May 2023

Previous Issues
Feature

Are landscape designers who draw by hand a dying breed?

By Scott Barber
Landscape designers and architects have used Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software since the 1970s, and the technology has come a long way over the last 50 years. With software improving every year, empowering professionals to create sophisticated designs with precision and efficiency, is there still a place for the drafting table in a modern design studio?

The magic and mystery of dry stone

By KARINA SINCLAIR
On a quest for armour stone and river rock, the intrepid landscaper needs only to journey to Dibbits Landscape Supply in Trenton, Ont. There, a vast array presents itself, but first, the adventurer must make it past the ancient mystical monument known only to those with secret knowledge: the hobbit house.

Sheep grazing for tree nurseries

By Gille Lapointe
In 2022, I was part of a team that introduced a flock of sheep to some tree fields at NVK Nurseries. The sheep graze on the cover crops we installed previously to reduce bare soil between the rows of trees. For sustainability to be realized, the use of farm animals is this last element that completes the cycle of life.

Photographer Spotlight - Brett Hitchins

By SCOTT BARBER
Brett Hitchins is a Vancouver-based commercial photographer and the owner of Brett Ryan Studios. His work focuses on portfolio imagery for distinguished architects, landscape designers, and engineering firms, helping to communicate the value of their work through multi-disciplinary visuals.

Plants are the lungs of our cities

By Scott Barber
Alan White is a champion for the power of plants to clean the air we breathe, cool our cities, and capture carbon. White often says that plants are the lungs of our cities, and landscape horticulture professionals are critical to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Soil management and safeguarding tree health

By Kyle McLoughlin
A healthy, mature tree survives and flourishes best when its soil remains undisturbed. Mature trees are a vital component to quality landscapes, so it makes sense to take measures to avoid and mitigate the potentially harmful impacts on trees through construction, plant bed installation, and hard landscaping.