Highlighting the best outdoor designs

At a luncheon held Feb. 15 at Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park, the Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association (MBNLA) announced the winners of the 2018 Awards of Excellence. Presented each year at its annual Grow Conference, the awards recognize the outstanding skill and workmanship of Manitoba’s landscape professionals in creating exceptional gardens and landscapes.

The categories include residential or commercial landscape construction and installation, as well as multi-unit residential maintenance. Projects range from less than $35,000 to more than $150,000 and judges are chosen from all sectors of Manitoba’s horticulture industry.

The event is highly anticipated and well-attended by stakeholders of the diverse profession, including contractors, retail greenhouses, wholesale growers, product and equipment suppliers and professional service providers.

For the homeowner who is considering a landscape project of their own, there is plenty of inspiration to be found not only in this year’s award-winning examples but in the overall message promoted by the MBNLA, which is one of uncompromising professionalism and high standards of excellence.

Why is it important to hire a professional landscaper?

Guy Dowhy, president of the MBNLA, says that education and experience are important designations that help to distinguish whether a person or company is, in fact, a professional and not simply calling themselves a professional landscaper. Admittedly, Dowhy says, there are landscapers that are self-taught who do exceptional work.

Here in Manitoba, we have two educational programs that offer a credentialed education for the landscape profession: the Greenspace horticulture diploma and certificate programs and Apprenticeship Manitoba’s Red Seal landscape horticulturist program, both offered at Red River College. There are also numerous certifications, Dowhy says, designed to test an individual’s knowledge and competence in their area of service.

In order to maintain certification, continuing education credits must be achieved by attending educational seminars or industry involvement. The MBNLA organizes educational conferences and facilitates opportunities for its members to meet and share knowledge about industry trends and best practices.

"It’s about the ability to show that you have the acquired knowledge, skills, experience and accountability that will leave customers and clients confident in their decision to invest in you, your product or service," Dowhy says.

What better way to turn your dreams into stunning reality than to collaborate with a business or individual committed to promoting awareness of environmental horticulture and upholding the highest standards of the nursery and landscape industry? To inspire you with possibilities for your own landscape, let’s take a cue from these MBNLA Awards of Excellence recipients’ winning projects.

A couple desired a transformation of their plain-Jane landscape, front to back, which had been left untouched for decades. They wanted to boost their home’s curb appeal, install a new driveway, create a more inviting front entrance and turn their backyard into a private space to relax and entertain.

Starting with a blank slate — apart from an existing Leo Mol statue — 3 Seasons Landscaping designed an intimate and welcoming front entrance framed by herbaceous borders and container plantings. Splendid perennial beds provide year-round seasonal colour and texture while drawing the eye to the Leo Mol statue, a central focal point.

The clients were fond of a geometric look that would complement their interior decor. This called for a combination of linear lines, arcs and concentric circles. The new outdoor living space in the clients’ backyard offers both style and function. A large gas fire table was situated to provide views to the river. Ultimately, the landscape is quite formal and orderly, which was by design.

An award of merit was presented to 3 Seasons Landscaping and accepted by Gary Weinberg, owner and landscape designer; and Paul Szakacs, design, sales and manager.

Russ Penny and Justin Harris of Netley Creek Landscaping received awards of merit for three residential projects that called for a complete landscape design and install, including a backyard retreat. One of the projects includes a cedar bridge that passes over a dramatic backyard stream as well as stairs which required that the landscape be graded for proper drainage. The finished project even includes a tunnel for imaginative play by the clients’ children and their friends.

In another project, a front yard entry was reconstructed to include a custom LED pondless waterfall. For another client, Netley Creek Landscaping designed a destination patio. Custom fountains were built into a staircase that leads down to a modern sunken travertine entertainment area, complete with a firepit, boulders and timber benches.

Lawn ’n’ Order Custom Landscapes received two awards of merit. In one example, the clients wanted an outdoor space with a resort feel in which to entertain their children and grandchildren. Importantly, the clients also wanted their landscape to be designed with an emphasis on accessibility that would allow them to stay at their residence well into their golden years. Jeff Vermette, the owner of Lawn ’n’ Order, designed the entire area on one level and without stairs, ensuring the layout would be easily accessible by a walker or wheelchair.

A deluxe outdoor kitchen, as well as a hot tub, fireplace and pool with slide, were also installed.

Silver Stone Landscaping received an Award of Excellence for an extraordinary residential landscape construction project which owner Kyle Thibeault designed for a client who lives in a rural setting. The design needed to be adaptable so that additional elements could be added in the future.

Planning for the large project began in fall of 2014. In 2015, Thibeault installed hardscaping elements such as patios, walkways, fireplace, fire pit, retaining walls and staircases. Hardscaping materials were specially selected to achieve a balanced look between the house and landscape and to define various spaces. Large flagstone pavers were used for walkways which link all of the outdoor living areas throughout the landscape.

It’s important that a phased project form a cohesive whole. When the clients wanted a sunken hot tub area, Thibeault incorporated it smoothly into the overall design so that it did not appear as an afterthought.

Mitch Gagnon, owner of Dreamscape Landscaping, received an award of merit for an impressive landscape installation that included a 4,000 square foot patio and a prominent four-sided, multi-tiered water feature with bubbling boulders.

In addition to recognizing residential landscape projects, the MBNLA also presented an award of excellence for multi-unit residential maintenance to Kindret Landscaping for two of its projects, Assiniboine Crossing and Courts of St. James. Kindret Landscaping also picked up an award for excellence in commercial landscape installation for its landscape design of Metro Condominiums.

Rod and Barbara Bennett of Air Strength Canada received an award of excellence for the installation of an extraordinary green wall project at the RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre in Toronto. For more details on all of the projects, visit awards.mbnla.com.

Sharra Hinton, MBNLA executive director, says the winning projects will now be forwarded to the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association for the National Awards, which will be presented in St. Andrews, N.B., in August.

What’s your dream? The key to high-impact landscape design and construction that affords genuine functional and aesthetic value is careful planning. Talk to a professional.

colleenizacharias@gmail.com