Under The Sun Ecological Landscaping

Dave and T,

Thank you very much for this positive review. It was an easy process working with you both. I appreciate that you were decisive and at times flexible, when for example the stock available at the stone yard limited initial selection of imitation flagstone available.
In terms of the design, I love that you guys wanted to integrate the flagstone patio into the existing cedar tree. That's the way to do it! Use what's there if you can. Now you instantly have a beautiful shaded summer seating area.
The raised beds with curving walls really worked out well with the curving/round patio edge.
Thanks again for the review, and overall for being such easy going folks!
- Sal.

My whole hearted thanks for this wonderful review Marisa! You really went out of your way to list the details of the work done. And thank you for all your positive words. It was a true pleasure working with you. We were a great match I think, you were able to take a first sketch and really run with it. After some fine tuning, you were decisive and pulled together a plan of action. I love that you were after a truly organic aesthetic, certainly the highlights of this project for us was the curved deck cedar deck and the shed restoration with Green Living Roof to boot. I love that you were after details like a preferably salvaged/reclaimed window for the shed (in lieu of buying brand new materials). There is such a wealth of quality, character filled reclaimed building materials in this city, it is such a win win situation in my opinion when people choose to give new life to relics. Thank you for being a kind and easy going person. You even were sure to send project end gifts home with us! Much appreciated! (best wine I've had in a while too!)

Thank you David for this excellent review! We really enjoyed working with you and your wife. Very easy to dialogue with and very clear in your preferences, makes the process a whole lot smoother. Also happy that we could find a positive way forward when there were details that needed resolving, such as on the finishing touches of the shed. Now spring is around the corner, and hopefully soon enough you'll be enjoying your newly transformed backyard!

Thank you Len for a great review. You really treated us well while we were on the job, inviting the guys to beverages and the like day after day. We really appreciated it. It was an interesting job in that we were taking on the design and makeover of two different properties - your own, and your neighbours - as a unit. I'm surprised we don't see more people embracing this concept, where the front properties so connected and continuous - as in your case. It opens the door to a cleaner overall design and general curb appeal for both front properties and at the same time saves both home owners money by hiring a landscaper to do both projects as one! I love it. After 2 years from the installation you have brought to my attention now that there has been some settling of bedding around the house. This is due to the foundation often having air pockets from water proofing work or recent construction. We will be by to relevel this area under our warranty free of charge. See you shortly and thanks again for the positive review!

Thanks for the review Vasko! It was a relatively small job however nonetheless quite challenging. The larger armour stone were quite fun moving around by hand! I never like to bring in heavy machinery and risk marking up the ground to move a few heavy stones. Human power and silence is always preferred! I like your preference for natural stone. I think the armour stone raised bed is a great focal point for the front yard. I'll be curious to see what you plant there. Also the riverstone water feature is perfect for that spot, it is sure to create a welcoming and serene entry to the house. All the best to you and let us know if we can be of service in the future.

Peter,

Thank you so much for this carefully thought out and positive review.

I am very appreciative and touched by feedback and experiences like this one.
I have to be honest here and recognize that we were completely at fault for creating two annoyances/issues on this job. Again, mistakes that I take full responsibility for.
The important thing is that we were able to remedy the errors, earn back your trust and turn this project into a complete success. But equally important was your ability to forgive our mistakes and be left with only good things to say about us. I am truly impressed by your positive outlook and quality of character. I really appreciate your frankness and clarity in dealing with the issues when they came up. You even provided great suggestions for how to correct the issues.
You were kind with the workers and you went out of your way to take care of them and make them feel at home. We thank you for that.
Again, I really appreciate this review.
In terms of the work itself...
The site was a challenging one. Specifically due to a large Norway maple sucking up the nutrients and moisture out the surrounding soil. This was making it very difficult to maintain a decent lawn. This is a common problem in around Toronto, the city used to plant Norway maples everywhere (among other invasive species) and 50 years later property owners are dealing with the repercussions – lawns and gardens that simply will not flourish. The city has since learned from these mistakes and today plant native and / or less aggressive trees such as red maple – a fantastic alternative that does not devastate the soil.
So as I was saying, the Norway maple has created a very harsh environment (also thanks to allelopathy – it releases toxins into the surrounding soil). Because of this, we had to carefully choose plants that would be most likely to succeed in this shady, dry, acidic environment. Digging out the top inches of old soil and adding new triple mix was a must, even though usually I prefer to work with and improve the soil on hand.
Even still the limitation is that the Norway Maple will remain on site for many years to come and it will continue to suck out moisture from the garden. If you can ensure enough water through the next summer to the plants so that they can get well established, they will have a much better chance of long term success. You can always consider some level of irrigation, be it a sprinkler or an underground installation - to help you with the task if it is too time consuming. Once the plants are established, they will deal well with the adverse conditions – since they have all been selected for their drought tolerance and hardiness.
Other aspects of the job I think turned out beautifully: the armour stone / rock garden perimeter, the charcoal driveway frame to create an accent and the elegant lighting around the perimeter.
Again, it was a pleasure working with you Peter, and do let me know if there is anything we can help you with down the road.
All the best,
Sal.

Shahan,

Thank you for this wonderful review. I agree that your backyard landscaping project turned out beautifully. From the first time we met and you showed me your awesome vision on paper, I was absolutely sure that it would be a complete success and a pleasure to bring to reality.
Cedar raised deck wrapping around an ornamental cherry tree, cedar board walk, plantings interspaced by elegant modern screens, lawn surrounded by elegant interlock frame, and more.
I really appreciated and agreed fully with your sense of aesthetic and found it very easy to work with you both.
You were always a text message away, which enabled checking in whenever needed and definitely helped make every detail of the project a success.
I loved the design for the plantings along the board walk, spaced with elegant cedar screens, and then the lighting to accent. I also really liked the lawn framed by a cobblestone interlock border. The design truly made perfect use of your space. I hope you and S enjoy the space for many years to come and I look forward to seeing it evolve some time down the road.
Thank you for trusting us to build your dream landscape and for being so easy to work with.
And thanks again for taking the time to write a great review for us. Take care, all the best.

Michael and S,

Thank you for this great review! I really appreciate your good words and positive recommendation.

I agree that your landscaping project worked out beautifully, and you owe it in large part to yourselves for putting in a lot of time and thought into the layout, stone selections, colour schemes, etc. It makes the work especially enjoyable and relaxed when you know there is a thorough and carefully thought out design to lean on.

I am so happy that you guys made the call to switch the drive way stone last minute to the misu paver, it was EXACTLY the stone for you and blended so perfectly with your house and the overall project. You see how S's undying search for the perfect option paid off in the end! She was never quite convinced with the brussels block driveway option, then still not satisfied with the europaver refinement. It was almost as if she knew the perfect option was just beyond reach waiting to be discovered. And it was your willingness to take time and meet at the stone yard that allowed you to have the "ah ha! that's the stone we've been looking for" moment when you glanced at the misu paver display.

It was truly a pleasure to work with you, every step of the way you were kind, flexible, clear and accommodating.

Again I really did enjoy working with you both and I do so appreciate this awesome review. Let me know if anything ever needs touching up, or if you have any questions.

Thanks and take care.

Sal

John,

Thank you for submitting this great review, with pictures to boot.

I really enjoyed working with you on this project, we both have the same taste and preference for natural materials and a creative flowing landscape. I also really appreciated your ability to shift and change the design as necessary on the fly.

I too think it turned out wonderfully, front and back, and will be showing the job off to new future clients looking for a similar concept.

The wrought iron handrail was a great addition to the solid stones steps, too bad we couldn't get a picture of it after it was installed.

Thanks again for everything,
I'll see you around Riverdale, neighbour!

- Sal.

Geoff, thanks for submitting this spectacular review, with great pictures too! I really appreciate the kind words you wrote for me and the company. This job was both challenging and extremely satisfying at the same time. I loved the design from the get go! I am amazed at how much you were able to envision for your back yard, it's all about a good dream! Upper stone seating area by the waterfall overlooking the lower curved cedar deck dining area, raised planting beds and cobblestone paths! Brilliant.
The long curving stone retaining wall has definitely gone down in my book of proud accomplishments, it was a true challenge and joy to complete.
I loved that there was not a single straight line in the entire project! From gentle curves to tight curves, everything turned out perfectly. And the artistic finishes you added with the wooden carvings and hand painted mural at the back walkout were truly the cherry on top!

I am excited to help you come up with something equally stunning for the front landscaping this spring!

Thanks again and Talk soon,
Sal.