News and Blog Posts

We had an incredible turnout for this year’s Day of Service, with over 30 volunteers of staff, family, and friends joining us at Hyland Creek […]

At Para Space, our annual Summit is more than a professional development day. It’s a reflection of our commitment to education, collaboration, and recognizing the […]

A Healthy, Diverse, and Inclusive Workplace at Para Space On November 14th, Para Space Landscaping was recognized at the 25th Annual Burnaby Business Excellence Awards […]

To keep landscapes vibrant year-round, Para Space plants a variety of seasonal displays. These include fall annuals, primula, and spring-summer annuals. This October, we kicked […]

This year, Para Space celebrated a significant milestone — our 45th year serving the Lower Mainland. To honor this achievement, we came together at our […]

After two exciting nominations, Para Space Landscaping is proud to announce that we have won the Award of Excellence for Commercial Landscape Maintenance for UBC’s “Prodigy!” […]

Planting Para Space’s Roots Founded by Peter Foley on August 1, 1979, from a home office, Para Space began offering landscape maintenance services. Over the […]

Shaping Healthy and Attractive Landscapes Maintaining and shaping healthy and attractive landscapes requires significant effort, including irrigation management, proper landscape maintenance, and appealing landscape design. A […]

From the landscapes that Para Space maintains, to our leadership and workplace environment, we are thrilled to announce that Para Space Landscaping has been recognized […]

Barrels of Beauty This past week, our team was hard at work on Granville Island, refreshing the planter barrels for our 2024 Summer Annuals Plant […]

Para Space Landscaping is very pleased to announce our latest accomplishment: winning Burnaby Now’s 2024 Best of Burnaby award, securing the title of Burnaby’s Best […]

For our annual Day of Service this year, we were thrilled to witness an overwhelming turnout of staff, friends, and family generously offering their time […]

This year, we’re doing something special! We’ve undertaken several charitable projects to support members of our community in need of our services.   Our first […]

In our commitment to supporting those in need of our services, we’ve taken on some special charitable projects to give back to our community! Our […]

At our staff professional development day, the fun was contagious! Laughter filled the air as we dove into new learning adventures together. From team-building activities […]

We are thrilled to announce that Para Space has been honoured with not one, but two prestigious BC Landscape Excellence Awards! These accolades serve as […]

Our annual Day of Service was all for the dogs this year! It was paws down the most heartwarming, furry fun for all our staff, […]

Wow what an honour to be acknowledged by the YMCA Metro Vancouver as a nominee for the Women of Distinction “Outstanding Workplace” award this year!! […]

After several years, we were finally able to come back together as a team and celebrate all our accoumplishments in-person. Our annual Staff Summit is […]

This was our 6th annual Christmas jingle and mingle open house event at our head office in Burnaby! Thank you to everyone who came to […]

Award Winning HUGE props to our Senior Manager Cinzia Di Blasio and The Wynford Group for winning the 2022 Landscape Award of Excellence for their […]

The 23rd annual Business Excellence Awards Gala signifies another stepping stone in our journey towards enhancing, cultivating, and leading our industry with integrity and innovation. […]

Last summer we worked on a community project to update a tired and underutilized space in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Burnaby. It was a collaborative […]

As our vision so accurately states, being recognized as the best and getting there with the best drives all of us in our passion for […]

Servicing our local communities is something near and dear to our team, that’s why we were keen to return to Vancouver General Hospital and help […]

Every summer, water use in Metro Vancouver nearly doubles. The majority of this is due to outdoor uses such as lawn and landscape watering. On […]

This winter the temperature in Metro Vancouver dropped to a frigid -15 degrees Celsius, the coldest it has been in almost half a century. As […]

As mentioned over the previous months, 2021 was a record breaking year for us as we won 4 awards in recognition for our work at […]

Our team is proud to be recognized again for our hard work and dedication to meeting the high quality landscaping standards we are known for […]

At Para Space we recognize the importance of professional developement and so we sent our leadership team to attend Western Canada’s newly branded Horticulture Tradeshow […]

We have recently won two awards for our services at Granville Island! The first is the Green for Life Community Award. Presented by the Canadian Nursery […]

This summer we completed a community restoration project in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Burnaby. In partnership with local Burnaby businesses, Steamworks Brewery and GardenWorks, along […]

Making sure you’ve got the right growing conditions for your outdoor plants will help them reach maturity faster. It’s important to know that plants will […]

All homeowners want to be proud of their lawn, so if you incorporate these easy tips into your lawn care routine, you’ll see it’ll make […]

Last month we set out to help a family in our community who are dealing with a painful crisis. When this family’s second child was […]

Also known as Lare-bear, Larry Boy, Lucky Larry, Lare Lare! We know great things can be designed, but do they work for our landscaping service […]

We are very proud to be involved in a local community restoration project in Burnaby. The “Pollinator Park” is planned to be completed by August […]

How often should I water my plants? (Video below) Think about how you like your coffee in the morning. Some people like their coffee black, […]

One of the best practices you can do for your irrigation system is to evaluate it. Spend time running the system to see if there […]

Landscape liabilities involve any scenario where a person can trip or fall and injure themselves or when property damage can occur. Our Landscape Services Designer, […]

Though our Annual Professional Development Day looked a little different this year, we had some “out of the box” fun and tons of educational takeaways!

Our onsite training workshops give our budding leaders the opportunity to hone in on their horticulture knowledge and skills.

Award-Winning Landscaping We are so proud to announce our win in the 2020 BCLNA Awards of Excellence! The BCLNA recognizes a high standard of expertise […]

At Para Space, community outreach is important to us – especially during the challenging times brought on by COVID-19. So, in an effort to reach […]

We are proud to have won this year’s Healthy Workplace Award in the 2020 Burnaby Business Excellence Awards! The winners for the 21st annual Burnaby […]

Why do leaves change colour in autumn? For anyone curious, here’s our Plant Health Care manager, Hayley, answering all your questions about fall foliage. Fall […]

Curb Appeal What does “curb appeal” actually mean? It means pretty much exactly what you think: how does your home, building, or residence look from […]

Our HR team is proud to announce our Living Wage certification! Para Space always strives to provide an excellent working environment for our staff who […]

Watch our new series today! Here are the best practices and tips on how to maintain newly installed turf.

It seems now, more than ever, we need to support the communities in which we live and work. That’s why we jumped at the idea […]

To our valued clients, We wanted to take a moment to provide an update on the preventative and precautionary actions taken to date as we […]

Our entire team attended this all-day professional development summit that had topics ranging from The Importance of Urban Green Spaces to the 4 Pillars of […]

Congratulations to Safiya Popatia for being recognized with the prestigious BCLNA Young Member of the Year award! This annual award is presented to one person, […]

We couldn’t be more proud of our team and all the recognition and awards we’ve received this year. As we come to the end of […]

We are so proud to announce our win in the 2019 BCLNA Awards of Excellence! The BCLNA recognizes a high standard of expertise in the […]

This was our 3rd annual Christmas jingle and mingle open house event at our office in Burnaby. Clients popped in to meet our management team […]

The Premier’s Awards celebrate the best examples of innovation and excellence across the BC Public Service. The awards showcase the work of public servants whose […]

This past weekend we partnered with the non-profit Chrysalis Society to help brighten up the landscape around their transition house. Since 1987, the society has […]

We are proud to have been named a finalist in two categories for the 2019 Burnaby Business Excellence Awards. The finalists for the 20th annual […]

Our team is proud to have received the National Award of Excellence from the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) this year. This prestigious award distinguishes […]

1979 – 2019 It’s amazing looking back to our humble beginnings, with only two staff on hand and our office running out of Peter’s basement […]

There was a study published recently by the University of Switzerland that says planting trees is our best strategy of countering the impacts of climate […]

This year we partnered with the non-profit Kogawa House which was once the childhood home of acclaimed author Joy Kogawa and her family. Today, the […]

Skills BC is an early influencer that offers youth in K–12 and Post-Secondary, dynamic environments to explore trade and technology careers and meet prospective employers. […]

Para Space sponsored a staff team to participate in the Vancouver Sun Run, Canada’s largest 10K race. The rain and hail didn’t dampen our spirits […]

Last year unfortunate news was confirmed that the Japanese beetle, a voracious and extremely damaging pest to landscape and forest plants, was detected in the […]

This year the US National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) was held in Colorado. This annual three day event brings together the top landscape and horticulture […]

This year we put together a feature garden display at the Show which featured a “camp ground” theme that included our custom built Para Space […]

Our annual summit brings the entire team together for a fun and informative professional development day where we learn about new things happening in our […]

This was our 2nd annual Christmas jingle and mingle open house event at our office in Burnaby. Clients popped in to meet our management team […]

We are so proud to announce our DOUBLE win in the 2018 BCLNA Awards of Excellence! The BCLNA recognizes a high standard of expertise in […]

All of our management and supervisory staff, representing all 4 divisions, attended the CanWest Horticulture Expo held at Tradex in Abbotsford in late September. This […]

Every year we choose a community volunteer project that needs some landscaping TLC and this always proves to be a rewarding opportunity for us to […]

In the summer chlorophyll gives leaves their green colour and is so dominant it hides the other colours in the leaves. But in the fall, […]

PlantSomething Bee Friendly is going on a road trip! Follow them on social media to watch as their campaign highlights garden centres and nurseries in […]

Metro Vancouver released a short video on urban trees and the need to plan ahead for climate change. “Climate change is affecting the long term […]

Topdressing planted beds with organic soil amender is one of the most beneficial improvements that can be made to any landscape. It keeps garden plants […]

Spring flowering bulbs are always such a delight to see in the garden after months of dismal weather but as they slowly drop their last petals […]

Every year we choose a community project to volunteer our services on which is always a rewarding opportunity for staff to unite and demonstrate environmental […]

Once again this year, two of our Para Space staff entered the BC Skills Competition as student representatives of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Horticulture Program […]

Staff, friends, and family came out to help those in need at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society Warehouse. Each year, the Food Bank receives, […]

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing your irrigation system. Remember, irrigation systems should not be viewed as “set and forget” […]

This year the US National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) was held in North Carolina. This annual three day event brings together the top landscape and […]

Proper pruning techniques will enhance the look of almost any landscape, while improper pruning can ruin or greatly reduce a plant’s potential in the landscape. In […]

The winter season is one of our busiest times of the year with tree and shrub pruning. We take this opportunity to provide a hands-on […]

Deciduous trees are susceptible to numerous pests and diseases. For example, aphids damage leaves and transmit viruses; caterpillar larvae and mites over winter and cause […]

This year we opened our doors to our valued clients to showcase our services and the sophistication of our operations. It was an informative and […]

We are the proud recipients of the 2017 BCLNA Awards of Excellence! The BCLNA recognizes a high standard of expertise in the landscape trade through […]

Recently we partnered with the BCLNA to participate in the Education & Career Fair in Metro Vancouver. The mission of the fair is to support […]

One of our most tenured supervisors, Matt Harvey, brought his son to work as part of the national “take your kids to work day” initiative where grade 9 […]

The 2017 Para Space Day of Service was an opportunity for staff to unite and demonstrate environmental stewardship and humanitarianism by giving back to our […]

Now that summer has ended, so have all your beautiful summer annuals. Fall is the perfect time to refresh your garden displays with seasonal annuals. […]

We were recently featured in a Vancouver Sun article written by garden expert Brian Hunter. “With home prices remaining sky high, many folks are looking not only […]

Every summer, water use in Metro Vancouver nearly doubles.  The majority of this is due to outdoor uses such as lawn and landscape watering.  On […]

The Rialto is a townhome complex located along the New Westminster Quay looking out at the Fraser River. We were excited to take on this […]

What’s a Riparian Area? Riparian areas are the strip of moisture-loving vegetation growing along the edge of creeks and rivers. They are ecologically diverse and rich. Healthy […]

Para Space Landscaping has been named one of Canada’s first companies to receive the Landscape Industry Accredited Company seal of approval! This accreditation is meant […]

Safety is always a priority at Para Space. Every year our respirators are fit tested for all staff who have one. This includes replacing all filter […]

The Para Space team gathered together for our annual summit and it was an amazing professional development day for all! Guest speaker, Mario Lanthier, came to talk about nutrient deficiencies and […]

This winter we held pruning workshops to further develop the skill of our staff, as well as give a refresher to some of our more […]

We recently volunteered our time to give a tour of our office and worksites to a small group of Syrian refugees. The purpose of this event was to show off Canadian workplaces, […]

The 2016 Para Space Day of Service was an opportunity for staff to unite and demonstrate environmental stewardship and humanitarianism by giving back to our community. This […]

Seasonal annuals provide highlights or splashes of brightness in focal point areas throughout the winter months. Nothing can compete with the colour you get from […]

20 members of staff representing all 4 of our divisions attended the CanWest – Western Canada’s Premier Horticulture Expo held at Tradex in Abbotsford in […]

With autumn now at our doorstep it comes time to slow down on the mowing and pick up on those falling leaves! As part of […]

We are the proud recipients of the 2016 BCLNA Awards of Excellence! Congratulations to Jensen Villanueva and all the crew who helped maintain the landscape […]

Congratulations to Cody Zahradnik and Nick Murphy who placed second at this year’s skills competition! Since 1994 Skills Canada British Columbia (SkillsBC) has operated as […]

Try-a-Trade was a huge success this year with over 1000 high school students coming through our booth to get their hands a little dirty planting […]

Spring has sprung! As you look around the landscape you will start to see daffodils flowering and tulips slowly emerging from the ground. Spring flowering […]

Para Space Wins Two Awards of Excellence for 2015 The BC Landscape Awards of Excellence were announced earlier this month and we are very proud […]

It’s October, is your irrigation system ready for winter?  It is very important to properly winterize your irrigation system to prevent costly damage. Even with […]

The Para Space team is very honoured to have been awarded the 2015 Green for Life Community Award by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.  The […]

Metro Vancouver, as well as many areas of BC, are experiencing one of the driest summers on record.  This has led Metro Vancouver to enact […]

One of the Para Space team’s favourite annual events is our Day of Service.  This is a chance for green industry professionals to give back […]

Irrigation systems should not be viewed as “set and forget” systems. Proper and timely maintenance can reduce water consumption, save money with less plant loss, […]

We’re very proud of our latest competitor in the 2015 Skills BC competition, Dillon Mennie.  Dillon competed in the Landscape Gardening category, and his team […]

Dormant Oil and Lime Sulphur applications stink; literally! They smell like rotten eggs. The smell doesn’t last long but the effects do. The application leaves […]

Core aeration is the mechanical removal of small cores of soil from the lawn using an aeration machine. It is often described as the most […]

The Para Space team is very proud of our President & CEO Jeff Foley, who was recently elected as Chairperson of the British Columbia Landscape […]

The winter months are one of the most challenging times of the year when it comes to adding ‘colour’ to the landscape. One of the […]

It’s getting to be that time again, leaves are changing colour and colder weather is just around the corner. Compared to the rest of Canada, […]

The CanWest Horticulture Show is Western Canada’s premier green industry tradeshow and educational conference.  For 2014, the show will be held on October 1st and […]

Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) was introduced from Asia as an ornamental, but has been found to be highly invasive. It thrives in wetlands and other […]

13 Para Space team member where out at the July certification testing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. We’re very proud of the team, and especially proud […]

The Para Space team participates in many fun events, but none are more rewarding than when we have an opportunity to give back to the […]

Spring and Summer Flower displays are here! These beautiful combinations of annual flowers and other elements are a sure sign of spring and summer, and […]

We’ve moved!  The Para Space team is looking forward to serving you from our new location.  After 14 years at our previous Burnaby location, we […]

We hope you came out to see us at the recent Home + Garden Show. We are very proud to have been given a bronze […]

Para Space is proud to be part of the 2014 BC Home and Garden Show. Last year Para Space won the “Best in Show” award […]

Para Space Landscaping is excited to be exhibiting our skills at the 2014 BC Home + Garden Show.  This year we have been working very […]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all from the Para Space Team! Thanks to all our team members, suppliers, and a special thank […]

Our great team spent the day organizing canned goods and jarring peanut butter for people in need.

Container planting is an essential part of a full, vibrant landscape. Adding containers (typically filled with colourful annuals and perennials) to your entryway, patio, or […]

As the summer is about to roll into Metro Vancouver we are hearing that many of our clients are embracing the idea of a staycation […]

Weeds are an inevitable part of any landscape, competing with desirable plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Left unchecked, they can quickly take over garden […]

Mulching, put simply, is the practice of adding composted material to your garden beds to help with weed suppression, plant fertility, water retention, and more. […]

Using winter plants to preserve some colour within your landscape can be tricky. Shrubs and trees lose their autumn leaves, flowers wither, perennials recede back […]

Property value hinges on many factors, like building age, size, condition, and more. However, few of these factors have a clearer, more measurable effect on […]

Fall plants and their bright colours are universally adored. Due to shortening days and cooler temperatures, plants and trees stop creating nutrients, their chlorophyll breaks […]

As the leaves start to turn and the air gets crisper, it’s time to give your garden some love before the rainy Vancouver winter months […]

Creating a beautiful, functional outdoor space requires skill, creativity, and expertise. Whether you’re planning a complete landscape overhaul or just need some help maintaining your […]

Gardening is more than just a hobby; it’s a gateway to a vibrant community, a source of endless knowledge, and a path to personal growth. […]

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, our gardens often serve as a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation. But what if we could extend […]

Landscape lighting is one of the best ways to add variety, value, safety, and security to your landscape. If you’re thinking of ideas for how […]

Water features in residential yards are becoming fairly common just about everywhere! While not everyone is getting involved in this trend, the benefits are hard […]

The health benefits of gardening and landscaping are widespread and numerous. Even so, many people either don’t care or aren’t aware how healthy gardening can […]

Invasive plants in BC may be more popular than you think– in fact, they’re often widely used. But how do you know which plants are […]

The benefits of native plants are often underestimated. What most people don’t know is that native plants are low maintenance and highly sustainable. If you’re […]

The prolific Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) has, for most of recorded history, been a silent bastion of our local forests, coasts, and mountains here […]

When transplanting plants and trees, you might think to yourself “I’ll just dig it out of the ground and put it somewhere else. How hard […]

Herbaceous Perennials: Earlier this year, we talked about perennials, focusing largely on how to germinate them, but also touching briefly on their versatility. Herbaceous perennials […]

Dry streams: small-scale, empty versions of actual rivers. You’ve likely seen them before, but perhaps haven’t really noticed. That’s by design: the best dry streams […]

Edible Weeds and Plants When it comes to eating plants, there’s an unspoken rule: stick to well-known fruits and vegetables. However, very few grow naturally in […]

Landscaping small spaces can be tough, but there are lots of options and ideas available to those willing to be minimalistic – and a little […]

Patios and Decks: As we plunge into summertime, many people are beginning to consider adding a little flair and function to their backyard in the […]

Aphids are notorious landscape pests. If you’re familiar with them, you likely already know how hard they can be to manage and how harmful they […]

Climbing plants. They’re probably all over your city, growing up brick walls, over wooden structures, and even up the sides of trees. In the spring […]

Sustainable Landscaping: the eco-friendly trend is taking root. Where people once may have opted for expansive, resource-heavy, time-consuming garden-scapes, they are now actively seeking landscape […]

Perennial. It’s a word that even the most amateur gardeners have heard over and over again. For the few who haven’t, however, perennials are all […]

Winterproofing plants: Even though Vancouver winters are generally mild, we’ve been hit by a couple of nasty cold snaps in recent years during which life […]

Is your strata, multi-family housing, apartment, condominium or townhome community starting the building remediation process? From a landscaper’s perspective, there are some key factors that […]

There is no denying it, Metro Vancouver is known for its long and wet rainy seasons. Although our city is designed to funnel water through […]

In 2017 unfortunate news was confirmed that the Japanese beetle, a voracious and extremely damaging pest to landscape and forest plants, was detected in the […]

Everyone knows that weeds are irritating. They’re unwelcome. Intrusive. Ugly. They can singlehandedly ruin nice garden displays, and they’re a pain to remove. But not […]

Shop local? Eat Organic? Why not take it to the next level and try picking your own local wild organic food – with no cost […]

Hooray the summer season is upon us in Vancouver and the time for lawn care is upon us! Coming out of one of the most […]

How to create eye-catching flower displays that will boost your property value!   As we celebrate the Year of the Garden, there is no easier […]

In Metro Vancouver we are at the tail-end of winter weather, the buds on trees are only just starting to peek out and the daylight […]

In Metro Vancouver, emerald cedars are extremely common – both in nature and on residences. They’re easy to maintain, perform well in our coastal climate, […]

Hellstrips are the small slivers of lawn or dirt between a sidewalk and a street. They’ve earned notoriety (and such an unfortunate nickname) because they […]

Green roofs are becoming more and more commonplace in Vancouver and across the world. Functionally, they’re extremely useful, offer many environmental benefits, and they look […]

Interiorscaping – the practice of decorating your home or workplace with indoor plants – has many proven benefits to your home, your mood, and your […]

Boulders are often overlooked as a benefit to a garden. They’re big, heavy, and awkward, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, they can […]

Winter planting displays are great for businesses in Metro Vancouver, helping to improve their customers’ experience and satisfaction, ideally along with their overall bottom line. […]

In-ground patios and pathways have become an essential part of any residential landscape. Backyards, in particular, create lots of opportunity for stone and concrete accents […]

Slabs and pavers are some of the most common choices for pathways and in-ground patios in residential installations, but most people don’t even know the […]

Urban forests are exactly what they sound like: a collection of trees that grow within a city. They can refer to large forested city parks […]

Patios are a summer staple for restaurants and a huge source of additional revenue for establishments enabling them to serve more customers a day. Even […]

Some botanical gardens in Vancouver are internationally famous, having become known for their massive collections of diligently arranged rare and native plants, their approaches to […]

Why choosing the right patio furniture is so important. Mildew, rust, corrosion, decay. Four words that are a big concern to many Vancouver patio owners […]

For the past 2 years, we’ve been pleased to be the recipients of the BCLNA Landscape Award of Excellence for two of our residential landscape […]

Water-wise gardens (also known as drought-tolerant, drought-resistant, or xeriscaped gardens) are landscapes whose plants require little to no water to survive and can efficiently maximize […]

Turning plants into booze is a collective human effort. A fun fact you may not have known: alcoholic drinks are synthesized primarily from plants. Yes, […]

Deciding to install a wooden shade structure in your backyard is a big decision. Even more, when using natural materials such as wood, inadequate treatment […]

With many BC residents preparing for another staycation this summer due to the pandemic, the increased interest in home gardening improvements has never been higher! […]

Our recent projects are spread out all across greater Vancouver. While the majority of our installations take place in high-end residential neighbourhoods, we’ve also been […]

A “hardiness zone” refers to a geographic area with its own range of climatic conditions relevant to a plant’s growth and survival. Hardier plants can […]

Granville Island Though Vancouver is home to many famous landmarks, viewpoints, and tourist attractions, few are more widely-visited than Granville Island. For the past two […]

Rain gardens – a relatively recent innovation that have seen a sharp rise in popularity amongst Canadian homeowners, stratas, and even municipalities. They provide an […]

Winter in BC: Choosing the Right Time to Prune Some plants are best to prune in the winter for their health, whereas some are best […]