landscape-garden / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

A new cement block manufacturing process developed by an American company named Solidia Technologies® produces 40% fewer emissions during manufacturing than conventional concrete, resulting in a dramatically lower environmental footprint. Solidia’s concrete is formulated with less lime and is cured at lower temperature...

Introducing BioCity's indoor vertical veggie garden. This beautiful installation made with reclaimed wine bottles allows you to grow arugula, chard, strawberries, cherry tomatoes and more all year round in your very own home. Thanks to the craftsmanship and innovation of the folks at Montreal based company BioCity, gro...

As with any easy gardening technique, there is a lot to consider regarding lasagna gardening that specifically relates to its many benefits and ease of application. One of the main ‘pros’ of lasagna gardening is that it can be an easy way to smother out weeds and grass while enhancing soil over time, which is an ideal ...

More and more people are informing themselves on various forms of urban farming to counteract the heavy ecological footprint of industrial agriculture. However, there are very few options for the increasing number of people wishing to get involved but who don't necessarily have the time, the means, or the expertise for...

  What is a keyhole garden? A keyhole garden is a circular raised garden bed with a compost basket at the center and a keyhole-shaped path that allows access to the entire garden. The compost basket can be fed throughout the season and will continually break down and deliver nutrients to the bed for the duration, as wi...

The Quebec homeowner's guide to ADUs, multi-generation & backyard tiny houses  How to navigate municipal bylaws, PIIA architectural requirements, and construction costs to build a legal secondary suite or "UHA" in Quebec. In Quebec, the conversation around Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) is rather unique. While the...

The complete guide to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in Canada As housing prices soar and the need for urban density increases, the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) has emerged as one of the most popular sustainable housing solutions in Canada. Whether you call it a laneway house, a garden suite, a granny flat, or a base...

The Ontario homeowner's guide to 'as of right' zoning of laneway homes, garden suites & Bill 23 The Canadian federal government as well as provincial governments are promoting increased rates of home construction to aleviate the housing crisis, to stimulate the economy, and to increase urban density. This makes it ...

Alternatives to grass lawns - ground covers!  North American backyards have one main point in common – Kentucky blue grass. But here we’re talking about ground covers and alternatives to this grass, not a bunch of fiddle and banjo players jamming in your backyard.  The traditional green grass we use to cover our front ...

Why are permeable landscapes so important? Worrying about where your stormwater goes after it runs off your roof or down your laneway is becoming a bigger issue all the time. What used to be called a 'once in a thousand-year storm' has completely lost its meaning due to how regular an occurence extreme weather events h...

Can a greenhouse produce food all year in cold climates? Growing fruits and vegetables all year round in Canada or the colder parts of North America would be wonderful but, sadly, our climate limits us to a few growing months in the summer. And even that would be in the balmier areas of our country; at high altitudes a...