Planning for Your New Organic Gardening Project

Image Montage by Wo-Built: Indoor Landscapes
Image Credits: Travels with Zen-Aida +
Plantscape - Interior Plant Service, Indoor Office Landscaping

What is organic landscaping?

... working with nature to help it achieve its highest expression, so that it can freely give back all it has to give.

~ PeapodLife: Organic Landscaping: Better than “Man-made;” more than “Nature’s Way”

I know it is really difficult to imagine that it is going to be warm and sunny again, especially if you just were visited by Jack Frost with Arctic cold and a dump load of snow. But now, in the middle of winter, is the time to plan for a gardening project, because spring is only a few months away and time flies. Also you may be surprised on what is required during the planning process.

The best time to do the new garden is in spring, so you can enjoy it during the summer months and if the changes are significant it has time to grow to weather the next cold season.

In our opinion organic landscaping using natural stone and materials is the best way to go. It creates harmony, flow and a positive energy. These are spaces that you want to spend time in and relax. Your own oasis in the City!

We have already written about our project in Toronto's Bloor West Village last year (peapodlife blog - Organic Landscaping: Better than “Man-made;” more than “Nature’s Way”) and our definition of organic landscaping, but here we would like to talk about the necessary steps required to make a project like this successful.

Image Collage by PeapodLife, Division of Wo-Built Inc: Organic Landscaping in Bloor West Village, Toronto

Image by PeapodLife, Division of Wo-Built Inc: Front Yard Garden in Toronto featuring Rhododendrons and Real Stone

Image by PeapodLife, Division of Wo-Built Inc: Image: Backyard Garden in Toronto with integrated sprinkler system

What is required during the planning process for a gardening project?

First, like any project you need to figure out what activities and how you would like to use the space. From there you can plan the layout.

Organic landscaping does not mean you cannot have your separate distinct areas. They just flow into each other seamlessly, creating a harmonious flow. This is more difficult to achieve than a structured geometrical layout which many landscapers prefer. The aim is to achieve balance between the spaces and this is partly an intuitive process.

Nevertheless, the first step is to produce concept drawings and then detailed drawings, outlining size, level changes, type of material, type and number of plants etc. This is important as it is very easy to get carried away in landscaping. Much more so than in a building renovation!

The detailed drawings will fix the budget, form a baseline for the contract and will give an indication on the length of project. The project above took several weeks for the front and several weeks for the back.  

And yes, you do need to sign a contract for the work with the company you hire. The scope of work, timing, payment schedule and obligation of the parties have to be defined like in any other renovation contract. You have to have ways of resolving issues and conflict.

Also, prior to starting extensive landscaping work which will include level changes you need to see if you require permits for the level changes, change of use etc. You should also check out the location and state of your underground services (water, gas) to see if they would be effected by the landscaping or if they need repair. Access to the services afterwards may be more difficult.

The next step is the tender. Ideally you already have a design and build landscaping outfit that specializes in organic landscaping. However, if you are tendering, visit prior projects of the different firms. This should be possible as the landscaping is outside the house and most likely can be seen from the road. Try to compare ‘apples with apples’, so to speak.

The steps above should make your landscaping project a success and provide you with the best garden in the neighbourhood. We had many positive comments from the neighbours while we were doing the above project, from ‘love it’ to ‘wow’. It was certainly noticed.

We can make this happen for you and make your own amazing oasis in the City!


Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

5 Reasons Why Remodeling Can’t Compare with "AHH…!"

Collage: Remodeling vs. Advanced Human Habitat

pPodLite Muro and pPodLite Angolo self-contained vertical garden ecosystems

Image Credits: PeapodLife; MS Office ClipArt: Woman Construction, Man Construction

pPodLite Muro and pPodLite Angolo self-contained vertical garden ecosystems create Advanced Human Habitat; are the BEST way to give any old décor a new lease on life!

So you’re all fired up to improve your space. You’ve got a budget in mind and you’re ready to take on the project of re-inventing your home, office, retail boutique…whatever! Before you do, we think you should save yourself lots of time, money and headaches and give yourself some “AHH…!” instead.

5 reasons why pPodLite Muro & Angolo Vertical Garden Ecosystems by PeapodLife are infinitely better than remodeling at revitalizing space and actually create Advanced Human Habitat.

• 1. There’s no substitute for nature. No art, paint, furniture, appliances wallpaper, tile, window dressing, carpet, or anything else you can think of can replace the universal appeal of nature. Not only that, none of your efforts to change the look and feel of the space will improve the air quality or vitality of the atmosphere. It will only ever be a “special effect;” a substitution for the real thing. pPodLite is the real deal. It is a cause of positive effects: in you and everyone else.
• 2. Remodeling is just a temporary “fix”. Magazines and interior design gurus will tell you what fabrics, furniture, flooring, lighting and accessories are “hot” right now, but a few seasons from now tastes will change. It’s like the belief you can merge old and new architecture. What happens when the “new” becomes old again? The key is to find and accentuate timeless beauty.  Nature is always in style: ecosystems are alive! They grow, adapt and change all the time.
• 3. Remodeling may look good, but an ecosystem feels incredible. Sure, when your makeover is done, it’ll make you feel pretty good (if it went well; or relieved that it’s over with). But after a while, the pleasure effect will wear off, as it always does. pPodLite self-contained ecosystems are easy to install, and immediately change the energy and vitality of any space. People will ask you “did you remodel!?” not because they see the difference immediately; but because they can feel it. This is the “holy grail” of interior design. It comes standard in pPodLite.
• 4. Remodeling is expensive. To get “the right look” you may need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours of your time. Sure, you may enjoy remodeling. You may like browsing home décor magazines and watching HGTV until your eyes get bloodshot. But time is money. And just think what else you could be doing in a vibrant new living space in the company of a living, breathing vertical garden ecosystem which was installed in no time.
• 5. Treating plants only as expensive “living art” is a recipe for disaster. Thinking of jumping on the indoor vertical garden bandwagon because you like the look of it? Be prepared for “the revenge of mother nature.” Sellers of soil-based living walls won’t tell you about the mess, the smell, the dripping water. What’s that going to make your expensive makeover? (How are you going to change the soil in that vertical garden when it putrefies and dies?) As for hydroponic or other contrived ways of hanging plants in a completely unnatural way (i.e., without their roots firmly grounded and pointing downward toward the earth) be prepared to double, triple, or quadruple your home makeover budget long term. Oh, didn’t “the other guys” tell you about the ongoing plant replacement costs? Of course not, because they won’t admit to the facts: plants simply cannot survive long-term in any so-called “living wall” which ignores the fundamental laws of nature? The most fundamental of those? The law of the ecosystem; the law behind PeapodLife.

For more info and links, check out the official announcement at PeapodLife.com: PeapodLife Officially Launches pPodLite. You will also find PDF’s of product sheets for pPodLite Muro and Angolo.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build