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Paving systems are being used more widely and are inding an niche in a range of upgrade projects, including at light rail transit stations where they are replacing poured concrete, says Bruce Dick, VP commercial sales and business development at Expocrete. As well as improving esthetics, pavers have the advantage of being easily removed. Esthetics and practicality are key to the concept behind the company's FlagStack retaining wall product line, which is designed to look like traditional dry-stacked lagstone wall, with texture on the front and back. "It's designed to go back to the look of natural stone. There are 10 main molds, as we wanted to keep it simple for the homeowner. All units are numbered, so it allows people to be as creative as they want," says Dick. The company has six plants in western Canada and services dealers from the West Coast to Winnipeg. Expocrete may increase the number of plants, says Dick, "depending on how popular the product line is." FlagStack can be used to create seat walls, pillars, tree rings, planters, ire pits and grill islands. Other landscape product suppliers are offering kits and product lines that interest professionals and homeowners. Landscape Depot, whose roster of products ranges from pavers and patio stones to everything one might need to construct a koi pond, including the koi, offers customers specialized landscape kits – basic garden, illuminated or non-illuminated waterfall kits, and barbecue kits, among them. "These kits are economical and consumer-friendly – the customers can install themselves. Each kit comes with a DVD and a detailed landscape plan. Everything is pre-cut," says Mike Dhillon, a landscape centre supervisor with Burnco, which acquired Landscape Depot last year. Homeowners also want the alfresco option for cooking, dining and relaxing. "There's more focus on the outdoor living space. The use of retaining walls and permeable pavers make a 22/ JUNE 2012 p.18-27Landscape_Masonry.indd 22 good it for an outdoor living space, and make for easy clean-up," says Anders Danielsson, a technical sales representative at Abbotsford Concrete Products. Permeable pavers from AquaPave have three types of iltration systems, one with no ex- iltration. This enables water collection or storage, opening up several possibilities, including geothermal applications, he says. There are many creative options to add comfort and convenience along with the charm of brick and stone. The irm has a range of brick and manufactured stone products. For example, Danielsson says, a three- or four-foot-high retaining wall can have a smooth countertop with a space inside for a fridge, "similar to a kitchen island." Wood is another way to add esthetics – as well as comfort – to outdoor spaces. "Decks and related products can augment the tight con ines of the city garden," says Jim Labelle, president of Kayu Canada Inc. His irm specializes in durable hardwoods imported from Indonesia and Malaysia. One of the Kayu hardwoods used for exteriors is sometimes called Philippine mahogany, but sold at Kayu as Dark Red Meranti. "The other main wood we bring in is Red Balau Batu. It's popular in the U.K. We started bringing it here in 1995, and distribute it across the country through a network of dealers. Both woods can be used for boat decks – also pergolas, planters, pathways and bridges in rock gardens," says Labelle. The imported wood is legally logged and milled in the source countries. The irm recently supplied hardwoods for public projects in Calgary, including Memorial Poppy Plaza and the updated Devonian Gardens, which used Red Balau Batu, a type of mahogany. In some cases, though, managers of public spaces have rejected certain types of wood. Pressure-treated lumber is a case in point, and it has given rise to increased use of recycled plastic for landscape furnishings like park benches. Wishbone Site Furnishings, which specializes in recycled plastic site furnishings, found that homeowners didn't want to spend more for plastic than wood. "We started to target the institutional sector for (plastic's) low-maintenance attributes. Soon, about 90 per cent of sales were for institutional street and park furnishings, and 10 per cent was sold to the institutional sector for other applications," says John Jansen, president of Wishbone. That ratio is now about 70/30. "As the industry evolves, people see more uses. Plastic lumber is sterile and doesn't support fungae or other contaminants. The only thing that affects plastic lumber is sunlight," he says, noting that the irm's recycled plastic products typically include structural elements that address plastic's tendency to shrink or expand with temperature variations. Northwest Landscape & Stone Supply Ltd., a supplier of natural stone and hard goods to the landscape sector, also supplies recycled plastic furnishings. "Breezesta is a new line of furnishing made from recycled plastic milk jugs and water bottles, all HDPE plastic, formed into what we call poly-lumber," says David Nelson, a Northwest sales representative. The new product line, from Breezesta, is aimed at the residential market and comes in a range of styles and colours. "We've recently started selling them and have had a really good response," says Nelson. ■ Landscape Products 5/25/12 11:42:17 AM

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