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J U N E 2 0 2 2 | 35 Landscape Products P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y K E YS TO N E R E TA I N I N G WA L L S YS T EM S From outdoor kitchens to Wi-Fi enabled multi- functional benches, the world of landscaping has it all by ROBIN BRUNET I t's no secret that in the past two years the landscaping sector has been right up there with home renovation as enjoying incred- ible business, for obvious reasons. And even though the world is slowly returning to nor- mal, people ranging from homeowners to large commercial developers haven't lost their enthusiasm for effective landscaping design – made possible by an incredible array of products and systems. Patrick Lenow, director, public relations at The Quikrete Companies, says, "As far as supply chain issues go, our procurement team has continued to successfully navigate the challenges, to ensure we have availability of the products our customers need." The Quikrete companies include many well- known landscape/hardscape providers, including Keystone Hardscapes and Pavestone, the latter of which manufactures segmental concrete products in a variety of shapes, colours, and textures to ful- fill the needs of commercial, residential, industrial, and retail customers. Ed Fioroni, VP of Pavestone, says, "In speaking with our customers, we have identified a num- ber of landscaping trends likely to be popular in Canada in 2022. For example, more Canadians are looking to make the most of their backyards by add- ing a functional and attractive outdoor kitchen." He adds that from ovens and smokers to one-of-a- kind countertops, multiple materials are available for constructing the ideal outdoor kitchen, "and to ensure it can be used on the warmest of days, con- sider a pergola or roof." Fioroni goes on to note that "with restrictions being reduced or eliminated, camping is going to be very popular – and with a fire pit you can bring one of the best parts of camping to your backyard. Not only is it highly functional, it adds style and value to a home." Accordingly, the RumbleStone system from Pavestone includes a set of rustic building blocks; the weathered appearance offers a natural look and feel, adding texture and depth to both vertical and paving applications. RumbleStone can be assembled in an infinite variety of configurations and orientations. As for the perennially popular endeavour of hardscaping, Fiorini points out that "today's hard- scape materials, from brick paths to retaining walls, blend the expected durability with on-trend style that may be surprising." In addition to pavers and patio stones, Pavestone's easy-to-install retaining and freestanding wall blocks are available in a wide range of sizes, colours, and textures. Holger Rust, owner of Terraforce (a precast con- crete manufacturer specialising in modular, hollow core concrete blocks, and which is experiencing an expanding presence in the international concrete retaining wall market), points out that "Precast built projects are on average 30 percent more cost effective than poured concrete, in our experience. In terms of versatility, precast can easily match if not surpass traditional methods. In terms of cost effectiveness and versatility, precast products make viable projects that would otherwise not have seen the light of day or have ended up as a complete disaster. "Also, the fact that precast CRBs have a much lower carbon footprint than conventional methods Immersive EXPERIENCES The RumbleStone system from Pavestone.

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