Diamond Residence – 2008 Landscape Ontario: Award of Excellence

This 100 acre country residence has an amazingly beautiful location in the rolling hills near Uxbridge, and backs onto the well-known Wooden Sticks golf course. Maple bush, wetlands, a large pond, and rolling fields serve as the setting for this century home and barn. The original farmhouse was renovated and added onto in the 1960’s, creating a large, scrupulously maintained home completely in keeping with it’s Ontario Farmhouse style roots. The landscape design of this property needed to reflect a century home style and still meet the clients needs. Walkways, patios, hot tub, fire pit, beach volley ball and basketball court, a country garden as well as extensive other plantings were their main requirements.

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Random Credit Valley dry laid flagstone pathways and patios, with Manitoulin stone steps form the hard landscape base to the three main entrances to the house. A wooden picket fence encloses the garden area and frames the landscape around the house. Existing mature trees provide a framework for the landscape. Abundant foundation plantings of evergreen shrubs for winter interest were planted, and thousands of exuberant flowering perennials provide color and interest from spring to fall. Due to the depth and breadth of the planting beds, great care had to be taken to plant according to the individual height and spread requirements for the plant materials, in order to showcase all the plant material.

Around the side of the house, a hot tub is tucked into the slope. With an oversized Owen Sound flagstone staircase and walkway, and more plantings that connect it to the front gardens, the hot tub area fits in well with the surrounding environment. The rear yard has a second story deck and staircase, and a lower floor entry that allows uninterrupted access to all the garden areas. From the lower patio, a flagstone staircase flows through the garden to an existing upper walled terrace. The original rock garden surrounding this terrace was gently renovated to ensure it matched the style of the newer planting areas.

The upper field (which overlooks the golf course) was a perfect location for a recreation area. Beach volleyball and a basketball court were located on a naturally level part of the property. Mass indigenous tree plantings softened the view from the golf course

D. Adam Gracey’s role was that of the Landscape design/build contractor. From conceptual presentations to a full set of construction drawings, the design was approved by the client. D. A Gracey and Associates Ltd. completed the installation of the project. Project co-ordination included the management of various subtrades such as electrical, mechanical, irrigation, excavators, hot tub, interior designer, hot tub and arbourist.

Winner of 2007 Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence, $100,000.00 – $250,000.00 category.