Owen Landscape Architect - Garden & Landscape Design Solutions

Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Jan 27th, 2023

I hired Peter earlier this year as my fourth attempt to do my back yard. Prior to engaging with Peter, I've had three different companies who did various scope of work in my back yard. There are a few key take away working with Peter 1)Don't accept "free design", it'll either end up being substandard work or they'll get their money back during the build process, 2)Don't go with "design build" companies, I bid my work out to 7 contractors and the "design build" guys are the most expensive ones, 3)You will end up saving money working with an independent designers such as Peter, 4)If you ever saw a design and think "this looks decent, but not amazing", it means that you probably got a mediocre designer and you should consider hiring a professional with pride in his work - such as Peter. I've accepted three "free designs" in the past and they all ended up with various problem (which I figured out only after everything was built) - from providing no shade for the sun to having privacy screens just enough so that the neighbor can see me (you read that right, my neighbor's second floor balcony is right on the tip of my "privacy trees". And all of these issues went away with Peter's design. Once I got the design package from Peter, I tendered out the work to 7 contractors, and the price varied between $40,000 - $150,000, with the "design build" guys being the most expensive ones. The one that ended up doing my work said "This is a very detailed design with lots of thought in it, the sizing of the stone patio is sized and placed so that we don't need to do any cutting and requires minimum retaining which will save you a lot of money. The design package is very clear without ambiguities so we could bid this tight". I realized that with a good design package, the good contractor will be able to bid it tight because they know what they are doing when they see a good detailed design. Also many of my friends decided to beef up their backyard around the same time, and unfortunately for them, they didn't know Peter, and many said the same thing about their design from other designers that "The design is good, but it just doesn't feel amazing", but no one said that about Peter's design - absolutely no one. Some wish they knew Peter before but after spending over $100k they aren't going to tear down their back yard and redo everything - so I now become the person who "got the best design". Overall, very pleasant experience with Peter, and when I move home in the future I'd definitely engage with Peter again. I think the only downside, is that after working with Peter I do regret paying the previous three landscapers who worked on my backyard. But hey, at least my yard is good now. Services: Landscape design, Backyard design, Retaining wall design, Patio design
Aug 2nd, 2022

Peter is fantastic. He help me design a beautiful backyard that maximized the space and included all the functionality I requested. Working with Peter is a very collaborative process and his 40+ years of experience is an incredible resource to help guide you to a stunning result. I also appreciate his flexibility, I contacted many other landscape architects and they did't want to give me the time of day since all I was looking for was help with the design of my backyard and there was not big contractor job in it. Peter was engaged and enthusiastic to help me realize my dream backyard, he provided lots of creative ideas and reference material to create a design that I will be able to achieve myself and elevate my home. I highly recommend working Peter on your landscaping project. Services: Landscape design, Backyard design, Patio design
May 21st, 2022

We engaged Peter Owen to help re-imagine our backyard and to come up with a viable action plan. We chose Peter as his process was very clearly outlined on his website, his portfolio of projects looked great, and he was very responsive from first contact. From the initial meeting, where he intently listened to our wishlist, right up to the final plan (which looks fantastic), Peter was professional, attentive and communicative throughout. It goes without saying that he is clearly a subject matter expert in this field. Would highly recommend OLA for landscape design services.
May 24th, 2021

Peter did a fantastic job when he did an overall landscape plan for our cottage in Haliburton. I had been struggling for years trying to deal with elevations and trying to make the best use of our space. Peter's plan was unique and workable. He put great time and thought into how we use space and not only dealt with the elevation challenges but created beautiful locations for gardens and patios that we would never have thought of. We absolutely love our space now! Peters designs are so unique and organic in nature that we asked him to do a plan for our sauna. Once again, the unique design is second to none and we know that no one will have a sauna quite like ours!! We highly recommend Peter!
Jun 30th, 2020