Outdoor Living

Perfectly crafted outdoor spaces

BY LEA CURRIE

More than a front porch or pool or entertaining space, a large backyard is rated the number one outdoor feature by homeowners. It’s easy to see why in these two magnificent outdoor spaces. These large backyards have become an extension of the homes, providing ample space for recreation, relaxation and entertainment.

“Both outdoor spaces provide all the amenities for a wide variety of social gatherings or just for personal relaxation,” says Neil Boorsma of Neil & Nick’s Landscaping.

Boorsma and business partner, Nick Harasym are the designers behind these luscious outdoor spaces, perfectly crafted to meet the clients’ needs and wants.

“One client kept a similar layout to the existing space and wanted specific areas for specific gatherings. The other extended the hardscaped areas for a flexible space to easily adapt as their children grew up,” says Boorsma.

While each space is unique and both projects had multiple site plan proposals, revisions and meetings prior to putting a shovel in the ground, there are natural similarities that came through, such as the contemporary designs. For example, rather than traditional pergolas where the beams sit on top of the four support posts, these modern structures feature rafters hanging from the beams and joists, giving the impression that they are floating.

Another common element between the two gorgeous settings stems from Neil & Nick’s Landscaping’s policy to only supply and install locally sourced Barkman concrete pavers. This is what the landscaping firm used to create the pavers, stack stone, planters, steps, fireplaces and fire pits. Minimal maintenance was a key focus throughout. The spaces have no exposed soil or mulch beds. Dwarf shrubs and grasses were planted for minimal pruning over time, and the landscapers used a wide variety of coniferous and deciduous plants.

“Both projects focused on saving all the mature trees on site to help keep the existing privacy. It allowed us to focus the budget on more higherend finishing products, such as glass railings, in-ground irrigation and a natural gas fire table,” says Harasym.

Even the minor details are carefully thought out to enhance the eyecatching design.

“The ground cover is a combination of smaller crushed decorative rock as well as larger rip-rap. It allows us to design with more depth as opposed to a washout effect of one type of ground cover,” says Harasym.

Boorsma and Harasym are keen to find innovative design and construction methods in their work, which can also result in cost savings for the client.

“On one project we strapped dimensional lumber to the front face of existing railway ties as they were structurally sound. We then clad it with cedar lumber. This provided a large cost savings as opposed to designing a multi-tiered stack stone planter,” says Boorsma.

In the other space, the clients wanted a natural fireplace and a gas fire table situated in one space. This specific layout request required a two-foot grade change to the property line. The landscapers designed a structural concrete pad and grade beam with rebar and screw piles to make the necessary accommodations.

“We understand designing and building your dream backyard can be an expensive and daunting task. We do everything in our power to ensure every client we work with has peace of mind from the beginning of the design process, until the finished product is delivered,” says Boorsma.

Neil & Nick’s Landscaping operates as a design/build contractor and the partners handle all sub-trade coordination.

“If you decide to work with us, you deal directly with the owners who have the most at stake,” says Harasym.

Learn more about Neil & Nick’s Landscaping at www.neilandnicks.com

Bring on the heat

BY LEIGH PATTERSON

There’s nothing like a beautiful outdoor fire. It creates a special ambience and brings people together in a way nothing else can. And it can extend the enjoyment of your yard into the cooler seasons. When it comes to designing and installing firepit and fireplace solutions to fit your lifestyle, the professional team at 3 Seasons Landscaping can bring the heat. With nearly 40 years of experience in designing and building beautiful yards, there’s no shortage of examples where 3 Seasons has brought their signature quality to bear on the coolest outdoor projects.

In the empty corner of one yard, 3 Seasons installed a flagstone patio anchored by an outdoor fireplace. Rising above it all is a custom wood pergola that defines the area to make it an inviting space.

For another homeowner, the team incorporated a custom-built fireplace with a wood-burning pizza oven into a retaining wall planted with a variety of shrubs and tall, showy grasses. The patio area is nestled into this lower part of the yard to create a private oasis for the family and their guests to enjoy.

For a yard located in a more rural setting, the 3 Seasons team installed a firepit surrounded by large flagstone

patio. To keep the look natural and blend seamlessly with the large property beyond, they softened the patio edges organically with large boulders. Shrubs and grasses surround the sprawling patio, balancing the yard without sacrificing valuable entertainment space. At night, the glow from the central “prairie firepit” imbues a wonderful ambience throughout the entire space. The intimate space feels like a natural, sunken outdoor living room.

The blank canvases presented by yards of newly built homes can be difficult to imagine, but 3 Seasons rises to every occasion with firepits and patio solutions that define the entertainment areas of the yard while complementing new home architecture.

In one case, they used Barkman Roman pavers to build a modern curvilinear, two-level patio area with a retaining wall planter to soften the home’s linear façade. By installing the patio stones on the lower level in a circular pattern with the firepit at the centre, it becomes the natural focal point and gathering spot. For a backyard in another newer development, they installed a large patio with a firepit in the lower part of the yard. Simple and modern, it is in tune with the rectangular swimming pool and linear hardscaping on the rest of the property. Contemporary ornamental grasses and vibrant, low-growing perennial shrubs like ninebark, add visual interest all year long.

3 Seasons can also design and build spaces to suit existing hardscaping. In a yard with a previously installed custom fireplace, for example, they were able to complement the rosy hues of the fireplace brick with a beautiful stone patio. From creating elaborate outdoor kitchens to intimate spaces, 3 Seasons has the expertise to turn ordinary outdoor rooms to extraordinary. 3 Seasons can design and build outdoor projects to suit a newly built home or an established yard. They ensure everything they build is attuned to every client’s vision while considering scale, design and colour.

As a full-service, design-build landscaper, 3 Seasons installs patios, pergolas, retaining walls, fireplaces and firepits, irrigation systems, perennials, trees and shrubs. To maximize the enjoyment of the space, they can integrate low voltage lighting to highlight trees, shrubs or other architectural features, and for safety.

If you’re ready to take your yard to the next level with an oasis where warm memories can be made, let 3 Seasons Landscaping deliver the right solution for you.

Garages used to be the most forgotten 500 square feet of a person’s home. Garage Masters is helping to make this thinking a thing of the past with innovative products that turn forgotten under-utilized space into one of the most dynamic areas on the property.

Winnipeg’s Garage Masters has been building garages in and around the city and province since 1993. According to owner Kevin Harrald, they started seeing people in other major centres approach their garage space differently about eight years ago. To meet what they saw as an emerging trend, Garage Masters brought in polyaspartic floor coatings, unique, storage-friendly cabinetry, PVC slat walls, and specialty accessories to meet the growing demand for design-forward garage spaces in both the renovation and new-build market (Garage Masters builds 150 new projects each year).

“With innovative floor coatings to create a dust and grit free protective finish, and garage organization accessories like racks and cabinets, this area becomes more of an extension of the house itself rather than someplace you forget about,” he says, pointing to current trends such as luxury show-garages, Man Caves and She Sheds.

Visit www.Garagemasters.ca for more information.

Winnipeg’s choice for new garages, garage floor coatings and garage cabinets & storage since 1993.

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