Environmental considerations

when planning your garden

I am constantly looking at the impact that we, as landscapers, have on the environment when creating our gardens.

Having operated a natural food store for a dozen years in Toronto and eating alternatively for over 38 years, I have a keen nose for avoiding chemicals. My own gardens in Toronto, Elphin and Ottawa have been tended using organic farming principles.

Some of the steps I have taken to reduce the impact that a garden project can have are:

•  no use of pesticides or herbicides
• recycling and redirecting soil, asphalt and concrete that is removed from a site and diverting it from the waste stream
• using landscape cloth (geotextile) made from recycled pop bottles
• local materials used when possible
• fences, decks and sheds are made from Ontario and Quebec eastern white cedar
• limited use of pressure treated woods to prevent rot in deck and shed building
• by building better and using quality materials less waste is created