Good morning! As I’m writing this, the snow is lightly falling. It’s hard to believe that in a few short months, Niagara will be green and warm once again. For myself, the thought of planting a new veggie garden alone is enough to get me excited!

My husband and I recently moved into our little home in the city of Welland. Because both of us came from the wide-open countryside, this has taken a little bit of adjusting to. I love a lot of things about my home, but one thing I’ve been struggling with is the property- how can we get the most a of our small space? How can we create more privacy? How am I supposed to build a garden bed big enough for squash without sacrificing all of my grass?

I think sometimes we limit our dreams because we don’t know how to turn them into a reality. Or maybe we have so many ideas, but become completely overwhelmed with how to pull everything together. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard stories of nightmare summer projects. From plant selection to patio layout, there are decisions that could make or break your space. Let me show you what I mean. I want you to picture that dream property in your head for me. You know the colors of the flowers, maybe the shape of a new pool, perhaps a built-in fire pit. But with that dream comes so many questions…

• Do I know how to plant a garden that will bloom all season long?
• Will I be spending more time and money maintaining my property than enjoying it?
• Will my plants outgrow their space near the pool in a few short years?
• How much is this going to cost?
• Who is an honest supplier?
• Can I find samples somewhere?
• How will I know if everything matches?

Cue designs….

Overall, a design is the roadmap we use to make sure that no questions are left unanswered, and that the end result looks like the dream you pictured. It uses the expertise of one to accomplish the vision of another. It ensures that:

• your budgets are respected.
• your wishes are treated as our goalposts.
• your gardens are as high or low maintenance as you’d like them to be.
• your patio is as accessible or private as you need it to be.
• your pergola is as sunny or shady (or both?!) as you want it to be.
• your slopes allow for proper water drainage (even if you didn’t know you had slopes).

For you, a design might be the difference between going over budget and balancing budget with function. For another, it might be the difference between feeling apprehensive and feeling excited. For me, it’s the difference between a back yard full of runaway squash and something more strategic to save space and fit my aesthetic. When the warm weather comes and it’s time to pull the shovels out for my gardens, you better believe I’ll be using a gameplan to guide the digging!

So, take the leap with me. Make the call. Request the design. We’re ready when you are.

Morgan.