Featured Projects
These projects are just a sampling of what we’ve accomplished for our clients. Yours could be the next featured project!
Landscape Horticulture
When thinking about garden projects, there are so many possibilities to consider. We could be looking at a completely new garden environment, starting from a blank canvas, re-imagining part of a mature garden, or subtle shaping an established garden to increase its beauty or functionality.
A further and perhaps even more important consideration is how the garden space functions in the face of climate change. It’s essential to evaluate the place of water within the garden.
There may be many factors to consider, but there are always solutions! Creating garden environments that not only please the senses but also function properly is deeply fulfilling. As has been said many times before, we never truly own the land, we take care of it for future generations, so let’s care for it the best way we can.
Lakeside Luxury
Landscape Ontario 2024 Award of Excellence winner for landscape construction $100K-250K!
This project is contemporary in nature. The homeowners wanted a space to accommodate lakeside views while enjoying their love of gardening and having a space that was pet-friendly. An elevated deck provides sightlines to the lake. A custom metal “catail” fence curves and winds around the surrounding gradients, keeping the natural slope in place. Steps to the lower terrace provide ample opportunity for planting and a secondary, cozy hidden garden area.
The front yard faces a mutual laneway, so privacy was a priority. Elevated garden walls and perennial planting provide seclusion while still softening the landscape.
Backyard Oasis
Landscape Ontario 2024 Award of Excellence winner for landscape construction $100K-250K!
There are plenty of activities to enjoy in this entertainment-ready backyard! Working together with Sander Design, we took our clients ideas and transformed this limited outdoor space into something completely different. In order to double the usable space, we removed an outdated, decaying garage to allow for a full range of outdoor experiences.
Simple Elegance
Sometimes less is more; you don’t always have to start from scratch. The owners had outgrown the existing playbarn and sand box and wanted to reinvent their backyard to explore new passions. They had an existing walkout deck they wanted to incorporate as well as existing poured concrete walkways with finished side access. The challenges were many, including a soggy rear yard in the spring due to poor drainage and clay-based soils. One owner is an avid gardener, and the other has a love of cooking.
Entertaining in Cabbagetown
2016 Award of Excellence for Residential Construction from Landscape Ontario.
This homeowner desired a modern yet comfortable space for entertaining friends and family while maximizing privacy in an urban backyard. We constructed the deck using heat-treated wood, a superior decking material that’s beautiful and highly resistant to rot. The deck incorporates two dining areas, an outdoor kitchen and modern privacy screens with built-in niches. Large cultured stone slabs by Techo-Bloc bring a clean, contemporary aesthetic to the patio. They offer the appearance of natural stone at the cost of pre-cast pavers.
Controlled by smartphone, layers of landscape lighting provide ambience, drama and security and allow the homeowner to enjoy the outdoors into the evening. In addition to helping our client achieve everything on his wish list, Golden Mean Landscapes was honoured to win a 2016 Award of Excellence for Residential Construction from Landscape Ontario for this project.
Modern Twist
2019 Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence for Residential Construction between $50,000 – $100,000.
Featured in Blog T.O’s House of the Week – this project, named the Modern Twist, fits right in with its hyper modern exterior in the Annex with trendy colours, textures and features within the site. Highlights include architectural planting, wall accents with porcelain tile, integrated landscape LED Lighting, both in the wall and throughout the backyard – as well as custom privacy screens which maintain a sense of privacy to the neighbor’s backyard without making it feel too enclosed.
European Beech, Japanese Forest Grass, and Japanese Maple are some of the many great plant choices that help tie in the space and add a pop of colour to the slate palette.
The Kitchen Sink
2019 Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence in Residential Construction between $50,000 – $100,000!
Named ‘The Kitchen Sink’ because it has everything a landscape project could entail; a water feature, fire feature, lighting, decking, natural stone paving, a custom storage shed, shade sail, irrigation, helical piles, artificial turf, BBQ insert!
We built a custom shed to go with the look of the backyard and make it a feature. We also installed a linear fire feature and a water feature in the lounge/entertainment area. Shade sails are hung above the lounge/entertainment area for those moments when the sun is a bit too strong. The patio was constructed with natural stone and the deck/pergola are stained to match the custom shed and fences.
Lorne Park Grand Entrance
This lovely suburban house needed more curb appeal.
We broke up the expansive driveway with banding, creating planting zones in the front yard. Wiarton stone curbing defines the garden and matches the façade of the home, while Chinese granite is embedded in the walkway and used as a veneer on the porch.
Witch hazel plantings tie in with the backyard while a row of European hornbeams make an elegant statement.
Garden Retreat
This new seating area is truly a “living room” — it allows them to be surrounded by greenery.
We created a natural stone patio to match an existing path, built custom privacy screens and added landscape lighting, boxwood plantings and irrigation.
Downtown Lounge
The landscape architect’s initial design called for concrete patio pavers, which would have been carried in manually through the basement of the row house. We proposed an above-grade deck built from composite wood to maximize functional space and substantially reduce their labour costs.
Privacy on a Corner Lot
A pergola defines the dining area, surrounded by custom privacy screens.
Instead of investing in a new fence, we stained one that was structurally sound but looking tired and stained it dark so it disappears visually.
Old and New
We added a new seat wall, yew plantings, landscape lighting and modern wood cladding with a custom stain to camouflage a garage.
The luxurious ipé deck features a majestic staircase with generous treads and a custom wrought-iron railing.
Finally, we introduced pea gravel to the back corner for the family’s two dogs.
Testimonial
We hired Golden Mean to complete all soft and hardscaping around our new custom-built home in downtown Toronto. We found the entire team to be courteous, considerate, punctual, professional, and friendly. They arrived onsite on time, every day, and were constantly communicating with us about timelines, major milestones, and decisions that required our input in order to keep the job on schedule. They coordinated with multiple trades throughout the project, including some that we had hired. They started and completed our project on schedule. In fact, after working with them during the earlier phases, we trusted them so completely that we took a vacation for the final phase of the project and watched, with excitement, the progress each day from our video doorbell. If ever an issue arose, they reached out to us, explained the situation, provided options to move forward, and provided their recommended path. Golden Mean is a gem of a company, and I would not hesitate to use them on future projects of our own or to recommend them to anyone. You will not be disappointed.
Corey and Sima
We can sum up our experience with Darren and his team at Golden Mean as collaborative, efficient, and professional. From our first sit down meeting we could see that they had the knowledge and experience to bring our vision to the next level. Darren's team communicated with us clearly throughout the project, got things done on time, and were flexible with last minute changes. At the end, our backyard was completely transformed, while still feeling like our own. The space has been perfect for entertaining, playing with our son, and best of all spending time together relaxing in what has become our oasis.
Lisa and Derek
We built a new home from the ground up and required full landscaping. GML and team provided hardscaping and softscaping in both front and rear yards and was able to provide expert advice. We have had various projects ongoing in the last few years and did use other landscaping services. However, we quickly observed the difference in quality of work GML produces, the professionalism of how they handle ongoing onsite work, the respect for our home and neighborhood, in keeping the site clean, neat and tidy after working hours, overnight and weekends, etc. Moving forward, we will not use anyone but GML for our needs.
Dorice and Greg
We have had the pleasure of working with Darren and his team on two occasions. The first project was very large and included a complete redesign of our front, side, and rear yards. The project included substantial stonework, a complex retaining wall, a new patio, integrated woodwork, lighting, and all new planting. The results were beautiful and transformational to our family’s use of our outdoor space. On each occasion the finished product was consistently excellent. The work was first rate, communications were very clear, and the budget was respected as a goal, rather than just a starting point.
Richard and Lesley
Many thanks to the Golden Mean Landscapes team for doing such a great job. We give you a 10/10 for the quality of work, communication and surpassing expectations.
Don and Connie
We've worked with Darren and the Golden Mean team on our back yard and our front yard; both projects went really well, coming in on time and on budget. Golden Mean has an extensive network of product suppliers and access to specialists where needed. We appreciated the creativity in terms of translating designs into construction reality. The work is of top quality, and the job site was kept in order throughout the construction period. We definitely recommend Golden Mean.
Jeff and Lori
