OGS Landscape

All summer, the pool gets the attention.

Then September arrives. The evenings cool down. And suddenly everyone remembers why owning a hot tub is such a good idea.

Before hot tub season really ramps up, this is a smart time to give your spa a little attention. Check your water balance, inspect filters, make sure the cover is in good condition, and take stock of the chemicals and care products you’ll need as usage increases.

It’s also a good time to establish a routine before cold weather arrives. Regular testing is much easier than trying to correct neglected water when it’s -10°C and you’d rather be soaking in it.

Need to restock? Visit us in-store or ask us about Aqua Box for an easier way to stay on top of spa care.

Fall yard prep isn’t about making your property look perfectly tidy before winter. It’s about setting your landscape up to come back strong next spring.

September is a good time to start paying attention to what your property needs while everything is still visible. Garden beds can be assessed before plants go dormant, struggling areas of lawn are easier to identify, and trees and shrubs can be checked for damage or overcrowding before the leaves disappear.

It’s also worth resisting the urge to cut everything back. Some perennials and ornamental grasses provide winter interest and valuable habitat, while others benefit from fall cleanup. Knowing the difference can mean healthier growth next season.

This is also the time to think ahead to irrigation shut-downs, final lawn care, leaf management, garden cleanup, and preparing outdoor features for colder weather. Tackling fall maintenance gradually makes a lot more sense than trying to do everything on the last warm Saturday of the year. We’ve all been there.

A little planning now can make that first spring walk around the property a whole lot nicer.

Need help keeping your landscape cared for through the changing seasons? Ask OGS about professional property maintenance.

There’s something satisfying about seeing a property after a full seasonal clean up, especially when every detail has been given the attention it needs.

This week’s Feature Friday highlights a completed Maintenance SCU, where the focus is on getting the landscape cleaned up, refreshed, and ready for the season ahead.

Seasonal clean ups are about more than making a property look tidy. They give the landscape a reset, removing accumulated debris, cleaning up garden areas, and giving the team an opportunity to see how the property is performing before the next season takes over.

It’s also a good reminder that beautiful landscapes don’t stay that way by accident. Consistent, professional care is what allows the original design, planting, and outdoor spaces to continue looking polished as the property matures.

Another property checked off and ready for what comes next.

Interested in taking landscape maintenance off your own "to do list"? Ask OGS about our seasonal services and ongoing maintenance contracts.

A beautiful finished landscape matters. But how you get there matters just as much.

We recently received this Google review from Susan after completing the hardscaping and landscaping for her front yard:

"We had a wonderful experience with OGS when they redid our front yard hard/landscaping. From the planning, through to the ex*****on and completion they were professional, timely and the work is beautiful! We highly recommend for any landscaping work you are considering and would use them again in a heartbeat." - Susan

For this Wisdom Wednesday, there’s an important takeaway here: a successful landscape project starts long before installation day.

Planning creates the roadmap. Clear communication keeps everyone aligned. Professional ex*****on ensures the design is carried through properly. And attention to detail at every stage is what turns an idea for a property into a finished landscape homeowners can enjoy for years.

The final reveal might be the exciting part, but a great client experience should extend from the very first conversation to the very last detail.

Thank you, Susan, for trusting OGS with your front yard and for taking the time to share your experience with us!

Considering a landscape redesign of your own? Let’s start the conversation www.oglandscape.ca

Need to stock up on pool or hot tub supplies, bring in a water sample, ask our team a question, or stop by to see what’s in the showroom? Here’s when you can find us:

Monday: 9 AM - 4 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM - 4 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 4 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM
Sunday: Closed

Please note that we are also closed on holidays.

Whether you need help with water care, are due for a product restock, or want to discuss landscaping with us - we're here and love to chat!

A backyard can be more than recreational space.

For some families, an Additional Dwelling Unit creates the possibility of having aging parents nearby without sharing the same four walls. For others, it could eventually provide independent space for an adult child or create greater flexibility as the family changes.

That’s why an ADU conversation should go beyond the building itself.

You’re planning how the property may function five, ten, or twenty years from now. Access, privacy, landscaping, parking, outdoor amenity space, and the relationship between the primary home and secondary dwelling all become part of that conversation.

The most interesting thing about an ADU isn’t necessarily the extra square footage.

It’s the options it can give a property for the future.

Here’s a surprisingly useful September activity: the next time it rains, look outside.

Not through the window. Actually watch your property.

Where does water travel off the roof? Where does it cross a walkway? Does it disappear into a garden, collect beside a patio, or rush toward a neighbour’s property? Which parts of the lawn stay wet long after everything else dries?

Watching a property during rainfall can reveal things a sunny day walkthrough simply can’t.

Water movement should influence grading, planting, hardscaping, downspout management, and even where future structures are placed. A landscape isn’t just a collection of things sitting on land, it’s a system that interacts with water every time the weather changes.

Sometimes the best design research requires an umbrella.

Tomorrow, the backpacks come back. So do the lunch bags, bikes, sports equipment, muddy shoes and the daily question of “where did you put your water bottle?”

Which makes today a pretty good time to talk about an overlooked part of landscape design: the daily arrival home.

A front yard can look beautiful and still make everyday family life unnecessarily awkward. A narrow walkway becomes a traffic jam when three people arrive at once. Nowhere to park bikes means they inevitably end up on the lawn. Poor lighting becomes noticeable as September mornings and evenings get darker. And if the easiest route from the driveway to the backyard involves cutting across the grass, people are going to take it.

A smart front yard makeover considers those everyday routines. Wider walkways, clearly defined entrances, thoughtful lighting, practical side yard access, durable surfaces and strategic planting can create a property that looks polished and handles the 3:30 p.m. rush.

Because great landscape design shouldn't only work when the house is ready for company, it should work when everyone gets home from school at the exact same time.

What’s the biggest “drop zone” problem at your house, shoes, backpacks, bikes or sports gear?

The unofficial end of summer has arrived, but we’re not ready to call backyard season over yet.

If your long weekend includes one last big pool party, dinner outside, firing up the BBQ, relaxing in the hot tub, or doing absolutely nothing in the backyard for a change, we hope you get the chance to enjoy it.

A special thank you as well to our OGS team. From our landscape and construction crews to our designers, maintenance team, and pool & spa specialists, a lot of hard work goes into creating and caring for the outdoor spaces our clients enjoy all season long.

Enjoy the long weekend, stay safe, and soak up every last bit of summer.

Happy Labour Day Weekend from all of us at OGS!

Every backyard has invisible highways.

The route from the kitchen to the BBQ. The shortcut kids take to the pool. The line guests naturally follow from the gate to the patio. The patch of grass everyone walks across even though there’s technically a path three feet away.

Those patterns matter.

If people continually choose a different route than the one a landscape provides, that’s useful design information. Paths should follow natural movement whenever possible, while high-traffic areas need materials and widths that can comfortably handle how they’re actually used.

Before redesigning a property, watch where people already go. Your family may have been drawing the site plan with their feet all summer.