ecoman

St. James 4

2011-12-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Day 2: Tree trimming, edging sod, shaking hands and taking pictures

St. James Park 3

2011-12-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

Truck in and spread 350 yards soil. And that was day one! Day two: lay 10,000 rolls of sod (over 100 skids on 6 tractor trailers)

St. James Park 2

2011-12-08T23:49:00.000-05:00

30 Yards mulch blown in on top of collected organic matter around trees

St. James Park

2011-12-08T23:47:00.000-05:00

1st. Day: Aerate soil, collect organic matter and dispose of garbage.

Fall Colour at Mountain Equipment Coop Greenroof

2011-10-08T09:28:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite parts of the job is the surprise of seeing something new. The large and colourful mushrooms, new Hawkweed, Alliums flowering in October, amazing fall colour on the sedums and the spread of Asters to the west side made my day.

Pollinator Gardens

2011-09-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

pollinator gardens: Award to Pollinator Gardens: and the award goes to...

Now magazine list of cuts being considered: all horticultural activities

2011-09-14T20:05:00.000-04:00

Item 10 for the 2012/13 budget: All horticultural activities
Now Magazine reports list of cuts being considered

Fall is a great time for landscaping and gardening

2011-09-14T19:39:00.002-04:00

Not everyone appreciates fall as a great time to complete landscape projects. One great thing about doing a landscape project in the fall is being able to enjoy it for a full season next spring. No waiting for a busy contractor to get it done before the in-laws come for the may long weekend! Also fall is great time for planting too, plants that will be going dormant soon still have time to establish root systems and will come up in spring to fill out in their new home. Below is a patio/walkway we just installed with a clay brick paver in a herringbone pattern.

Alcorn Job

2011-09-08T15:27:00.001-04:00

Here is a great example of really tricky difficult work. Two yards of soil removed with buckets, all that stone hand bombed down into the back and a narrow alleyway with irate neighbours not wanting our truck blocking the lane. Came out pretty nice though.

Oriole Parkway Job

2011-09-08T15:23:00.000-04:00

We found some old shut off valves on site and decided to fill them with coloured recycled glass and outdoor epoxy to complement the metal work.

Sorauren Job

2011-09-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

This job was replacing an old beat up driveway. We used sand for the base and joints since it has a lower pH than limestone, percolates water and therefore will be beneficial to the large Acer sacharinum (Silver Maple).

Euclid

2011-09-08T15:06:00.001-04:00

This is a wet lay walkway using china silver grey square cut flagstone and a coursing stone garden edge. In order to make the curve for the client we installed the square cut flagstone first set the line and then cut the curve in one shot.

Cherry Snow

2011-05-17T22:03:00.000-04:00

Backyard and driveway chez Ecoman. It literally snowed petals from my two neighbours cherry trees the last couple days.

Sourcing plants

2011-05-03T12:35:00.001-04:00

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The Aquilegia chrysantha (Colorodo columbine) pictured above was planted at David Archer Coop last year. After trying all my regular suppliers (and failing), I purchased every single last one that Humber Nurseries had grown. I believe it was 51! Unlike 2x4's sourcing plants can be time consuming as you need to know the quality, size, quantity availability and price.

Exterior Property Inspection: Episode 3

2011-04-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

Another garden inspection for your viewing pleasure.

Design

2011-04-23T07:54:00.001-04:00

People often ask if we do design, over the years we have done a lot of installations for other designers balanced with design for our own clients. I always answer, yes we do design, from plants lists, complete landscape plans and job specifications. Here are some pictures showing the process.

Green Roof Inspection

2011-04-12T11:35:00.000-04:00

Introducing the exterior property and garden inspection

2011-04-06T12:51:00.000-04:00

Interested in having an inspection for your garden? Book you appointment today!

The Cloisters

2011-04-05T06:33:00.000-04:00

I reluctantly agreed to accompany my wife to new york last weekend. I was nervous to leave Toronto so close to opening day, so you can imagine my delight when 8" of snow fell the day before we left. In any case we had a great time and I came back with a new blog post. Pictured above is the scene on March 23rd 2011.

The park leading to the cloisters in new york begins with a wonderful sea of purple heather interspersed with lime juniper.

Then large granite rocks have been planted with sedum and juniper. The contrast between the white bloom of the juniper berries and the red orange of the sedum was particularly striking.

The stonework leading to the cloisters was equally impressive. pictured here is the natural stone arch built at least 40 feet above street level.

Large drifts of hellabores were planted all over the park leading up to the cloisters, we might have missed this entirely had we come any later in April. In addition the crocus interspersed with Stachys was a great contrast. All in all a great trip and there was still snow on the ground when we got back.

Lynwood Residence

2011-03-29T06:27:00.001-04:00

Here is a great example of how plants can evoke a feeling in a garden. This space is owned by one of our gardening clients. These shots are of the back garden complete with koy pond and waterfall. We have been gardening here for several years and are slowly adding/editing the plant composition to enhance the space. There are existing beeches, Japanese maples and sumac. We planted a carpet of lime creeping jenny interspersed with Heuchera in the grass area. We have also been training the massive wisteria (not pictured here). Sometimes the bones of a garden are in great shape and our job is to help with plant selection and care.

Who is Ecoman: Introducing Rachel Weston

2011-03-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

Pictured here is Rachel filling containers for the Parts and Labour rooftop garden project, installing a xeroflor greenroof in the beach and planting the woodland garden at Canada Blooms. Rachel started working with Ecoman in fall 2009. She has recently completed the class portion of the Horticulture Technology diploma at Humber College and is working towards completing the apprenticeship component. Rachel has been working diligently since February to improve our systems, prepare the employee manual and initiate safety policies. In her spare time Rachel acts as the Garden Club Coordinator at Dufferin Grove Park and more recently volunteered on both the pollinator garden and the City Parks and Recreation woodland garden on display at Canada Blooms (see earlier posts for more info). Currently Rachel is taking landscape design courses at Ryerson University. I am very happy to have Rachel on board for another season.

Canada Blooms

2011-03-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

While strolling the City of Toronto display I came across this great woodland garden installed by Landscape Design students from the Chang School at Ryerson University. According to Rachel Weston, student and Ecoman employee, this garden was installed by the "Art and Management of Planting Design" students taught by Michelle Reid. Although the pictures do it no justice, this was a great woodland garden. PS While I was admiring this garden I spotted Councillor Mary Fragedakis and her mother strolling through and chatting with City and Park staff.

Canada Blooms

2011-03-20T09:15:00.002-04:00

One of the more interesting displays was the pollinator garden conceived by Clement Kent. Although these pictures do it no justice they illustrate a point. Today is March 20th and only the earliest spring ephemerals are flowering in the garden. Most designers at Canada Blooms make use of plants supplied by nurseries that have been forced (tricked into flowering early). According to Clement, the list of available plants only included one native. Therefore Clement took it upon himself to force his own plants for the pollinator garden display. I was particularly impressed at the variety of plants on display as some have very short flowering times (Mertensia for example is a case in point).

Canada Blooms

2011-03-20T09:13:00.002-04:00

Alex Zalewski is grandson of the founder of Parklane, a landscaping company that has been around since 1958. According to Alex, Parklane helped to organize Canada Blooms and has been an exhibitor ever since. This years exhibit was really special, they won an award for best use of water, I thought this sculpture/water feature really stood out. I believe this work to be by local artist Floyd Elzinga.
In addition they built this wonderful sand dune complete with vertical timbers and percussionist. The theme for this year at Canada Blooms was rhythm and they really captured the vibe, this scene could easily be from wreck beach in Vancouver.

Canada Blooms

2011-03-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is Reid Snow owner of VRS Masonry, they built this magnificent dry stack stone structure in 3 days with only hammer and chisel! This was one of the highlights for me at Canada Blooms. People with the skill and craftsmanship required to build something like this are few and far between. Master tip from Reid Snow "I use a 2" carbide tip tracer for almost everything"

Mystery Plant ID

2011-03-15T15:03:00.001-04:00

Last summer a new client had requested a garden cleanup and during the course of our conversation it came up that the tree pictured here had been a mystery to the homeowner for years. The client had gone so far as taking cuttings to the local nursery and they too were unable to identify it. After doing some research it was positively identified as Celtis occidentalis or common hackberry. According to Dirr (1975), this tree is native to North America and grows from Manitoba to Quebec and south to North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. One might wonder why a native tree with such a large range would stump local gardeners and nurseries. Although this is not always the case, many native trees are not widely cultivated, this would explain why nursery staff were unfamiliar with it. What got me was the timing of my visit in early spring gave only three clues as to the mystery tree's identity: the unusual corky bark, the fact that the flowers emerge before the leaf and the alternate arrangement of the buds (see below for what I had to go on initially). In addition its large size makes it somewhat unsuitable for the small urban downtown Toronto gardens we usually spend time in, so in 10 years of gardening I had not come across it. I have to admit a certain degree of satisfaction identifying the tree and successfully ending the mystery for a new client. Score one for Ecoman!
Dirr, Michael A. 1975 Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing. Champaign, Illinois. Fifth Edition.

Local wow mystery pruning

2011-03-08T17:17:00.000-05:00

Walking back from a brunch with friends, I happened upon this garden with these incredible geometric shapes. It would take many years of painstaking work, an architectural eye combined with masterful skill with a pruner to achieve this look. Whether you like this aesthetic or not you have to credit this mystery gardener for their skill and technique. The time did not seem right to knock randomly at their door in order to shed some light on the story behind this garden. Wouldn't it be interesting to meet the person responsible for this work?
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Reuse + Growing together = cool community project

2011-03-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Over the years we have donated our plastic pots of all sizes to Lara Lucretia for non-profit balcony planting projects. Lara has recently completed her hand illustrated Guide To Growing Food On Your Balcony. Her first printed run has sold out and she is currently looking for funding for her second run using Kickstarter (small pledges from the public are used to fund independent projects of all kinds). Although we missed seedy sunday, Lara promised she would grab some great seeds for the Ecoman postage stamp sized garden. Here is a link to Cubit's Organic Living: Seedy Sunday Toronto Recap. For those of you also missed out and are looking for the perfect heirloom tomato, special variety of basil or just want to schmooze with like minded gardener types there are two more seedy events March 12th and 27th.

Parts & Labour

2011-02-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have heard of the new restaurant/bar/music venue called Parts & Labour. What you may not know is that the owner of the building is a landscape architect (hint see testimonials). We had many discussions this spring regarding plans for a rooftop garden using a container system pictured here. This rooftop garden provided veggies for the restaurant all summer, featuring heirloom veggies capably grown by Katie Mathieu. According to Katie "The radishes were nice and chubby in the spring". Our involvement was to facilitate the installation of access, supplying labour for installation of soil, container placement and winterizing at the end of the season. Apparently the engineers had a change of heart regarding large amounts of soil sitting on the middle of the roof over winter.

Community

2011-02-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

This past spring Ecoman supplied the herbs and veggies for the Samba Kids rooftop garden at Drum Artz. We planted basil, rosemary, cherry tomatoes and much more. You can also see the Xeroflor green roof that we help maintain.

Badscape Stairs

2011-02-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

We often get called into a project after a large component of the work has been completed. In this case a pressure treated wood walkout with steps has been installed. Our job was to supply and install the pathway to the garage. Typically steps are installed with a consistent height to facilitate safe and efficient pathways to and from the home. Having large differences in heights of stairs can be awkward and annoying at best and can cause serious injury at worst. At times your landscape contractor can cheat the height of the path without throwing off the rest of the grading of your property. In this case we have already cheated at least an inch and the steps are still off by at least three inches!

Wholesale Nursery

2011-02-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

One of my favourite parts of working in this business is going to the wholesale nurseries. Pictured here are shots of the perennial greenhouse at Connon NVK. Working with Mark (head of perennials) and the rest of the team at Connon is great because they value our business and are setup to work with landscape contractors. Typically a list is sent ahead so the nursery can start picking your order, however, in spring we often are purchasing small quantities for multiple clients. Therefore it is not unusual to show up with a partial list and hand pick some special items for a last minute project.

Kingslea continued

2011-02-01T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a great shot of how the crumbling steps were replaced and tied into the retaining wall.

kingslea coninued

2011-02-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

This shot shows how we tied our patio into the curvy edge of the pool.

Kingslea

2011-01-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple before and afters from kingslea. We used real clay brick for the patio and kingston hue for the wall.

Munro Residence

2011-01-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

This project was completed just before the first big freeze in early December. We built a large temporary structure to keep snow off and increase nighttime temperatures. This is a cinder block wall on a concrete footing. We clad the exterior with tiger stripe coursing sawn top and bottom. We hand chiseled the stone and installed with no mortar joints to make it look like a dry stack wall (matching dry stack walls around the property installed last year).

Munro Continued

2011-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice shot of the back garden.

Ellis Park

2011-01-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

This was a tricky job involving multiple poured concrete retaining walls clad in tiger stripe natural stone. We even had to have a pump truck deliver the concrete as the walls are two flights of stairs above street level. In addition the planting and stepping stones are actually sitting on the garage roof! The middle shot shows how we finished the corners on the retaining wall. I actually shaped those corner pieces myself. Enjoy.

Warwick

2010-12-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

Difficult space = our specialty

Cottingham

2010-12-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

The cottingham project involved a geometric zig zag shaped walkway design by Victoria Taylor. We used Halton 'Autumn Brown' for the walkway and Northern Natural Split drywall for the retaining wall and step. The variation in colour is particularly striking when the flatwork is wet. You can also see the level of detail where we cut custom stones to fit around the existing drain (bottom right). We also planted large swathes of grasses and daylillies in the garden beds (of course we need to wait until next summer to show you).

Efficiency = Productivity

2010-12-30T16:24:00.000-05:00

Strategic placement of materials ensures that we will have the materials we need where we need them. This reduces hours of moving heavy stones around the jobsite, saves time, money and reduces worker fatigue

Cottingham excavation

2010-12-30T16:19:00.000-05:00

The excavation at cottingham illustrates the importance of having a design. We excavated precisely for the patio to ensure that we were not wasting time, energy and money on moving soil that did not need to be removed.

Yews of the world unite!

2010-12-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

While working on the Cottingham installation we got involved with a very large mature yew (Taxus x media). The client agreed that we could prune it for shape, but ultimately decided to remove it entirely. Pictured here is the final plea for mercy, or is it defiance? Yew decide.

Stewart Residence

2010-12-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you get a client who really lets you be creative. This project involved mixing different types of stone in leaf and berry shapes. The outline of the leaf and stem is actually coursing (twice the thickness of flagstone and installed first). The green leaf pieces were then custom fitted so that the cuts look like veins. Each piece was hand chiseled to give a more natural look. The Ecoman crew really stretched to bring this project in on time and budget. Special mention goes out to Mike who's attention to detail and commitment to quality were a critical component of the finished product.
P.S. I hope to get good pictures of this with plantings and other touches in spring

Greenroof Installation

2010-12-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

This pictures shows the different components of a typical green roof. The product we are using for this install is xeroflor. This type of system can be installed on virtually any type of roofing membrane. On the bottom left you can see the root membrane being installed. This is followed by drain mat designed to allow moisture that percolates through the sedum mats to run off towards the scupper. On the top right you can see the moisture retention fleece. This acts as a water reservoir that will supply moisture to the plants during periods without rainfall. Finally the sedum mats are installed (see bottom left). Clients often ask me about the possibility of a green roof on their residential property. Here are some tips and guidelines for a typical residential project.
1) initial phone call and consultation
2) engineer report (requires hole in ceiling to examine roof joists)
3) working backward from engineer report decisions can now be made regarding system, accessible vs. inaccessible, depth of soil and type of plants.
4) architect may be required to submit drawing to city for permit
5) quote, contract and scope of work agreement
6) safety plan for installation (notice both Rachel and Rohan are tied off)
7) installation!
8) monitoring and maintenance
It has been my experience that a typical residential green roof project takes about 1 year to go from step 1 through 7! so patience is a virtue.

Brigid is better

2010-12-01T16:40:00.000-05:00

A very dear client had asked us to do some garden work in the back garden. Upon our arrival we learned that Brigid had a stroke. We completed our work as best we could under the circumstances. I remember feeling sad that she would miss the beautiful fall colour of her Cercis canadensis tree. On a whim I selected a few nice ones and made a platter. Cheers Brigid to your health!
PS As usual inspiration provided by David Leeman

Badscapes

2010-10-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

We often come across gardens where the previous work is incomplete, shoddy or carelessly finished. Here we have a garden with some yews that have been planted too high and backfilled with construction fill. The soil is compacted heavy clay. This is typical of new construction sites where heavy machinery has been used to construct the house. You can see the Yew (Taxus spp) needles starting to yellow already.

Spring Urns

2010-10-20T19:17:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a client just needs to freshen up the space. This particular client successfully sold the house this spring. It is not often that the gardener moves with the client to the new house but in this case we are really happy to have a customer for life.

The beauty of a dry stack wall

2010-10-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

People always ask me about the difference between dry stack walls and mortared walls. The example pictured here is a dry stack wall meaning it is built without mortar or concrete footings. This wall has been built using natural stone. One nice thing about dry stack stone walls is the fact that they can be rebuilt from time to time. This particular wall has been rebuilt four times in thirty years! We rebuilt this wall the summer before last and it has held up quite well. PS If you look closely you can see that we rebuilt this wall with hand tools, look for chisel marks on the top right (no loud gas powered saw on this project).

Fall colour at the Lewis Residence

2010-10-20T18:53:00.000-04:00

Busy season = no posts! Now I can start posting some of the great shots from this season. Stay tuned.
This garden was installed back in 2006. It is great to see the boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) completely hiding the fence.

Late March with Barry

2010-03-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This is not an ecoman garden, in fact the closest we have come to working in this garden is to deliver composted duck manure on the driveway!
Hamamellis x intermedia 'Jelena'
Cyclamen coum
Hellabores galore and much more

Barry Parker = Inspiration

2010-03-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

So great I had to post twice!
My first time in Barry's garden I was speachless, and have come back many times to see the latest developments and find inspiration.

Mixie Mixie

2010-03-23T22:51:00.000-04:00

Reclaimed brick and ledgerock.

Thank You Sam...

2010-03-23T01:22:00.000-04:00

March

2010-03-23T00:54:00.001-04:00

Surface Tension

2010-03-22T01:24:00.000-04:00

Forest Hill Modern

2010-03-03T12:58:00.000-05:00

Mountain Equipment Coop

2010-03-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

Kingslea Back Garden

2010-03-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

Marion Before

2010-03-02T16:33:00.000-05:00

Marion After

2010-03-02T16:32:00.001-05:00

Triller

2010-03-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

Shannon

2010-03-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

Munro Before

2010-03-02T16:27:00.000-05:00

Munro Back

2010-03-02T16:26:00.000-05:00

Munro After Cont'd

2010-03-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

Munro After

2010-03-02T16:24:00.001-05:00

Sculpture Garden

2010-03-02T16:20:00.000-05:00

Warwick

2010-03-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Warwick "no flowers"

2010-03-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

Albany

2010-03-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

2010 Newsletter

2010-02-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

Yet another spring is around the corner and the phone is ringing already due to the warm weather. We have begun scheduling spring cleanups so give us a call or email at your earliest convenience. This year is filled with changes and we would like to take a moment and share them with you. We have new developments in our services, personnel changes, new updates for the blog, and of course HST to discuss.

Although we have some changes in personnel, Rohan is back for another season to head up the gardening crew. We have recently added Rachel who is in her second year horticulture diploma at Humber College. On the landscaping side we are sad that Brandon has moved on (he is travelling the world and as we speak is somewhere between Thialand and Australia). We are happy to have Mike back for another season, and of course we still have Tinka for containers, plant selection and design. Along with changes in personnel we are proud to announce the introduction of a new technology.

This year we are implementing electronic timekeeping to help improve accurate billing and keep better records of what services we provide. The new technology is also the foundation of a new service we are introducing this year. Ecoman's Exterior Property and Garden Inspection is a comprehensive detailed assessment that covers gardens, plants walkways and patios. Our paperless report provides you with a status report of the garden including detailed recommendations regarding key priority areas. We are offering this service for a flat rate fee of just 199.99. Clients that hire us to carry out work based on our recommendations will receive a refund up to the full amount. In order to properly test out the new service we are offering our existing clients a no obligation inspection absolutely free to the first five callers.

In addition to the new software upgrades we have recently updated the blog to include pictures of landscaping projects from last year. Please click the http://ecoman-ecoman.blogspot.com link to see what the landscaping crew has been up to. In addition to all the technological changes and personnel changes we need to update you on new legislation that will impact you.

The introduction of the HST in the middle of the season means that starting July1st we will be required to charge 13% tax for all gardening and landscaping services. If you would like to prepay for the entire season before July 1st you can avoid HST for this season. If this is not an option for you, take small comfort in knowing that you already paid GST and PST on materials for our jobs, the HST only impacts the labour portion of your bill. Furthermore you will be receiving reductions in your income taxes to offset the additional charges.

So there you have it new season, new personnel, new technology, new services and new taxes. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you on your gardens in 2010!

Ecoman interviewed on the current

2009-09-10T19:11:00.000-04:00

CBC interview on the current

2009 Newsletter

2009-02-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

The spring 2009 Ecoman update is here! So much has happened since the last newsletter that we have decided to provide regular updates that can be accessed online by going to: http://www.ecoman-ecoman.blogspot.com/. Here you will find information about who we are, pictures of work we have done and information about new projects, such as green roofs.

Our capable and friendly crew is back for another season. Rohan will heading up the gardening crew, Tinka will be helping with annual containers and planting, Jeff and Brandon are back doing design and build for residential landscape installations and Brian will still be making appearances as he slowly slips into retirement.

We have decided to phase in the hourly wage increases to all customers, due to the rising cost of doing business, the new rate is $35/hr. We have made payment options very convenient by adding Visa. You can still mail your check the old fashioned way or if you are internet savvy, we continue to accept email money transfers.

We have had several clients approach us regarding ways to reduce costs for the season. Maintenance and monitoring of your garden is critical for identifying problems before they become expensive (just think of all the trees seedlings we pull out your gardens annually). Investing in the health of your property can increase the value of your home. That being said, you may wish to look at the overall amount you spend in a year and discuss an upper limit to your budget for the year. If you would like to know how much you spent in previous years, create a reasonable budget and and/or save on maintenance costs, give us a call.

This year we are looking to expand our business in the downtown area. If you have friends or family that you would like to refer our services to, please feel free to ask us for our new fridge magnets, business cards and/or postcards to spread the word.

We will continue to offer bicycle gardening services for those in the areas between Dufferin and St.George, Davenport and Dundas. In addition we have added a small cargo van that runs on biodiesel to help with delivering high quality annuals and perennials to your garden. This year we hope to improve our customer service with better communication, payment options, and vehicles. Book your spring cleanup soon! Opening day is April 1^st.

Green Roofs

2009-02-09T09:09:00.000-05:00

Ecoman has been installing green roofs since 2003, most notably the Science Centre, Honda plant and Markham Community Centre. We have also installed several residential green roofs on homes in downtown toronto. For more information on green roofs follow the link. If you are interested in having a green roof installed contact Jonas for more information. If you are interested in a residential green roof, you will likely want to start with an engineers report detailing the load capacity of existing roof. The key thing to remember is that load allowance determines depth of soil, which informs plant choices and/or green roof product that is appropriate.

After the above considerations have been made, quote, contract and installation follow. Maintenance of green roofs can be minimal, however, monitoring is critical to ensure that undesirable plant species do not colonize the roof. We have been closely monitoring the green roof at Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) since 2005. Basic knowledge plant identification and characteristics are of great benefit in helping to ascertain the possible impact of plant species that colonize the green roof. I would estimate that of the original species list installed at MEC only a handful remain (however the survivors account for a large portion of the vegetated roof in terms of percent cover). Several other species have successfully colonized the green roof and over time are becoming dominant competitors for resources. This has been observed from the rapid increase in individual plants and total percent coverage. Legumes in particular have done well:
Desmodium canadensis
Vicia cracca
and more recently Medicago lupulina.

Calorie Powered Gardening

2008-04-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

This year we are introducing the new calorie powered gardening service (CPG). If you live within the box outlined by Dufferin, Davenport, St. George and Dundas, you may qualify for CPG service. This crew is being mobilized to provide light duty gardening services such as pruning shrubs and vines, spring cleanups, transplanting, planting and weeding. Call for (416) 556-5516 to book an appointment.

Landscaping

2008-02-25T17:54:00.000-05:00

Here is a before and after picture of the Grogan residence installed in 2005. The project followed a very typical process of consultation, design, quoting, installation and maintenance.

Initial consultation (deposit required)
Concept Drawings
Meet with client
Final Drawings
Quote
Contract package (includes drawings, specifications, plant lists, payment schedule and detailed quote)
Installation
Maintenance

Fundamentals

2008-02-25T16:06:00.000-05:00

Ecoman provides landscaping and gardening services using ecologically sensitive, socially acceptable and economically sustainable materials and methods. To do this we have developed a practical approach that balances these factors and are listed below:

Environment

Reduce reliance on fossil fuels
Increase awareness of and encourage use of natural processes to provide desired results
Reduce waste
Recycle extra stone, soil, asphalt and compost plant residues
Choose plants that are appropriate for the site
Where possible source quality materials that are produced locally and are environmentally friendly
Purchase organic cotton, bamboo, hemp and/or other alternative apparel
Reduce use of paper by using email for communication, invoicing etc.
Use recycled paper for communication
Purchase biodiesel
Use autoshare for meetings with clients instead of purchasing a new car

Social

Gardening is done with rakes and brooms to reduce noise pollution
Workers are paid a living wage
Ecoman respects human rights and does not descriminate on the basis of race, colour sexual orientation or gender
Workers are trained regarding potential hazards
Ecoman pays worker safety and insurance board (WSIB) fees
Clients are treated with respect

Economic

Ecoman charges a fair rate based on the cost of doing business
Identify efficiencies
Eliminate waste through careful estimating of materials required
Identify appropriate technology for required tasks
Increase concentration of clients within ideal work area(s)
Provide clients with detailed estimates and quotes
Provide clients with material(s) choices to suit any budget

2008 Newsletter

2008-02-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Another Spring appears to be upon us, although you wouldn’t know it from the mounds of snow in front of our house! This note is to remind everyone that we are booking spring cleanups and gardening services beginning April 1^st. Unfortunately, due to the large amounts of snow coupled with cool temperatures, it is likely that many gardens will be too wet to work in for several weeks. Please feel free to call or email and discuss your specific situation regarding your garden. I thought I would also take this opportunity to update you regarding Ecoman for the coming year.

Most of our crew from last year will be back, Rohan, Brandon, Tinka and of course Brian are all confirmed. In addition, we have added Jeff, who will be providing our clients with design and build services for landscaping projects. Several new and interesting projects are in the works for this season.

As you may know Ecoman has been involved in quite a few green roof projects over the past several years. This year we are set to install our second residential greenroof in the beach, that involved retrofitting the structure of the roof to allow for the increased weight. We have also begun a grey water project in the Annex, that will involve the capture and use of waste water from sinks in the house for watering in the garden. Other efforts regarding the environment include continued use of biofuel in the dumptruck and membership to Autoshare. Rising gas prices may well increase our costs this year, however, rather than pass this additional cost to you, Ecoman has embarked on a new pilot project set to launch this spring.

If you live within the area delineated by Davenport and Dundas on the north and south, and by Dufferin and St. George on the east and west, you may be eligible for our calorie powered gardening service. A new crew will be formed that will include all the standard features and capabilities of our regular gardening crew, only they will arrive by bike pulling a customized cart. The bike cart crew is being mobilized to tackle light gardening tasks such as pruning vines, shrubs and roses, sweeping and raking, transplanting and dividing perennials and planting. If you live outside the area mentioned above but still want to be serviced in this way, please contact us and we can discuss your situation.

Although costs of fuel are rising and will likely continue to rise throughout the summer we have decided to keep our pricing the same for our clients from previous years. New clients will be charged out at 35$/hr plus materials to reflect our rising cost of doing business. This price will likely be phased in for all our clients as of spring 2009. Speaking of pricing we will continue to send out invoices by email and will also introduce email payment options for your convenience.

I have tried to keep this note brief but so much has happened since last fall! With spring cleanups around the corner, green projects on the go, a calorie powered gardening crew and a new improved payment options we have been busy this winter. Please contact us to book your spring visit, discuss special needs or begin a new project in the garden. I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,

Jonas

(416) 556-5516