Lawrence Park Family Fun

Updating the design and function of a landscape involves understanding how the property is going to be used and making the most of the existing footprint and mature trees. This Toronto backyard needed to become a space that could provide hours of fun for kids while also giving grownups a fantastic place to entertain. The homeowner trusted Landcare Toronto to redesign and update their existing layout. Three major zones were identified. Nearest to the house is the entertaining zone complete with a seating area and large table with chairs and benches that can expand to accommodate large groups. Mid-ground is the lawn area for soccer, tag and other fun. The heavy traffic on this space made artificial turf the best option. As soon as the snow melts, the kids can run about and not worry about delicate spring lawns. It also means that irrigation isn’t required. The pool area was updated with a more modern stone patio surround. Glass fencing replaced the dated wrought iron and allows for easy viewing of swimmers while maintaining code and safety requirements. An ivy covered fence was installed to provide a soft and interesting visual contrast to the otherwise hard surfaces. This fence has an iron base that allows the ivy to grow thick and evenly. It obscures the view to the neighbour’s property. The fence also has embedded landscape lighting that provides lovely calm evening mood while also ensuring safe walkways for the swimmers. Uplighting is placed at the base of each of the Tulip Trees located in the gardens that flank the grass area and patio. Easy to maintain plants grow at the base of the trees and will fill in over the coming years. In the meantime, weeds are discouraged through the use of mulch.

Changing the front of this beautiful Toronto house was all about stripping back some of the busy plantings (included shrubs and trees that were planted too close to the house and its windows) while delineating and updating the walkways and driveways with new stone and improving and simplifying the front yard gardens. Landcare’s talented stone masons installed a modern curved driveway using Permacon stone. A more sleek modern garden with stone retaining walls defines the property lines from the sidewalk. It’s height prohibits dogs and people to trample on the plants and flowers. Landscape lighting was added for evening and year round interest.