Garden excellence 20 years running

Times Contributor

 

There are many people who couldn’t stand a day in the garden let alone twenty years, but that is exactly what Kerry Malakoff of Landscape Plus is celebrating this year.

The business is celebrating its 20th anniversary serving the Strathmore area.

“There are some customers that have been with me from day one, for 15 or 20 years. I am thankful that they still call us,” said Malakoff.

She has always an outdoor person, even spending time picking fruit in the Okanogan. She originally spent 10 years working at Eagle Lake Nurseries, which gave her a good practical understanding of the plants that will grow in the Strathmore area. She completed her landscape journeyman’s ticket through Olds College and spent a couple years with a Calgary landscape company. It led her to start up her own landscaping business in 1992. She said it was scary at first but she is glad she took the chance. 

Her focus is paving stone walkways, retaining walls, trees, shrubs, sod, irrigation systems and any components that go into making a yard. She has all her own equipment and does the work, as well as the plumbing and electrical. She has a list of tradesmen that she uses to build structures that she needs for the projects.

“We deal with new yards, or give old yards a facelift,” said Malakoff.

She said that most people want a low maintenance yard and she delivers it. She doesn’t do maintenance, she hopes that the homeowner will enjoy doing that after her work is complete.

“I get great satisfaction from completing a yard and handing it over to the homeowner to maintain it,” Malakoff said.

She finds that it is beneficial for homeowners to make a plan for their yard.

“I definitely agree with pre-planning and having a landscape plan and knowing about the plant material being used,” said Malakoff.

Malakoff does consulting work, so if the homeowner just wants to develop a plan, she can help with that as well. Usually plans can be completed in a two week span, depending on the weather. However, sometimes the work needs to be phased over several years. 

Some of the challenges that gardeners have in this area are the chinook winds and water-related issues. Malakoff said that xeroscaped yards are becoming more popular. She encourages people to amend Strathmore soil, as it is sandy. She says compost or manure can be added to help the soil retain water.  Contouring the yard and placing bark-topping can also help keep the water close to the plants. She says anytime she plants trees and plants, it supports a green environment and it is good for our health. She keeps her chemical use to a minimum.

“My aim is to give them a yard they can enjoy,” said Malakoff.

She is looking forward to working on new developments and challenges her customers bring her. 

“I want to thank the community for allowing me to beautify the area and thank all of my customers and staff,” said Malakoff.

If readers want to contact Landscape Plus they can call 403 934-4421 or e-mail landscapeplus1@yahoo.ca to arrange an appointment.