Planning a Landscaping Project: Key Steps and Material Selection

Planning a Landscaping Project: Key Steps and Material Selection

Are you planning a residential landscaping project?
How can you properly structure your project? Which materials should you choose? Each option comes with its own advantages and limitations. Discover how to make the right choices and use them strategically to maximize their potential—and transform the appearance of your property.

The Benefits of Landscaping

There are many good reasons to invest time and effort in a landscaping project.

Whether you complete the work yourself or hire a contractor, the end result offers numerous benefits:

• Health benefits: A healthy green space produces oxygen and helps remove dust, smoke, and other pollutants, improving the quality of the air you breathe. In addition, a calming outdoor environment promotes relaxation and mental well-being.
• Added value for your property: Well-designed landscaping increases the long-term value of your home. An attractive property is not only more enjoyable to live in, but also easier to sell.
• Environmental benefits: Vegetation (lawns, plants, shrubs, trees) purifies the surrounding air and acts as a natural filter for rainwater. This helps prevent groundwater contamination by pollutants.
• Reduced ambient noise: Certain landscaping elements, such as retaining walls or hedges, can act as sound barriers and help reduce surrounding noise pollution.
• Protection against erosion: If your property is sloped, installing a retaining wall can help prevent soil erosion caused by rain, protecting your home’s foundations.

The importance of Proper Planning

Before starting your landscaping project, proper planning is essential to avoid unexpected issues. Here are a few key points to consider before you begin:

• Have you calculated the quantity of materials required? (Here is our tonnage calculator for your crushed stone loads.)
• How many deliveries or trips will be needed?
• Do you need to rent a container for construction waste? (Here is our guide for container rental.)
• Have you double-checked the measurements of your property and landscaped areas?
• Have you estimated the total cost of your project?
• Do you know how you will manage leftover materials or debris after the work is completed? (Here are the ABC’s of recycling building materials.)
• Have you checked municipal regulations and required permits? Some municipalities require permits for work such as installing retaining walls, sheds, fences, or other structures. It is essential to verify this before starting.
• Have you identified the location of underground utilities? If your project involves excavation, you must ensure the location of water, gas, electrical, or other lines to avoid accidents.
• Have you considered sunlight exposure and orientation? The amount of light different areas receive will influence plant selection and the placement of relaxation areas.
• What about accessibility and circulation on the property? A landscaping project should include planned access routes (paths, stairs, access for lawn equipment or garbage bins). A practical layout will make daily life easier.

In addition to these considerations, it is recommended to establish a project timeline, especially for larger-scale projects. Certain tasks must be completed at specific times (excavation and paver installation, for example). Creating a schedule is particularly important if you are working with multiple contractors or planning material deliveries.

If you are unable to answer some of these questions or feel uncertain, don’t hesitate to contact our experts!

Once the planning phase is complete, it’s time to choose the materials best suited to your landscaping project. Below are a few examples and their uses.

Decorative Concrete Blocks for Retaining Walls

Concrete blocks are a staple in landscaping. However, not all concrete blocks are suitable for every application.

Be sure to use decorative concrete blocks when building retaining walls. At Groupe Bellemare, we offer two types of decorative concrete blocks:

Stone Terra and Stone Urbain Blocks: These attractive, lightweight concrete blocks are easy to handle and adapt to all types of projects. Let your creativity flow and design retaining walls of all styles.

Retaining walls are versatile structures that can be used for many purposes, including:

• Structuring a property by creating clear separations between different areas (yard, garden, driveway, etc.
• Landscaping sloped terrain by stabilizing soil and creating levels
• Serving as a foundation for domes or shelters, providing a stable and durable base for temporary or permanent structures
• Creating water features, such as ponds or waterfalls
• Adding a unique design element to a custom landscapeAnd much more

Examples of retaining walls made with concrete blocks:

Natural Stones for Successful rock landscaping

Natural stones (also known as river stones) are an excellent choice for landscaping that is both functional and visually appealing. Their smooth texture and larger size compared to fine gravel make them ideal for many applications.

At Groupe Bellemare, we offer high-quality natural stones in various sizes. 

Natural stones are versatile and useful for many purposes, including:

• Decorative landscaping: adding visual appeal around flower beds, ponds, or other outdoor features
• Gardening: creating clean borders or stabilizing slopes
• Replacing mulch: retaining soil moisture with a durable, maintenance-free alternative
• Drainage and erosion control: directing rainwater properly and preventing soil washout on sloped terrain
• Patio bases: providing a stable, well-drained foundation beneath slabs or pavers
• Paths and walkways: creating durable routes for moving around the garden or home
• Driveway entrances: offering a robust, attractive, and low-maintenance surface

For a more refined look, you can combine different stone sizes!

Screened sand with multiple uses

The most popular sand with stable gradation for landscaping is Class A Sand.  In addition to being an economical option, it is highly versatile and can be used for:

• Patio and terrace sub-bases, providing a solid, well-drained foundation
• Sub-bases for slabs and pavers, leveling and stabilizing the ground to prevent settling or shifting over time
• Decorative landscaping, covering areas to create uniform and attractive surfaces in gardens or around water features
• Garden beds, improving drainage and simplifying maintenance

At Groupe Bellemare, we offer sand for all uses, including certified sand for children’s playgrounds.

If you have leftover sand after your project, screened sand can also be used as an anti-slip material on ice during winter.

Sieved topsoil for your garden

Groupe Bellemare produces high-quality, non-composed screened sieved soil.

This soil is ideal for many horticultural and landscaping applications, including:

• Vegetable gardens: containing essential nutrients for vegetables, herbs, and small fruits while retaining moisture
• Flower beds: ideal for flowers, perennials, and shrubs, promoting deep root growth and abundant flowering
• Landscaping projects: used for leveling land or creating planting areas while improving soil fertility
• Lawn repair: combined with seed, it helps restore damaged areas for a dense, uniform lawn
• Tree and shrub planting: providing light, well-drained soil rich in nutrients

Choosing fine soil encourages the growth of strong, upright plants. Without obstacles such as stones, roots can develop freely without breaking, improving plant health and increasing your chances of a successful landscaping project.

Need crushed stone?  Use stone dust.

Stone dust is a very fine and versatile material. In landscaping, it is primarily used as a finishing sub-base for:

• Above-ground pools, creating a stable, level, and well-drained surface
• Concrete slabs, ensuring proper leveling and reducing the risk of shifting or cracking
• Concrete blocks, stabilizing the base and preventing ground movement
• Decks and patios, providing a uniform, solid base with good drainage
• Interlocking pavers, allowing precise adjustment and long-term durability

Stone dust can also be used as a surface material to create pathways on your property.

In addition to offering a wide range of crushed stone products, we have developed a pricing guide to help you plan your projects.

An Eco-friendly Product: Recycled Glass Mulch

Choose an innovative, environmentally friendly product to finish your landscaping projetct. Our glass mulch is made from glass sources through selective collection.

Being eco-friendly is not its only advantage:

• A unique and distinctive color (pistachio green)
• Helps prevent the growth of unwanted plants
• Deters insects and crawling mollusks from approaching your plants

Recycled glass mulch can be used in many applications, including:

• Decorative ground cover
• Flower bed filler
• Pathway surfacing

Recycled glass mulch is both decorative and environmentally responsible:

• Decorative ground cover: adds color and shine while limiting weed growth
• Flower bed filler: covers soil around plants, helping retain moisture and reduce erosion
• Pathway surfacing: creates durable, well-drained, and attractive walkways that are safe thanks to softened edges

Examples of Recycled Glass Mulch in Landscaping:

Purchase our landscaping products

Our quarries and sandpits produce the highest quality products on the market. Our plants also manufacture several eco-responsible recycled products such as glass mulch.  

All products are available in bulk, whether for a residential or commercial volume. Some sands and aggregates are also available in 30 kg bags. 

We also offer delivery and installation in one step thanks to our stone slingers which can spread the product in a precise and fast way.

Use the materials that best suit your needs

Now that you are familiar with many of the materials and aggregates that can enhance your landscaping project, it’s time to take action!

Of course, the important thing is to use the right products for your project. Be creative and if you have any questions feel free to contact us about the landscaping and materials mentioned in this article.