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The 5Ws of Landscape Design

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | May 7, 2023 | Hardscaping, Landscape Design, Softscaping

The Questions to Ask – Who, What, When, Where, and Why – When Drafting a Landscape Design

Landscape design is the art and science of creating outdoor spaces that are beautiful, functional, and sustainable. Whether you are starting from scratch or simply refreshing an existing space, understanding the 5Ws of landscape design can help guide you through the process. In this blog post, we will explore the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of landscape design, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of the key elements of this exciting field. So, let’s dive in and learn more about the 5Ws of landscape design!

WHO

Who is going to do the design and installation? If you’d like to do it yourself, but aren’t feeling completely confident in being able to do it all, consider contracting out the portions of the project you’re feeling less sure about.

Some people pay for a professional consultation and design and then take care of the installation themselves. Others know what they want but may need assistance with more complex areas of the project, or things that require specialized equipment. And of course there are those who prefer to leave the whole process to a professional landscaping company. You may also need to hire a tradesperson like an electrician or plumber for specific elements of the project.

Also, think about who is going to use the area being redesigned. Will the design benefit all intended users?

WHAT

What do you want your landscape design to look like? Consider the overall style, materials, plants and trees, lighting, etc. What will it take to make your vision become reality?

Are you looking to just add plants, to add or remove trees, to increase or decrease flowerbed areas? Perhaps you want to replace patio area or deck, or make that area larger or smaller.

If you’re adding a pool or hot tub, achieving your vision probably also means adding or replacing a fence, gate, or wall. And adding a water feature or fireplace may require professionals be involved in order to create the space you have envisioned.

WHEN

There are several factors to consider around timing when you’re planning a landscaping project. First, you’ll want to determine how long the project will take and ensure that materials and equipment will be available when you need them. And if you’ll need tradespeople or the help of others, you’ll have to line them up, as well.

Any required permits will take time to acquire, so it’s important to know what you need and apply for permits early in the process.

And remember that your project timeline will be subject to weather conditions, so it’s prudent to expect that your project will take longer than you anticipate, as a contingency.

WHERE

What part of your property are you planning to enhance? Generally, homeowners focus on one area and have specific goals in mind. The front of a home is not typically a place where one spends a lot of leisure time or entertains. The primary benefit of adding landscaping there is improved curb appeal.

Unless a home is located on a corner lot, side yards usually serve as a thoroughfare from front to back. The most common goals for these areas are improved drainage and easier navigation. If the home is located in an urban setting, the side yards can be narrow and shady, so plants should be chosen accordingly.

The backyard is the place where you can add supplemental living space, a place to spend time and entertain. The sky’s the limit for the elements that can be added to make this area more enjoyable.

Another consideration when planning your landscaping project is the type of soil that will provide the foundation for both softscaping and hardscaping. Clay based soil is hard and doesn’t drain well. Sandy soil is soft and doesn’t hold moisture well. Depending on the soil type, it may need to be amended to provide a better foundation for walls and patios, and to provide a better substrate for plants and trees.

WHY

This is where a landscaping project always begins. A homeowner has a vision and goals. Above, we mentioned goals like enhancing curb appeal and creating additional living space. Those are the two most common whys.

More specifically though, new landscaping can address issues like:

overgrown or hard-to-maintain areas
unfinished space around a new pool or hot tub
too much or insufficient natural light
filling in a spot where an old patio or pool was removed
lack of privacy or blocked view

No matter your project’s scope, understanding the 5Ws of landscape design can help you create a space that is beautiful, functional and sustainable. And if you need some help creating and/or executing your plan, contact us.

Fragrant Trees and Shrubs for your Landscape

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | Mar 26, 2023 | Gardening, Native Plants, Shrubs, Softscaping, Trees

When choosing trees and shrubs for your home’s landscape you most likely look for varieties that not only look good, but smell nice, too. Fortunately, there are myriad fragrant trees in shrubs for your landscape in Southwestern Ontario.

Crab apple blossoms in spring beautiful smell fragrance In our region, the climate is perfect for many fragrant trees and shrubs that can be enjoyed throughout the year. In this blog post, we will look at some of the best trees and shrubs that are ideal for fragrance in Southwestern Ontario. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, this post will help you create a beautiful, fragrant oasis in your own backyard.

Fragrant Trees

Ivory Silk Lilac

This gorgeous tree is ideal for adding a pleasant, sweet fragrance to your garden. The ivory silk lilac has creamy white blooms that fill the air with a delightful, heady perfume.

Katsura Tree

Fringe tree flowers smell sweet Katsura trees are unique deciduous trees that emit a refreshing, burnt sugar scent in the fall. They have heart-shaped leaves and attractive yellow flowers in the spring.

Fringe Tree

These beautiful trees add a unique twist of sweetness to your garden. The fringe tree is covered in white, star-shaped blooms with a sweet, citrusy fragrance that lingers in the air.

Magnolia Tree

Magnolia trees – both the Saucer and Star varieties – are renowned for their large, white flowers that emit a sweet, citrusy scent.

Crab Apple Tree

Crab apple trees offer a pronounced sweet scent and an attractive display of pink to white flowers in the spring.

Ornamental Cherry Tree

Ornamental cherry trees are renowned for their fragrant, Instagram-worthy pink and white blooms.

Fragrant Shrubs

Honeysuckle

If you’re looking for an intoxicating scent in your garden, then look no further than the honeysuckle. This shrub is best known for its fragrant, pink, white, coral, and/or yellow blossoms that burst with a sweet aroma.

Mock Orange

The Mock Orange has beautiful white blooms with a strong citrus scent that fills the air with its refreshing aroma.

Lilac

The lilac is one of the quintessential fragrant garden shrubs in Southwestern Ontario. These shrubs have dark green leaves and beautiful purple or white blooms that fill the air with their sweet scent in the spring.

Peonies

Peonies are a timeless favorite for adding fragrance and beauty to any garden. These shrubs have large but delicate, fragrant flowers that come in a variety of colors including white, pink, red, and yellow.

Peonies have a lovely fragrance

Catmint

Catmint is a great option for gardeners who want to attract cats with their fragrant garden. Unlike catnip though, cats don’t generally roll in or eat catmint, so this small shrub will stay looking beautiful all season long. This herb can be invasive if left unchecked, so best to give it wide berth in a garden or plant it in a container.

Lavender

Bee balm smells wonderful and attracts pollinators Lavender is renowned throughout the world for adding fragrance and beauty to any garden. This herb has beautiful purple blooms that fill the air with their calming scent.

Hyssop

Hyssop is a great option for adding an aromatic touch to a garden. This herb has small, bright blue flowers that fill the air with their sweet scent.

Bee Balm

Bee balm is a great option for gardeners who want to attract bees and other pollinators with their fragrant garden. This herb has shaggy, fragrant red or pink flowers that are sure to draw in your buzzing friends!

Primula

Primula flowers are fragrant and a great choice for the garden This herb has delicate, fragrant flowers in vibrant shades of pink, purple, and white.

These are just a few of the fragrant trees and shrubs that you can use to add a refreshing scent to your garden. Keep in mind, though, that all plants require regular watering and maintenance for optimal health. Be sure to research each type of tree or shrub before planting so you know their individual needs and can provide them with proper care. With a little bit of effort, you’ll have a beautiful, fragrant oasis right outside your door. And of course, if you’d like assistance establishing a fragrant garden that suits your style and lifestyle, contact us!

Landscaping a Small Backyard

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | Dec 1, 2022 | Hardscaping, Landscape Design, Maintenance, Patios, Softscaping

Do you have a small backyard? Do you feel like you don’t have enough room to landscape it the way you want? Don’t worry, we have some strategies for you! In this blog post, we will discuss how to add plants and shrubs for privacy and visual appeal, how to add a small patio for relaxing and entertaining, and how to create balance with colour, size and shape. We will also discuss low maintenance landscaping options. So, whether you have a small city backyard or a country cottage yard, we have the perfect tips for landscaping a small backyard.

Make the Most of a Small Space

When it comes to landscape design for small backyards, the key is to maximize the space and make the most of what you have. Start by adding plants and shrubs that will provide both privacy and visual appeal. Choose plants with varying heights and colors to create a lush landscape.

Make sure to consider the size and shape of your yard when selecting plants. Tall, thin trees may be best for narrow spaces and can be balanced with the addition of compact, low-growing shrubs, ornamental grasses, and other perennials.

Make Your Small Backyard Livable

You can also create a cozy gathering space with the addition of a small patio using natural stone, brick, or interlocking pavers. There are even precast stone products that look like flagstone but have a much more uniform surface and are more cost-effective relative to their natural counterpart.)

A small patio is perfect for relaxing or entertaining, and its appearance blends nicely into surrounding landscaping, so it won’t be visually overwhelming. Consider adding comfortable but space-saving furniture to maximize seating capacity.

Visual Impact and Balance

When designing your landscape, be sure to create balance with colour, size and shape. Create visual interest by grouping plants that are different sizes and colours together. Install pathways along high-traffic zones with stones in unique shapes or patterns. You can also add lighting to draw attention to certain areas of your landscape and make them stand out in the evening.

Be Master of Your Domain (Not a Slave to It)

Finally, when it comes to landscaping a small backyard, don’t forget to consider low-maintenance landscape options. Native plants are always a great choice as they require minimal upkeep and thrive in your local climate. Consider hardscaping materials like gravel or river rock over landscape fabrics to prevent weeds from encroaching on your garden beds.

By implementing these strategies for landscaping a small backyard, you will be able to create an inviting outdoor space that is both functional and visually appealing! With the right design elements and thoughtful planning, even the smallest of yards will provide years of enjoyment. If you’d rather leave the landscaping of your small yard to professionals, contact us to get started.

Plant Combinations

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | Sep 30, 2022 | Flowers, Foliage, Gardening, Landscape Design, Native Plants, Shrubs, Softscaping

When it comes to selecting plants, shrubs and trees for your gardens, there are myriad options you can choose to add visual interest, minimize maintenance, and attract birds, bees, and other pollinators. But the real magic happens when you select plant combinations that complement one another, elevating the overall effect.

When you drive by a home and find yourself admiring their beautiful landscaping, it’s typically not due to an individual element in their garden, but rather the combination of plants, shrubs, and trees that work nicely together.

Regardless of whether you’re planning a formal or informal style, you can find specimens that will help you achieve the look you’re aiming for. A few things to consider:

Height

Create depth and balance by grouping elements of various heights. Taller plants/trees can be placed at the back (or middle for an island flowerbed) while shorter selections can be added at the front or around the edge.

Shape

Consider the various shapes of foliage, flowers, and overall plants. While consistent shapes throughout a design can be effective, they tend to lend a more formal appearance, so choose shapes accordingly. Also, look for options that tend to naturally hold the desired shapes to minimize the additional task of pruning.

Quantity

Design theory dictates that odd numbers are more visually appealing, so group plants, shrubs, and trees accordingly.

Seasonality

Some perennials look great in spring, summer, and fall (and even winter). Others have features that really shine for only a limited amount of time during one season, and then are rather unremarkable the rest of the year. For example, Forsythia is full of brilliant yellow blooms in the spring while the Burning Bush foliage is a brilliant red in the fall. Group elements to ensure that at least one plant or tree is always offering some visual interest.

Colour

Play around by planting different shades of the same colour. Go monochromatic by planting elements whose colours are all the same, but size and shape varies. Or select plants, shrubs, and trees whose colours are different from one another but complementary.

Hardiness

If you’re planting combinations that you want to come back year after year, ensure they’re all appropriate for your hardiness zone. Stratford and area’s hardiness zone is generally a 6. If in doubt, ask the nursery where you buy your plants.

Plant Combinations for Sun and Shade

Sun

Coneflowers, Ornamental Grasses , Black-Eyed Susan, and Gayfeather (Liatrus) creates a low-maintenance prairie look that is colourful and showy from early summer to late fall.

Shade

Combining Hostas with Ferns and Japanese Forest Grass creates visual interest with a range of leaf sizes, textures, and colours. And Hostas provide the added bonus of white or pale purple blooms in the summer.

These are just two of many types of plant combinations you could try in your gardens. If you’re interested in adding or enhancing visual interest in your gardens but don’t want to do it yourself, contact us to discuss your landscaping goals.

Groundcover for Sun and Shade

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | Aug 26, 2022 | Flowers, Gardening, Landscape Design, Ponds, Softscaping

groundcover to grow in sun and shade landscaping around pond Groundcover for sun and shade are plants that tend to grow low to the ground and spread. These ranging plants do double duty in your flowerbeds. With their showy foliage and/or flowers, they add visual interest. But just as importantly, if not more so, they act much like mulch, helping to suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, and retain moisture.

What’s more, groundcovers are generally low-maintenance, so you get all the benefits mentioned above, without back-breaking work. Just ensure that you plant groundcover plants according to their light exposure requirements.

A few of the reasons you might consider planting a groundcover:

To cover ground where it’s extremely hot and sunny. Drought conditions can leave grass and/or plants parched. Some of the varieties listed below can better tolerate these conditions, and will look nice doing it.
To keep weeds down. Weeds are simply unwanted plants in your lawn and garden. If you find weeds particularly troublesome in an area of your flowerbed or lawn, consider planting groundcover appropriate for that area to keep weeds in check.
To cover steeply graded areas of grass. If your yard has any sloping areas that are hard to maintain, consider replacing the grass with a ground cover to eliminate the hassle.
To cover shady spots where grass is sparse. Too much shade can also lead to patchy grass growth. Plant a shade-loving groundcover instead for lush, even coverage.
To reliably cover areas with high foot traffic. If your grass is worn in areas where there is consistent foot traffic, a robust groundcover with a creeping habit should provide better coverage.

groundcover for sun stonecrop sedum Groundcovers to plant in the sun

Creeping Thyme
Stonecrop Sedum
Creeping Juniper
Ice plant
Catmint
Creeping Phlox
Black-Eyed Susan

groundcover for shade sweet woodruff fern Groundcovers to plant in the shade

Lamium
Bugleweed
Sweet Woodruff
European Ginger
Carex/Sedge
Japanese Spurge
Periwinkle

groundcover for shade periwinkle vinca Note that some groundcovers, due to an aggressive spreading or creeping habit, can be invasive, so it’s important to take a bit of time to choose the right plants based on your goals and available space.

If you would like to incorporate groundcovers into a new or existing landscape design but aren’t up for doing it yourself, we can help you make the right choices for your needs and goals. Contact us any time.

Drought-Tolerant Perennials

by A Touch of Dutch Landscaping | Aug 4, 2022 | Flowers, Gardening, Maintenance, Native Plants, Softscaping

When we’re consulting new customers about their goals for new landscaping, “low-maintenance” is typically high on their list of outcomes. One of the key traits that makes a garden low-maintenance is the ability to thrive in dry conditions. And there are plenty of drought-tolerant perennials that fit the bill.

Drier summers like the one we’re experiencing this year can put a lot of stress on plants, trees, and shrubs. This is especially true for plants that are not yet established (newly-planted) and for non-native species and varieties.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to resign yourself to rock gardens with drought-tolerant succulents. There are many beautiful perennials that can weather and even thrive in dry conditions.

Below is a selection of our favourite drought-tolerant plants and flowers suitable for Southwestern Ontario’s hardiness zone (5/6).

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Sunny Locations

Coneflowers

Also known as Echinacea, Coneflowers provide pops of (most commonly) vibrant purple with a thistle-like centre that attracts pollinators.

Perennial Grasses

Available in a wide variety of sizes and colours, ornamental grasses add a lot of texture and visual interest to a garden. Be sure to select varieties that are hardy in your zones, as some grasses will not survive our winters and so are better suited to annual planters.

Russian Sage

This lavender-hued beauty thrives in dry soil and offers a wispy appearance with silvery foliage that is as striking as its flowers.

Daylilies

The ubiquitous Daylily, with all of its available sizes and colours, makes a great, low-maintenance addition to gardens and fence lines.

Sedum

Also referred to as Stonecrop, sedum is a succulent whose light pink, purple, or reddish flower clusters that bloom in late summer and last into the fall. Autumn Joy is a common variety and looks great alongside ethereal grasses.

Gayfeather

Liatris spicata, commonly known as Gayfeather or Blazing Star, is a spreading, upright perennial with vibrant green foliage and spikes of purple, pink, and/or white flowers.

Yarrow

Super easy to grow, Yarrow has fern-like foliage with clusters of small, white or pale-coloured blooms. Plants can be easily split to avoid it taking over your garden.

Drought Tolerant Plants and Flowers for Shady Locations

Carex/Sedge

Some varieties of Sedge do well in shady locations. The prominent, grass-like foliage is brightly-coloured and/or variegated, making it an excellent companion for flowering perennials.

Barrenwort

Also known as Longspur or Bishop’s Hat, Barrenwort produces gorgeous, orchid-like flowers on long stems and thrives in low-light areas.

Lamium

Part of the mint family, Lamium spreads nicely to provide an interesting ground cover with mottled or variegated leaves and small, orchid-like flowers.

Bleeding Heart

Emerging in the spring, first with foliage followed by blooms, the Bleeding Heart earns its name from the heart-shaped flowers that grow along long, horizontal stems.

Foamflower

Blooming in the spring, the Foamflower’s bright and sometimes variegated cut-leaf foliage yields to tall sprays of delicate flowers.

Bigroot Geranium

Unlike its upright annual cousin, the perennial Bigroot Geranium remains low and spreads to create a beautiful flowering groundcover that keeps weeds at bay.

So, there are myriad options for gardens in dry conditions. However, if you need assistance with choosing the right combinations for your gardens, contact us.

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