Midori Uchi - North Vancouver Green Show Home 

Swick's Organic Landscaping was thrilled to contribute and collaborate on this one of a kind home by Naikoon Contracting. Our team provided a full scope of landscape services to this project including: design, management and construction. It is a project to be proud of and was an inspiration to work with like minded and truly dedicated professionals.

For more information on the project please visit Naikoon's website directly at the link below.
http://www.naikooncontracting.com/midori-uchi/

Landscape Features: 

• Synthetic lawn was used in place of traditional grass requiring no water and no maintenance. 
•  Drought resistant plants throughout the gardens will require minimal water and low maintenance.  
• Rain sensor irrigation and high efficient LED lighting systems are luxuries without the environmental impact.
• Locally sourced Basalt was used for the patio and retaining walls. 
• Driveway - Permeable Pavers are designed to reduce storm water runoff and decrease flooding.  

Photography by Ema Peter
http://www.emapeter.com/

Taste of Life Magazine - Build Your Dream Home Luxury Home Show

Taste of Life – Luxury Vancouver Home Show.

Swick’s Organic Landscaping was specially selected to participate in the Luxury Home Show event ‘Build Your Dream Home’ by Taste of life magazine.

This private invite only event showcases only the best Vancouver has to offer in construction, design and home products.  

An original design by Swick’s designer, John-Paul Capes and company owner, Ron Swick.

The ‘Floating Fortune’ garden was completed with only 2.5 days to build and the crew working around the clock.

The highlight and centerpiece of the traditional Asian water garden was an oversized moon gate made from natural basalt stone. With a floating cedar and basalt bridge, tea garden, natural basalt stone walls and west coast native plantings this garden turned out to be a beautiful backdrop for photos all through the weekend.

Check out these time-lapse videos of the event!

Posted by G. D. Nielsen Developments. You can see the garden build on the bottom right corner of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArAQ_sfP91w

Posted by Victor Eric Design - Taste of Life time-lapse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVysT_DUKY#t=45

Thank you to our suppliers for your contributions to this event.  

Golden Spruce Nurseries – www.goldenspuce.com

BC Brick – www.bcbrick.com

Northwest Landscape Supply – www.landscapesupply.com

** View More Photos of the event on our website portfolio page!

http://www.swicks.net/portfolio.html

Garden Color

Spring! Life & color in your garden.

Spring is every gardeners favorite time of year.

The signs of life bursting through the soil and on every branch are enough to make any bird sing.

If you haven't planted bulbs in the fall and find that your trees and shrubs are lacking in color, spring annuals can transform a garden without much cost. Visit your local garden store or nursery and be amazed at the new species and varieties. Or if you would rather someone else do the dirty work for you, simply decide on a color scheme and budget and call your landscaper/gardener.

I have included some images of our staff and client favorites.

Nemesia

Mimulus

Bacopa

Gazania

A Home for the Bees in your Garden

Mason and Honey bee populations in suburbs and cities have been decimated in recent years. Mites, Colony Collapse Disorder and various environmental factors continue to push this vital animal towards extinction. These little garden creatures are imperative for the pollination of a healthy ecosystem.  Anything we can do to help support bee populations is essential to their survival.

http://www.comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca

Mason bees rarely sting so they are a terrific bee to attract to any urban garden.
You can lend a helping hand and attract more bees to your yard by planting nectar and pollen producing flowers. Some great choices that will thrive in our climate are; Ceanothus, Lavendar, Thyme, Hebe, Iberus, Heather etc.
Bees are more attracted by blue, purple, white and yellow flowers and prefer flowers planted in bunches.

Ceanothus

Once you have brought the bees to your garden, building or buying a simple mason bee home is not only fun for you but great for the solitary mason bee.

To build a simple bamboo bee home, cut a long piece of bamboo into several 5-7 inch lengths and tie them together with wire or twine. Place the bundle in a sheltered area amongst tree branches. With any luck your home will have guests in no time. 

http://blueberrytalk.wordpress.com

It is also important to supply your bees with water.  By filling a large dish with rinsed sand and rock and then water, you create a safe drinking fountain for the bees -- and avoid stagnant pools which will attract mosquitoes, and likely drown the bees. 

Blessed Bee is a great organization based in the lower mainland that aspires to integrate bees into the fabric of urban life by providing guest honey beehives to reside in neighbourhood back yards.  Check out the video and their website for inspiring ways to support bees and get a hive for your own backyard!

http://blessedbeeapiary.tumblr.com/

http://youtu.be/fPw11oe2HBg

A great website with step by step instructions to construct a more elaborate house.

http://www.masonbeevancouver.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=8