Reeves' Landscape Design Studio offers complete design services using the latest technologies. Bob Reeves, our Lanscape Division manager, uses industry leading landscape design and business software from DynaScape Software of Burlington Ontario. Since their inception, Bob has been involved with DynaScape products, and is a pioneer in the creation of Landscape Design Software.

Our professional and experienced landscape design staff is ready to help you realize the perfect solution for your outdoor environment. Complete in every detail, Reeves' landscape designs are ready to be installed. With your new Reeves landscape plan in hand, you can construct the design yourself, or we would be pleased to build it for you. Our acclaimed installation teams are ready to make it happen!

Landscape Design Options

Reeves recommends the Full Service Landscape Design Program to design your entire property, and divide the installation by phase, rather then break up the design itself.

Reeves Landscaping offers 2 different programs designed to match your landscape needs:

Full Service Landscape Design:

• Designer Site Visit
• Detailed, large format plan-view drawing
• Plant and Hardscape (patios, walkways etc.) Lists
• A Written Estimate for all or part of the proposed installation

Small Garden Design:

• Design Area of 500 square feet or less
• Detailed, large format plan-view drawing
• Plant List
• Self-Install

CALL FOR FURTHER DETAILS, OR TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT (905) 851-2275  EXT 234

If you're considering landscaping your home, "Plan your work, and work your plan".

Its winter now, but before you know it, spring will be in the air here at the Garden Centre. I'm Bob Reeves and my family has owned and operated Reeves Florist & Nursery since 1923. After over 80 years in the business Reeves has developed a reputation for knowing a thing or two about plants and landscaping; thousands of people come to us every year for advice and we do our best to answer every question. The single most important thing that I can tell you about landscaping is that it's just a little more complicated than you might think. Imagine trying to design a living room with furniture that will triple in size over the next 5 years - imagine using a wall paper that will only stay the same colour if you water it every 3 days! Understanding the outcome when designing with living plants is - well, a talent that can only be aquired over time; and after 30 years at this game, I don't pretend to have all the answers. Experience is everything in my trade, and you never stop learning.

Designing a landscape is about learning to work with living things and every plant has its own needs -you have to be prepared to adapt your ideas to what can be achieved in the space and conditions you have. You may wish to have an beautiful rose garden, but if you have a heavily shaded yard, you'll need to re-think your plan to include more shade tolerant flowering plants such as Hydrangeas, Mockorange or Clematis. You may need privacy in your back yard, but the space is small and you don't want to loose a lot of your yard to a screen planting that will ultimately crowd you out. Getting the right answers, finding the right solutions is so important. Proper landscape design - there is no substitute for it - period.

When thinking about how to approach the right answers for your home, keep in mind that a properly landscaped home will always appreciate in value after the work is done. This is especially true with front yard landscaping; the first impression of your home establishes its value instantly (for better or for worse).

Here are 5 common questions we are asked every year:

Question #1:   "I'm thinking of landscaping my place - it's not that big or complicated. I don't think I need a 'real plan' or anything. Can you give me some ideas?

Answer:   Every site has issues that make it complicated or unique in some way or other. Your needs and requirements won't be the same as your neighbour. Properly landscaped homes are easy to spot from the street - they have that "looks great, looks inviting" feel about them. That look isn't an accident. Quality landscaping (the kind that adds sustained value to your home) is always completely designed before a shovel goes in the ground. Even when the size of the area is small (or maybe especially when the area is small!) you need to have a proper design done. The best "idea" I can give you is to have a professional plan done before you proceed with any landscaping. Landscaping is not inexpensive; errors can be costly and frustrating. Relax and let a professional eliminate mistakes before they happen.

Question #2:   I was only thinking of doing a small amount of work this year. Can I get you to just design my walkway first?

Answer:   It's best to plan your entire landscape right from the start. Your landscape designer should be able to create a unified design that skillfully incorporates walkways, walls (Hardscaping), plant materials (Softscaping), landscape lighting, and all of the other elements that go into comfortable outdoor spaces. Once you have a complete design it's a simple matter to partition out a logical first phase to begin the construction. In this way you can stage the project to match your budget - and every additional phase you complete over time will build to an impressive crescendo.

Question #3:   How much does all this cost?

Answer:   Professional landscape services are not cheap, but it's the single most important item you will buy. In the end, the cost of the design will be a small fraction of the cost of the project. Be wary of inexpensive design work; if the design fee is only a few dollars that's probably exactly what its worth. Ink and paper isn't expensive; in the end, design fees are for buying professional time and experience - you get what you pay for. Most design fees slide up or down depending on the size of the overall project. On average, a professionally designed and built complete landscape will cost about 10% of the value of your home. A well-designed and maintained landscape will appreciate in value over time - quality landscaping is an excellent investment in your home!

Question #4:   We don't have a lot of time for gardening. Is there a lot of work involved in taking care of landscape plants?

Answer:   Not at all. One of the important questions a landscape designer will ask you is "How much time would you like to (or be able to) spend in your garden?" There are thousands of wonderful options where plant materials are concerned. Many of the best plant choices have become important to designers because they require minimal care to keep them healthy and beautiful. A properly designed and installed irrigation system, along with a beautiful natural mulch cover, reduces both the demand on water and the requirement for your time too! A well designed garden won't be a burden to take care of. When your design is right, you spend less time working in your yard and more time enjoying it.

Question #5:   When is the best time of year to do landscaping?

Answer:   Nurseries have evolved a lot in recent times. Most of the plants that you will want to use in your landscape are now grown (or transplanted into) containers. As a result, there is very little chance that the roots of the plant will be injured when it moves from the garden centre to your home. This means that you can plant nursery stock, annuals and perennials any time from April through November. At Reeves for instance, we have extended the practice of container growing and root protection to include every plant we sell - even the big stuff! We use a patented device called a Tree CaddyT to protect and maintain the root systems of all our large wire-basket shade trees, large conifers and flowering trees. Healthy roots equal healthy plants. We also grow almost all of our renowned specimen landscape plants and trees in huge Tree Boxes manufactured from recycled plastic. These Tree Boxes are used over and over - great for the tree and the environment! No trees are buried in sawdust at Reeves - this means healthier trees and better landscape results.