Ace of Spades Landscaping

03/08/2026

Another quick-turn real estate project in the books. In addition to regular garden maintenance, we specialize in sprucing up properties for sale. It is often a bit of different math. Nature had been encroaching on this backyard for a few years. Once everything was cleared out, it was so obvious how huge this backyard really was. We want that buyer to see how great it is, not a potential project. And for our client to benefit ;)

02/14/2026

Friday Pro-D day over here at Ace of Spades! Every year I try to donate some of our time to support our community. My daughter’s wonderful school had a sad weedy garden area out front that I couldn’t help but attack. Jason and Levi really levelled up the original tidy up plan. With some repurposed materials I had laying around we were able to embrace the clear elephant trails the kids had made short-cutting through the garden while better protecting the existing plants. We salvaged the painted rocks that had been ground into the soil and created something I hope the kids and teachers can feel proud of.

01/24/2026

This was a fun one. We did some work for a friend who casually said not to worry about this section because he planned to just take a digger to it. All I could see were mature California lilacs worth saving. Thankfully he let us take a crack at it first. Looking forward to seeing them bloom in the spring :) (posted to stories previously)

01/23/2026

Another couple of hours well spent bringing order to chaos. Not today blackberries, not TO- Daaaaaaaay! 💪

01/01/2026

I live in a new development and over the last year I’ve been getting more clients here. Nature finds a way to overtake even the tidiest gardens. I love restoring the order and calm to these properties and beautifying the place where I live :)

12/29/2025

And now for the backyard! The clients wanted to keep the gravel kids play area while adding garden beds around the deck. As I imagined them out here in the summer all I could think of was the sunburn I would get on this deck. We needed some shade! Their new magnolia tree will do just that plus add a wonderful burst of spring colour. This red saucer magnolia is the same kind I had in my childhood home so I hope it brings them as much joy as mine did. All plants are hearty and bloom at various times so there will be something to enjoy all season. Cement pavers added a whimsical transition from “kid corral” to the rest of the grassy backyard. Division that makes sense.

12/29/2025

We do a few redesign projects every year. This one was a fun blend of picking the right plants for the lighting, killing unwanted lawn and making it pretty without encroaching on city property, which was the front half of the lawn. Thank you to our wonderful clients who patiently let us pick away at this in-between maintenance clients. ̇gn

12/26/2025

It’s that time of year, when we take a couple of well deserved weeks off. So I finally have time to post a few projects we completed over the last year. So many I never took photos of. The first thing that had to happen with this one was uncovering the house numbers! Hard to do with overgrown conifers. If you are thinking of planting anything don’t be fooled by the size when you bought it. Check the tags and look around the space. Will it get tall? How wide? Will that cover a plant, window or walkway eventually? Conifers are particularly difficult because many do not have latent buds on the interior. So, once it gets big, you can’t trim it back. Need help placing a new purchase? Give us a shout!

12/14/2025

We are hiring! If you like working with your hands and are looking to join a team of great people, give us a shout! This is a long-term permanent position for the right person.

Ace of Spades Landscaping

08/20/2025

Lately my daughter has been asking me what my favourite plant is. What an impossible question! I tell her that’s hard to say but one of my favourite things to do is prune and one my my favourite plants to prune is the rhododendron. So forgiving. So systematic in its growing pattern. I love a puzzle and hard pruning rhodos is exactly that. This client hadn’t seen the light of day through her east facing windows in years. Challenge accepted!!!

06/27/2025

Check out this concise overview of shrub & vine pruning courtesy of my favourite nursery https://dinternursery.ca/gardening-resources/shrub-pruning

05/25/2025