Landscape Design and Backyard Planning
Practical guidance on planning outdoor spaces, laying out garden beds, selecting plants suited to Canadian conditions, and building functional backyards.
Articles
Recent Guides
Detailed articles covering the practical side of residential landscape work in Canada.
How to Plan a Backyard Garden Layout
Measuring, zoning, and mapping a functional outdoor space before a single shovel hits the ground — a step-by-step walkthrough for Canadian backyards.
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Raised Beds and Soil Preparation in Canada
Building raised beds that work with Canadian soil conditions — materials, dimensions, soil mix ratios, and seasonal considerations from coast to coast.
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Choosing Plants for Canadian Climate Zones
An overview of Canada's hardiness zones and guidance on selecting perennials, shrubs, and trees that perform reliably across different Canadian regions.
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Paths, Edging, and the Infrastructure Layer
A functional garden layout begins with its movement network. Paths determine how a space is experienced day to day: where tools are carried, where a child runs, where weeds establish if left unaddressed.
- Minimum 60 cm path width for comfortable single-person passage
- 90 cm allows two people side by side
- Gravel, flagstone, and compacted decomposed granite suit most Canadian climates
- Edging — steel, aluminium, or stone — separates lawn from bed and reduces maintenance
Designing for Canadian Conditions
Canadian hardiness zones range from 0a in the subarctic interior to 8b on the southern BC coast. Each zone represents a distinct set of constraints on plant survival, seasonal timing, and soil behaviour.
A plant that thrives in a sheltered Vancouver garden may fail entirely in a zone 4 location on the Prairies — not because it was planted incorrectly, but because the minimum winter temperatures exceed what its root system can survive.
Read the Plant Selection GuideQuick Reference
Common Starting Points
Measure Before Planning
A measured site survey establishes the boundary conditions everything else is built around. Property dimensions, sun angles, and drainage patterns all belong on the first sketch.
Soil Type Determines Approach
Clay-heavy soils common in southern Ontario require different preparation strategies than the sandy, fast-draining soils found in parts of BC's interior or the Prairie provinces.
Zone Ratings Are a Starting Point
Microclimates within a single property can shift effective hardiness by half a zone. A south-facing brick wall, a low frost pocket, or a sheltered courtyard each behave differently than the posted zone suggests.