The current trend in landscape architecture is to integrate wilderness areas with parks, communities, and public and private properties. That actually helps address problem terrain like sloping, wet areas, and other situations difficult to maintain. Naturally balanced landscapes require less direct care, and the need for using dangerous chemicals for fertilizing and spraying is greatly reduced.

Wendy Jabusch, Sales Manager for Streetside, explains how the procedure begins for the builder. “The landscaping is actually a part of our development permits, and they are approved by the City of Calgary. The City has a lot of standards that we meet – a lot of that is species of trees, how big the trees are, and the percentage of the landscaping area.”

Landscaping is also capped off with fencing features. “We give direction,” adds Jabusch. “That choice is totally wrapped up in what the project is and its location. If you have something backing onto a green space or a park, you’re going to choose a fence that is very open so people can see through it and appreciate the park. If you’re on a fairly high-traffic street, you’d want to have something that is more solid where people feel protected.”

The landscaping profession often answers environmental issues and concerns. Planning and construction are focussed on creating the least impact to the surrounding environment, which is why you see many communities, estate homes, and park sites steering towards naturalistic looking landscapes, instead of perfectly manicured settings.

Advanced computer technology allows the builder to see what the project will look like before the first shovel hits the ground. Residential designs might include a planned pathway through a bent willow gate leading to a bench near a pond, a flowerbed filled with old-fashioned flowers such as peonies, daisies, and hollyhocks, or a formal landscaped terrace complete with neatly trimmed boxwood hedges, Versailles pots, and a rolling lawn.

Estate landscaping can include tennis or volleyball courts, covered or open patios, outdoor fireplaces, pools and spas, brick pathways, or terraced gardens. Well-landscaped commercial property shows a sense of professionalism and helps raise the morale of its residents. A landscaped show home prior to the end of construction also helps sell the property.

In making the landscape architect’s designs become a reality, contractors are the grunt force that transforms the land into a work of art. With their tractors, chainsaws, pruning saws, and manual labor, the landscape contractor spreads the topsoil, lays the sod or seeds the grass, plants trees, shrubs, and flowers, thus creating beauty and curb appeal.

A construction site is always exceptionally busy with trucks going in and out of a project, affecting the boulevards and medians. In landscaping, timing is critical.

Work details include storm ponds or wet ponds. A wet pond collects rainfall from the storm sewers within a new subdivision. Materials held in suspension in the water are allowed to settle out in the pond, then clean water is released into the river system.

In building rock retaining walls, most rocks are sandstone, dug up from layers of sediment as a new subdivision is developed. At one time, there was a challenge to get rid of them. Now, they are commonly used for landscaping purposes to stabilize banks and create retaining walls. The current challenge is to maintain a sufficient supply of rocks.

There have been many changes in the landscaping industry. Everything today is more mechanized. The first Bobcat is a far cry from today’s version. Now, they’re easier to operate, have more attachments, and are fitted with computerized diagnostics.

Earth moving companies use graders that can be sent data through its computer control machine to cut the sub-grade to a predetermined elevation. The blade of the machine is guided by a laser level, which allows the operator to grade to a close tolerance.

Landscaping is an art that requires input and vision from a lot of people. It’s the finishing touch to creating a warm and inviting community.