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J U N E 2 0 2 5 | 17 Landscape Products P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y B ELGA R D/O L D C A S T L E Landscape products focus on enhancing the environment and bringing natural beauty to outdoor spaces by ROBIN BRUNET W hile there's no question that thoughtful procurement and creative use of hardscape products go a long way in creating a successful outdoor space for any property, regardless of size, the natural elements of such spaces dictate what kind of hardscape products should be procured. Therefore, the health of the natural environment should be of paramount importance to property owners, and Tait Sala, director at Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services Ltd. of Ontario, stresses that true health goes way beyond regular mowing and pruning. "In terms of trees, aside from broken branches or impacted trunks, every cut into a tree, whether acci- dental or deliberate, is an entry point for fungus and other problems," Sala says. "Therefore, the earlier you can bring an arborist into a project, the better the outcome will be. They can even determine what type of trees and other plants are appropriate for a new property development, and what is healthy and not on an existing property." Sala cites specific examples of the help an arborist can provide. "If you intend to build something on a property and there's a beautiful oak tree nearby that really adds value to your land, the back and forth movement of construction machinery can sever the tree's roots, and five years down the road that tree could be dead. An arborist can advise on alternative machinery routes or differ- ent locations for the building structure." Diseases are a constant concern, and Sala and his team are currently moni- toring oak wilt, a vascular disease first discovered in Niagara Falls in 2023. "It spreads by beetles eating the infected tree and flying to another tree," Sala says. "So we don't recommend pruning any live growth from April to November of this year." Cohen & Master's arborists are also monitoring Beech Leaf Disease, caused by a small worm, although the reason for the spread is unknown (some fungicides and high potassium fertilizer have been used with varying degrees of success to combat the disease). "And again, this is where an arborist can help, by recom- mending alternative plantings to Beech Leaf, such as London Plane," Sala says. When it comes to trends that enhance the natural landscape of trees and plants, Joe Raboine, VP of design at Oldcastle (parent of Belgard) says people are increasingly interested in the health and wellness associated with outdoor spaces, hence this continues to fuel the trend of blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. Another driver of blurring the lines is that new residences are increasingly being built on limited footprints. "Limited yards can seem a lot bigger with the use of phantom screens, as well as landscaping design that draws people outside," he says. Oldcastle APG brands include the industry's leading hardscape materials along with a wide array of accessory products that can help create amazing out- door spaces. Due to the sheer variety of solutions, Oldcastle APG has streamlined its product categorization to help end users see where products best fit their outdoor design project. Raboine observes that, "Spending on landscaping has flattened since the COVID lockdowns, when projects under $30,000 and over $100,000 were com- mon. However, recently we've seen a growth of middle ground spending, in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, which supports the contention that more and more people are paying attention to creating terrific outdoor spaces." Among elements such as stone, concrete, and slate that are commonly found in backyard spaces, brick continues to be universally popular – and therefore it's no surprise that this is where a lot of manufacturing innovation is taking place. We Dig It! Belgard Travertini Porcelain Pavers.

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