Live your outdoor dream.
Landscaping Services
We offer a full range of landscaping services. So whether you’re looking for a garden update or a brand new backyard oasis, our energetic team will design, install, and even maintain your lawn and garden, allowing you to live your outdoor dream. Our services include garden clean-up, pruning, seeding, sodding, adding plants, flowers, trees and shrubs, and building patios, firepits, sidewalks, retaining walls, ponds, waterfalls, fountains, and bubbling rocks.
Transformations
We’re all about transforming our customers’ yards into more enjoyable, more functional spaces that enhance their outdoor living experience. Sometimes it’s a temporary vignette for a special occasion, and other times it’s a full scale overhaul. But every time, we take care to create stunning transformations. Check out our before and after images from previous projects for a sampling of our work to date.
ABOUT
LISA VAN BAKEL
Lisa graduated from Fanshawe College’s Landscape Design Program in 1998 and has 25 years of experience, working for other businesses in the many different sectors of the industry before starting Live Landscape in 2008.
Building meaningful and long-lasting relationships with her clients is paramount for Lisa, as it helps her build personal touches into projects.
Live Landscape is the result of her passion for landscape design and installation coupled with a love of being outdoors and the pursuit of excellence through continuous improvement.
ABOUT
LIVE LANDSCAPE
Live Landscape is a company focused on creating functional outdoor spaces that not only satisfy, but delight our clients. Based in Dublin, Ontario, our company got its start in 2008, and now provides professional landscaping services to residents and businesses of Huron and Perth Counties.
We strive to provide the highest standard of work for each and every client through attention to detail, quality workmanship, and a desire to please. With every project, we take the time to get to know our client so we can provide unique solutions to their landscaping needs, enhancing their use and enjoyment of their outdoor space for years to come.
Many of our clients are long-term customers, asking us to maintain their outdoor living space on an ongoing basis to ensure it’s done regularly and done right.
Live Landscape offers a full range of Softscaping, hardscaping, and pond and water services. We also sell related products including mulch, stone, and landscape edging. So whether you are looking for a garden update or a brand new backyard oasis, our energetic team will help you live your outdoor dream.
LANDSCAPING SERVICES
Our landscaping services go way beyond sodding, seeding, and planting a few trees. We offer a full range of landscape design and installation services, including:
- Tree planting – individual, windbreaks, groupings, ornamentals
- Pruning – shrubs, hedges, ornamental trees, fruit trees
- Water features – ponds, waterfalls, and bubbling rocks
- Hardscapes – patios, walkways, walls,
- Softscapes – flowerbeds, native gardens, vegetable & herb gardens
- Sodding & seeding – new lawns, overseeding, and repairs to existing turf
- Maintenance – keeping things looking great, long-term
Learn more about our services below and check out our transformation gallery for examples of our recent work.
SOFTSCAPING
DESIGN & INSTALLATION
At the start of your project, Lisa will meet with you and walk the area or property you wish to transform. During that time, discussion might include:
Planting and Landscaping
The types of plants that suit you and your environment best. All plants used in Live Landscape projects are sourced from Ontario nurseries and are guaranteed for an entire year after installation.
Garden Cleanups
Whether it is spring, summer or fall, we’ll help you rejuvenate your gardens by removing dead foliage from the previous year, overgrown shrubs and unwanted weeds. We can edge gardens for a cleaner appearance and add mulch to control new weed growth and help your soil maintain moisture.
Pruning and Maintenance
We will keep your property looking fresh and well-groomed with either regular scheduled visits or for a one-time trimming of your overgrown shrubbery.
Turf
Whether your lawn is damaged or just needs some TLC, Live Landscape can restore or replace your lawn with sod or seed.
Windbreaks and Tree Lines
The right trees and shrubs planted in the right location can provide add privacy to your yard and shelter from the wind. We’ll help you choose the right trees and/or shrubs to enhance your enjoyment of your outdoor living areas.
After discussing your landscaping goals, she’ll create a digital rendering of the proposed design for your review and approval.
HARDSCAPING
DESIGN & INSTALLATION
Natural stone and concrete pavers are becoming increasingly popular materials in landscaping, as they can be used to create stunning patios, sidewalks, firepits and retaining walls to enhance the functionality and enjoyment of your outdoor living space.
POND & WATER FEATURE
DESIGN & INSTALLATION
The addition of a water feature can bring a whole new sensory experience to your garden. A well placed pond, fountain, or bubbling rock can transform an ordinary backyard into a relaxing outdoor retreat with the restorative sound and hypnotizing movement of trickling water. A fountainscape can also serve as a focal point in front yard, court yard or gathering area.
Stop living with it and start living in it.
LANDSCAPING PRODUCTS
We sell a limited selection of products for your DIY landscaping projects that we also use in our own work. And you know we only use the best products to ensure a top-notch result and customer satisfaction. See products below and contact us to order.
BULK
PRODUCTS
NATURAL MULCH
Back in 2008, Lisa saw the environmental issue with using mulch in bags. Even though it was convenient to transport and carry mulch in bags, bulk was the way Lisa saw less waste heading to the landfill. She wanted to reduce the carbon footprint being made by single use plastics.
Live Landscape carries their # 1 seller of Shredded Pine Mulch (SPM). Black is a very popular colour and can enhance the yellow and lime green colours of plants.
We also have mulch in Rustic Red and Mocha.
COMPOST
Our compost has many uses, Live Landscape uses it as a mulch on garden, it’s a great product for people who want to mulch and amend their soil quickly. It is recommended for the Gardeners who like to putter in the gardens.
Compost is also mixed with screened topsoil to added to raised gardens or to a garden that needs toping up.
AGGREGATES
Stone dust
A Gravel
Pea Stone
River Rock
Beach Stone
Drainage Stone
Mason Sand
Field Stone
Mossy Rock
Armour Stone
WE ALSO OFFER:
SCREENED TOPSOIL
PEAT MOSS
(Fibre moss in 5.5 cubic-ft bags)
GRASS SEED
(Sun-Shade Lateral Spread Mix)
PAVER & GARDEN
LANDSCAPE EDGING
Live Landscape is an official dealer of Sure-Foot’s easy-to-install edging systems. We offer various types of paver and garden edging. Garden edging is available in two plastic and three aluminum options. Paver edging is available in two plastic and two aluminum options.
Happy Customers
LANDSCAPE PROJECTS
BEFORE & AFTER
Here’s a sampling of the transformations we’ve completed for our clients. Click and drag on the double-arrow slider to see the before and after images.
Work With Us
Live Landscape is always looking for crew members to help bring our client’s landscaping goals to life. We are also pleased to be able to offer an apprenticeship program for an applicant enrolled in the Landscape Horticultural Technician Program at an accredited post-secondary institution. We also hire co-op students via high schools and colleges. Current openings are listed below.
Live Landscape is currently seeking candidates for the following positions:
If you are interested in working with Live Landscape but the position you’re interested in is not listed above, please forward your resume with accompanying cover letter to lisa@livelandscape.ca.
WHAT COLOUR MULCH IS BEST FOR TREES?
Mulch is any material put over soils in a landscape or flowerbed. It can be organic or inorganic and poses lots of benefits. Today, we look at what colour mulch is best for trees. Mulch generally serves as protection to the soil for any plant or tree. When it comes to trees, the benefits you receive depend on the mulch you choose to use.
Organic type mulch is made of material that previously or still has living matter. Examples are shredded leaves, bark, compost (only when applied on a surface), and many more. Organic mulch suppresses trees, regulates soil temperature, and retains moisture. Most organic mulches come in a tone of brown (light, dark, or tinted).
On the other hand, inorganic type mulch has no living matter. It helps radiate heat better than organic mulches. Examples are stones, plastics, and other landscape fabrics. They are popular because they do not decompose and last for a long time. Inorganic mulch comes in different colours and styles.
Note that alongside the benefits mulch provides, it is also the safest beautification tool for a landscape. It serves as an aesthetic and is an attractive way to protect the soil. It is in this area we focus on colour.
To answer the question, the best colour mulch for trees would be brown. Organic preferably, and this is for many reasons.
Some reasons why brown is best are:
1. Although natural gives a very fitting look to the tree
2. It does a great job in blending well with the soil
3. It is safer than using dyed mulch because of unknown chemicals involved
4. It allows the tree to stand out easily
5. It is more natural for the tree
Hardwood mulch and others like it would be the best mulch for trees. These come in a natural brown colour, mimicking the wild natural habitat of trees. Another good mulch is bark.
Sometimes people settle for colourful mulch. It is not a bad idea. The only thing with that is ensuring that the die does not harm your soil. The whole point of having mulch is for protection and preservation, not the opposite.
Other than brown giving off a more natural habitat, it is also as aesthetic as coloured mulch, if not more.
Most mulches come in the colour brown. They can be styled in different ways and serve both purposes. Dark brown, reddish-brown, light brown, tinted brown, and many other varieties should be the go-to colours for mulching.
When mulching, remember that the bigger the mulch circle, the better for your tree. A good mulch ring should extend up to the drip of the tree. The mulch should surround the soil no more than 2 inches deep and should not be high up to the stem.
Keep your mulch at surface level and care for your landscape!
Call Us
GENERAL INQUIRIES:
519.949.3444
BULK PRODUCT PICK-UP:
519.301.4652
BULK PRODUCT DELIVERY:
519.949.3444