many ways to add interest. Do you have both deciduous and coniferous trees throughout your yard? Choose deciduous trees that have interesting bark such as birch trees or an interesting shape; perhaps a Pyramidal Beech or a Corkscrew Willow.  Coniferous trees can also have very interesting shapes, a ..read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARDS By: Christine Gracey January is the time of year when the members of the landscape industry in Ontario take an evening to celebrate and acknowledge their achievements of the past year. The Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence program gets larger and better each year, with a huge number of entries in each of their numerous categories for landscape construction, maintenance and design.  For numerous years we have made it a priority to enter the Awards program annually, and to date have won 33 awards. This year we had four award winning sites. As the lands ..read more

Toronto landscaping companies are knowledgeable about perennials, gardens and landscape design. Residential homeowners can also discover plants at their local nursery or online. At the nursery, check plant tags, as they generally indicate if a plant is good for cutting. Avoid flowers that fade fast or fall apart soon after cutting. Have fun and try cutting any type of flower or greenery in your garden because it could turn out to be a winner! Choose a variety of plants that offer different blooming times within the spring, summer and fall. Also look for flowers that have different shaped flo ..read more

Landscaping in the Fall in Toronto can be enjoyed by planting various bulbs for spring blooming. Local garden centres are full of bulbs that can be planted anytime in the fall before the soil freezes. Buying bulbs is like purchasing fresh fruit at the grocery store, look for firm, large bulbs. Bulbs are perennial plants that have a fleshy underground structure that consists of all they need to grow and produce flowers. Corms, tubers and rhizomes are very similar to bulbs but their structure is different. Here are some examples of each form: True Hardy Bulbs: Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinth and A ..read more

We often forget the importance of dirt, aka soil in our lives. Without great soil, we can’t grow the trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables and annuals that make our outdoor living spaces so wonderful.   Some important points to consider are: – Healthy soils are the basics for healthy food production. -Soils are the foundation for vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fiber, fuel and medical products. -Soils support our planet’s biodiversity and host a quarter of the total species on our planet. -Soils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in carbon ..read more