Check out our ad this month in the GTA Construction Report

Canada’s must see fall buying show for the green and floral industries

Come see what thousands of buyers in the green and floral industries already know. Check out Garden & Florist Expo from October 21-22, 2008 at the Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada to get the tools to the trade.

With over 300 companies showcasing hundreds of new products for the 2009 buying season, the 9th annual Garden & Florist Expo is a must see show created in partnership by Landscape Ontario and Flowers Canada – Toronto Chapter.

A great showcase for new products, recent plant and floral introductions along with demonstrations of products for industry, Garden & Florist Expo is expected to draw 4,000 buyers in the lawn, garden, floral and outdoor sectors. There is no better forum to network and get ideas to grow your business with unique products, services and show specials.

Interview opportunities can be arranged with the key conference speakers. Renowned Landscape Architect McRae Anderson, retail specialist Anne Obarski and business consultant Roy Prevost will be speaking at the Interiorscape Conference and Garden Centre Symposium on Monday October 20. Ms. Obarski will also be featured in Booth 410 by Fafard and will be signing copies of her books. To arrange media interviews with any of these speakers, please contact Stephen Murdoch, OEB Enterprise at (289) 241-3997.

LOCATION & TIME:

Monday, October 20, 2008 – Pre-Show Events
· Garden Centre Symposium and Interiorscaping Conference 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Trade Show Hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Trade Show Hours 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
WHERE:

Toronto Congress Centre, Hall D & E
Toronto, Ontario

Note: Media badges provide ‘all access’ to Garden & Florist Expo education programs on Monday, October 20, 2008 and all trade show related events taking place on October 21 through October 22, 2008. For additional information or to register for a media badge for Garden & Florist Expo, visit http://www.gardenexpo.ca/ and Register Now.


Contact:

Stephen Murdoch
OEB Enterprise
(289) 241-3997

Decks

Retaining Walls

Ontario Construction Report Readers Choice Awards

I read about he Readers Choice Awards for the Ontario Constructrion Report today and thought I would share this great opportunity with you.

For the 2008-09 Awards you can nominate any construction related company in Ontario and including your own company for free. Check out the categories and nominate away.

Construction Day One in Niagara

Day one has started on a new project in St.Catharines. The first part is removal of a 20 + year old paved driveway section 7 feet wide and 28 feet long and regrading it from the backyard to the existing concrete driveway. The homeowner had complained of some water leaks this past winter due to the uneven grade and water build up next to the house.

We will also be removing the existing concrete stairs at the side of the home and a sunken concrete pad under the front porch stairs where more water has been collecting. In place of the side concrete steps a new wooden set will be put in and paved walkway will replace the concrete pad out front. Window wells will be added at the side of the home also to help with the prevention of water build up.

Where the paved driveway was located we will be putting down a 3 foot wide walkway of coloured stone and 4 feet of sod to expand the homeowners use of the backyard. The existing gate located at the back of the driveway will be taken down and a new one built at the front where the fence meets the existing concrete driveway.

Effective Marketing tools?

I found a great site the other day called Contractor Talk which serves as a contractor community discussion board/group.

One of the topics that stuck in my mind most was focusing around dropping off business cards at the homes of potential customers. Throughout the discussion thread some other ideas were shared such as door hangers, yard signs, letters or even post cards.

Check out the thread and let me know what you have used in the past an include what worked and what failed.

Here is a small sample of the discussion thread: http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=37981

Yeah,Personally I would do more than Biz cards.Maybe some letters with a biz card attached to a nice neighborhood and then follow up with a postcard. Even designing a nice little brochure and printing this up might work too.Cheap but effective advertising when new or needing business fast Calls come fast and continue even after years (my personal experience)
Posted by: Robert Good

Great response so far!

We are fast approaching one week of being up and running online and time has flown by. Currently we are working on compiling a list of projects we have done and descriptions of the work. To go along with the project swill be photos of the finished work and in some cases "Before" pictures.

Some other feedback was suggestions on how to market our company beyond the current word of mouth and repeat business we do. As we progress with the blog we will start testing and reviewing these suggestions.

Stay tuned and thanks for your support.

Definition of Landscaping from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including but not limited to:

1. living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as Gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.


2. natural elements such as landforms, terrain shape and elevation, or bodies of water.


3. human elements such as structures, buildings, fences or other material objects created and/or installed by humans; and


4. abstract elements such as the weather and lighting conditions.

Landscaping is both science and art, and requires good observation and design skills. A good landscaper understands the elements of nature and construction, and blends them accordingly.
An early Greek philosopher known for his view that "all is water," spent a considerable time thinking about the nature and scope of landscaping. Some of his students believed that in order for human activity to be considered landscaping, it must be directed toward modifying the physical features of the land itself, including the cultivation and/or manipulation of plants or other flora. Thales rejected this notion, arguing that any aspect of the material world affecting our visual perception of the land was a proper subject for landscaping. Both Plato and Aristotle praised Thales' analysis as a model for philosophy. In the early 20th century, British philosopher G.E. Moore cited Thales' reasoning as one of the few historical examples of how philosophical inquiry has led to genuine human understanding and progress.

Philosophers in the 17th century debated whether visual beauty was a necessary goal of landscaping. With the advent of the positivists by the early 20th century, however, most western philosophers had rejected the notion of an objective esthetic standard for any form of art, including landscaping. Practitioners since the mid-20th century have experimented with jarring visual panoramas that are now generally accepted, at least in western societies, as falling within the scope of landscaping.

Hole 9 Yards

Welcome to the home of the Hole 9 Yards. Servicing the Niagara Region for over 10 years we provide all the essentials when it comes to your landscaping and maintnance needs. For a free Estimate contact me at 905-658-9273 or by email at hole9yards@hotmail.com

Over the next few weeks I will be posting before and after pictures of some of our current jobs, feedback from our customers and answering any questions you may have regarding your landscaping needs. This site will serve to provide you information and advice you may need for any job you want done for both residential and commercial projects.