Paradise, revisited

Almost 20 years ago, 3 Seasons Landscaping was enlisted to design and create a beautiful yard for the owners of this gracious home and property in Winnipeg’s Old Tuxedo neighbourhood.

Fast forward to 2020 and Gary Weinberg’s 3 Seasons Landscaping team was back, this time working with new homeowners and bringing a fresh design and renewed vigour into the mature yard.

The property’s complete overhaul began with Kenora-based landscape designer Kathryn Strachan, owner and creative director of Stay Wild.

Strachan worked with the clients to develop a design plan that would meet their goals: showy curb appeal, vibrant colour, sprawling gardens and a private backyard oasis.

Then, it was up to full-service, designbuild, 3 Seasons Landscaping to bring Strachan’s creative plan to life.

The bones of the property - the home and large shade trees - were the only elements that remained untouched. The 3 Seasons team updated all the hardscaping, including walkways, courtyards and patio spaces in the front and back. The orientation of the front sidewalk was reconfigured, and then installed with kiln-fired clay pavers edged with travertine that ties nicely to the home’s façade.

The long, linear courtyard behind the home was revived, thanks to the addition of new hardscaping. An existing contemporary brick fountain and pond was fully rebuilt and refurbished. Lush, sprawling gardens full of shrubs, perennials and annuals provide privacy and a natural backdrop that balances the clean modern lines of the brickwork.

“The clients wanted intense colour incorporated into their yard, and they absolutely got it,” says 3 Seasons landscape designer Paul Szakacs. “There are thousands of annuals; and the colour palette can change each spring, to their liking.”

The enviable task of choosing the garden bed plants is assigned to both Strachan and Kari Zahariuk, who is considered 3 Seasons’ annual guru,” Szakacs adds.

In the front yard, shade and sun tolerant annuals like wax begonias, coleus and Roman red sage (salvia) create a stunning border for the pathways and beds.

Other annual plants - that also include petunias and Osteospernumprovide a vibrant base of colour, while perennials and shrubs like spirea, irises, coneflowers, monkshood, hostas and ferns lend texture and a layering effect for more visual interest and the desired curb appeal. Hardy tree varieties like the cold-tolerant “Starlite” crabapple were selected to stand the test of time, perhaps even as long as the revived hardscaping.

Rounding out this spectacular yard is a lighting system that illuminates the walkways and boulevard trees so the scenery can be enjoyed into the evening hours. An irrigation system has been installed throughout the garden beds to ensure the abundance of plants thrive in the hottest of days.

The end result is a fully reimagined, one-of-a-kind property. “It’s a privilege for us to help rejuvenate projects from the past,” says Weinberg. “This yard really suits the new homeowners.”

After more than 40 years in the landscaping business and the trusted relationships Weinberg has built with his clients, it’s no wonder he and his talented team are invited back.

The 3 Seasons team will be returning in years to come, with new annual flowers planted each spring. In between, the homeowners (and their neighbours) will continue to enjoy this revisited paradise well into the future.