Contact Laureen Rama
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Portfolio

Here are a few samples of before and after photos of Eco-yards™ designed and installed by Laureen Rama and crew.

Woodbine area - Southwest Calgary

The hardscaping in this yard (river, pond, patio) was done by another landscaper a few years before. We designed and installed the plantings for colour all year long and easy-maintenance. The gardener in this yard says that she loves to spend time in her yard now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marda Loop Area - Southwest Calgary

This yard was featured as an example in the design chapter of Eco-yards™: Simple steps to earth-friendly landscapes. The homeowner is a busy oilpatch executive originally from Scotland. He wanted a low-maintenance yard that would be good for the environment and nice to view from the porch where he sits and plays his guitar. After looking at photos, he decided he wanted a look that would remind him of the low heather on the Scottish moors.

So, everything newly planted is under a foot high. Plants were chosen so that something is blooming all season long. A low creeping pine will eventually fill to 9 feet wide and brings colour in the winter.

The homeowner also professed to loving pink-coloured granite. We built a rock river from the downspout of the roof at the front corner of the house to a sandstone ledge that ends about 6 feet before the city sidewalk. This river has some pinkish granite boulders. Rocks used in a sweat lodge were also brought in from a local source. Beautiful blue and purple Montana river rock were brought to fill the river in. The rock river distributes rain water through part of the yard.

Silver Springs Area - Northwest Calgary

This home was newly built in an established neighbourhood. Large spruce trees blocked light from the front of the previous home on the site. The owners wanted a low open look. They also wanted the design to make possible a future option to put a circular driveway in the front yard.

So - I seeded Sheep’s Fescue grass in the area that could be a future driveway. Beds were built in the front and on the sides of the front with colourful low-maintenance bushes and perennials.

This front yard features French Drains. The downspouts from the roof in front all run into pipes which run into weeping tile in gravel trenches under the soil. These underground trenches end in wells of river rock in the beds that will fill when it rains heavily. This means that all the rain and snowmelt water from the roof runs into the plantings in the yard.

Lakeview Area - Rock River

The homeowner wanted to drain water from the side of her house to the front yard. We built a rock river that ran along the side and into the front yard. the front yard beds were made by turning over the sod and covering it with newspaper and some soil.