403-597-9422 livlands@telus.net

Consultation, Design, Build + Maintenance.

Ecological Landscaping

Ecological landscaping

Ecological landscaping is working with nature to preserve the biodiversity that already exists, and add pollinator habitat,  native plants, and features that improve the ecosystem.  As all of the world is our home, when we design for the well-being of all species in the ecosystem, we design for our own well-being as well. 

We believe that all the world is our home and that the best way to design for our own well being is to design for the well being of all living things.

Our relationship with nature and our landscapes is one of the most accessible and important tools to help us adapt to a changing climate. Designing holistically and sustainably can help reduce green house gases, increase biodiversity and create healthy spaces for both ourselves and other species. Ecological Landscaping can create pride and pique environmental interest in students, residents and employees. 

Hand-drawn concepts allow ideas to emerge and build stronger connections between the design and the audience.
Alex Fernández

we believe in hand drawing.

Some may call it old fashioned or inefficient, we consider hand drawing to be an integral component of the design process..
Drawing allows for the quick expression of ideas and concepts, ideal for the early stages of the design process when the goal is to explore many possibilities.

Our hand drawn North arrows reflect the spirit of each design we work on.
Concept sketches make it easy to visual and work with ideas in a fluid and interactive manner, bringing ideas to life on paper first.
Landscape features are realized, in 2D drawings, cooperatively between client and designer.

Design detail for a pond naturalization project.

Hand drawn concepts engage the client and spark discussion, building a stronger connection between the design and the audience.
A design process that starts with the hand humanizes the process; here we play with the idea of a pollinator place.

we believe in biodiversity.

All of our work focuses on recognizing and increasing biodiversity within the built environment.

When we design our spaces with the wellbeing of all life forms in mind, we bring the element of wonder and joy into our landscapes.
Designing with biodiversity in mind can turn even the smallest of spaces into natural systems that support the web of life.

Renaturalizing the edges of man-made water features is an effective and sustainable way to bring back biodiversity.

Biodiverse green roofs build complex plant and animal communities where natural systems thrive. These are spaces where we can connect to the natural world and increase our sense of wellbeing.
An ephemeral water feature is a welcome landscape feature for puddling butterflies, bathing birds and provides a moist edge from which bees can safely drink.
Including indigenous plants in our landscapes provides a valuable food source for local pollinators and birds.

Kind Words from customers

Living Lands Landscape and Design (Cynthia Pohl) has been my gardening guru. Cynthia is an artist and, I think, a magician.

Thanks to Cynthia my side garden has gone from grass, one tree, and a dying hedge to a beautifully balanced open garden with different levels and a wealth of plant species: tall, mid and low in height, a wide range of colours, some native and many non-native, and as well a rock ‘river’. I love my garden and so do my neighbours.

The planning, design, and construction took more than one season. Planning began with sharing ideas on what I would like, what Cynthia would suggest and what would be possible. With the design phase sketches and drawings (Cynthia really is an artist) it became easier to see what the outcome could be.

If during these two stages I came up with an idea/suggestion that differed from what we had Cynthia would look at what I was suggesting and say “yes, we could do that,” or “hmmm, how about that?” We would toss ideas around and come up with the final ‘where’ to put a particular plant, or stone. With the planning and design phases it was a collaborative effort, not so with the construction phase. That was all Cynthia and her assistant working by hand.

When we had a second project for my other garden, I knew exactly who to call.

Jennifer O’Brien

Let’s Talk about your project.

Let’s have a consultation to help you plan your ecological landscape project. We can help you assess your current ecosystem with a site visit.