Landscaping by Fivepoint | Architectural Design by Wayne Swadron | Built by Mazenga | Photography by Clint Spalding
While it’s certain that nobody has ever envisioned their dream cottage surrounded by bare dirt, it’s an unfortunate fact that some new builds do end up feeling a little lunar. Because of when the landscaping happens (that is, after almost everything else is done) the results sometimes reflect an exhaustion of planning, budget, and enthusiasm. But as one project of Fivepoint Landscaping amply demonstrates, this is an opportunity lost in the extreme, because a carefully planned, professionally designed, and expertly installed landscape does much, much more than just complement a beautiful building.
The project in question is a lakefront property located in the heart of Lake of Bays, and it represents one of Fivepoint’s most expansive projects to date and one that required them to draw on multiple aspects of the array of services they offer as landscape design, installation, and maintenance professionals.The end result is a verdant gallery of gardens offset by discrete patios, charming stone walls, and delightfully curving big-tread pathways and landings that soften the slope of the descent to the water.
For the gardens, according to Emily Keown, co-owner and operator of Fivepoint with her brother Tom, the clients opted for a very native look and feel. “The beds make such a nice contrast with the contemporary, low-profile cottage,” she says, “and they’re so well integrated with the pathways and topography that it almost feels like the gardens were there first and everything else was installed around them.”
Two beds in the front of the cottage have a more sophisticated, contemporary flair, combining cutleaf stephanandra with ostrich ferns and hydrangea, while the rest of the beds project an organic, natural aesthetic, and are made up mostly of ferns, Kelsey dogwoods, echinacea, bee balm, false indigo, serviceberry, and hundreds of sweet woodruffs.
“Planting native species makes sense in so many ways,” says Emily. “Not only are the plants much more likely to thrive, but their presence supports the health of bees, birds, and insects, which obviously contribute to the wellbeing of the ecosystem at large.” Lake of Bays Township also encourages the planting of native species for a number of practical reasons, including preserving the lake’s distinctively natural shoreline, protecting the watershed, keeping blue algae out of the lakes, and helping with the drainage of toxins.
Keeping things in the family, Emily and Tom brought in plants, soil, and mulch from their usual supplier, Lake of Bays Garden Centre, a business owned by their mother, Linda. Fivepoint’s close connection to the garden centre allows them to ensure high quality standards are met, which drastically reduces weeds and increases the gardens’ fecundity.
Granite for the patios, pathways, and walls was provided by local shield-granite experts, Muskoka Rock Company, while Fivepoint performed the stonework and masonry on-site. This aspect of the project involved more than the usual amount of legwork, according to Tom. “The client wanted the patios and garden walls to line up with the walls of the cottage,” he explains.
It contributes an undeniable symmetry to the final effect, but required a lot of precision in preparation. “We used laser technology to make sure we were getting it exactly right, and custom-cut special widths in our patio stones to avoid having notches in the stone.” Another distinctive feature: the patios are wet-laid (mortared), giving them a much higher degree of permanence and stability over time.
With so many hard surfaces and the inevitable compacting of soil that occurs throughout the construction process, it was important on this, as on all projects, that the landscaping achieve a balance of hardscapes and softscapes, and that stormwater management be prioritized in design and layout. “The property’s at the bottom of a hill,” says Tom, “so we worked hard to understand where the rainwater would go and to work with the natural topography to keep the property well drained through grading and culverts and those sorts of measures.”
With a property like this one in central Lake of Bays, Fivepoint generally encourages setting up a maintenance schedule. “With proper attention, well-designed gardens only look better year after year,” says Emily, “but there is always some maintenance involved.” Birds, bees, and other wildlife will spread seeds around as they travel and feed, sometimes bringing weeds into the garden beds. Mulch requires refreshing. Regular pruning is vital, but varies in timing and technique by species. And there are always the seasonal maintenance chores, such as blowing away autumn leaves, sweeping off and setting up outdoor furniture, and watering, raking, and fertilizing. “A lot of what we do in terms of our maintenance,” explains Emily, “is to do all the behind-the-curtain work to set the scene, so that when our clients come up for a relaxing week at the cottage, that’s exactly what they get.”