Instagram - Virginia Burt Designs

Some green on March 17th! Reflecting pool with ma

Some green on March 17th!
Reflecting pool with magnolia allee and bocce court ... coming soon to this private residence. Have a great weekend everyone!

Stepping into Monday be like...SO MUCH SNOW! One o

Stepping into Monday be like...SO MUCH SNOW! One of our unique walkways that weave around mature trees and large outcrops at a site in Northern Ontario. @rsmphoto

What do you do when you're excavating and you surp

What do you do when you're excavating and you surprisingly unearth the most beautiful barn stones? Swipe to see final images and intial conceptual drawing by VBD's talented Paul Carabott.

@rsmphoto

Celebrating international women's day with our lad

Celebrating international women's day with our ladies leading VBD!
#internationalwomensday #iwd2023 #womenleadingwomen #womensupportingwomen #peopledrivendesign

In order of appearance:
Virginia Burt, Founder, Landscape Architect @virginiaburtdesigns

Emily Thorpe, Farmer, Architectural Designer
@emilyruththorpe

Michele Gunn, Interior Designer, Office Director

A little journey through this gate design: from co

A little journey through this gate design: from completion and construction to idea conception. You can find more about this historic Atlantic home and traditional cottage garden design on our website; further, read about our team's ongoings by subscribing to our newsletter! Link in bio!

Photography by:
@rsmphoto

Just a slice of something in the welding works !!!

Just a slice of something in the welding works !!! Detailed landscapes create wonderful opportunities for beautiful collaborations. WIP: custom fence and gate with talented maker K Weld.
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#weldingprojects #weldingproject #makershands #devilsinthedetails #gatedesign #customdesign #customgates #moderndesigns #landscapearchitecture #workwithyourhands #designcollaboration #gardendesigner #metalworking #metalwork #moderngarden #moderngates #drivewaydesign #gardendetails #ontariogardens #landarch #makelifebeautiful #currentdesignsituation #luxurylandscapes #underconstruction

Photography from this beautiful project is up on o

Photography from this beautiful project is up on our website (see link in bio)! The LR COTTAGE - a modern retreat- is defined by large rock outcrops and sensitive ecologies. Design with nature creates a healing and immersive experience in the wilderness of Northern Ontario.

Photography by @rsmphoto

A preliminary concept plan in the works ! Drawn by

A preliminary concept plan in the works ! Drawn by one of our interns, a series of garden rooms for this suburban residence are defined by layered hedging. Mowed areas are reduced to the 20X60 central lawn; otherwise, informal pathways weave amongst native pollinators and fescues.

Are you a highly motivated and dynamic Junior Land

Are you a highly motivated and dynamic Junior Landscape Architect who is seeking to create meaningful and beautiful work in our Dundas, Ontario, office?

Visit our website at www.vburtdesigns.com for more information and find a list of job responsibilities and qualifications posted on the OALA and CSLA websites!

All applications and inquiries can be directed to Michele at michele@vburtdesigns.com

sub-SCRIBE to our VBD newsletter on our website to

sub-SCRIBE to our VBD newsletter on our website to receive seasonal updates, behind the scenes information, landscape inspiration and drawing tips...and more puns. Link in bio!
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Photography: @rsmphoto

...who else is dreaming of clear skies and summer

...who else is dreaming of clear skies and summer ?
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Architecture: @wayneswadron
Photography by: @rsmphoto

What a way to start a new year: One of our first r

What a way to start a new year: One of our first residential projects completed over 20 years ago - just won a 2022 APALA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE in the category of Residential Landscape Architecture! Timeless design indeed and huge shout out to the VBD team for pulling this project out of the archives.

Project fun fact: Both beginning their careers, paintings were given to landscape architect Virginia Burt by the homeowner and local artist in return for design services - a trade of artforms.
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📸 @rsmphoto
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#landscapepainting #landscapephotography #landscapedesigner #landscapelovers #landscapearchitecture #landart #halifaxdesign #halifaxdesigns #historicdesign #historicdesigns #natureandart #artandlandscape #artandlandscapearchitecture #atlanticdesign #timelessdesign #timelessdesigns #timelesslandscapes #apala #eastcoastdesign #eastcoastdesigners

Warmest wishes and happy holidays everyone! 2022 h

Warmest wishes and happy holidays everyone! 2022 has been an amazing journey designing landscapes and working with fabulous clients, talented artists, and tradespersons. Together we have planted over 3000 trees and shrubs, and have restored over 7 acres of habitat with naturalization and rewilding techniques! Thank you to our community for achieving beautiful moments and gardens with us.

Photo by @rsmphoto of on site contractors and design team on a recently completed project - our thanks to our many collaborators and our winter work continues!

A F T E R and B E F O R E - a wonderful collaborat

A F T E R and B E F O R E - a wonderful collaboration with William H. Childs, Jr. And Associates. Welcome to the weekend everyone!

Photo Credit: @rsmphoto

Virginia sharing landscape drawing and colouring t

Virginia sharing landscape drawing and colouring techniques in studio today. Pro tip: Colour on both sides of the trace paper!

Art belongs in the garden, the garden is art : "th

Art belongs in the garden, the garden is art : "the processes both of making and enjoying art (and garden) should be part of our daily lives" - James C. Rose.

One of our first projects at VBD was a collaboration between local artist and landscape architect Virginia Burt - both beginning their careers. Payment for the garden's design was in part received in paintings from the artist; a trade between art forms, the result is a an intimate, exploratory space, where the artist's personal collection of sculpture is interwoven experientially with landscape elements.

Featured here, Canadian sculptor Joe Fafard's "Trojan" .

photography: @rsmphoto

Are you ready for winter? This potting shed was ma

Are you ready for winter? This potting shed was made with salvaged materials - swipe to see inside!
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Photo by: @rsmphoto
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#architecturalsalvage #salvageyard #salvage #salvagegarden #gardendesign #landscapephotography #landscapearchitecture #landart #landarch #bricolage #bricoleur #spiderweb #classicaldesign

TGIF...thank golly its FALL! Happy fall everyone!

TGIF...thank golly its FALL! Happy fall everyone!

Cobblestone motor court – with a central antique

Cobblestone motor court – with a central antique wellhead – embraced by a series of stone plinths and the beautiful stone garden walls.

About this project: Early in the design process, an in-depth analysis of the physical characteristics of the site was conducted to create a low impact plan that limited disturbance to the property. Topography, vegetation, drainage patterns, views (to and from the site), solar exposure and soils were all carefully considered in siting the manor with a footprint of approximately 17,000 square feet. Driven by the results of this analysis, the manor was orientated to respect riparian woodlands characterized by mature sycamores, capture views of river tributary, and preserve the hardwood forests of surrounding uplands. This early analysis and approach predicated a landscape architecture of restraint – seemingly contrary to an architecture of such magnificent scale. The result, however, elevates the natural and historic character the site, while the preservation of large mature sycamores provides privacy from public view and integrates the home into its environs, reducing its presence from neighboring homes and the public realm. The symbiotic relationship between landscape and built form is the direct result of the strong collaboration between landscape architect and architect from the inception of the project; together we DESIGN WITH NATURE!

Photography @rsmphoto
Architecture William H. Childs, Jr. & Associates

During a design charrette in office today we were

During a design charrette in office today we were reminded of our previous rooftop project. By positioning the cable railing back from the rooftop edge, the city disappears behind a natural green and planted parapet; an infinity edge to the tall mature oaks beyond is intentionally created, or in other words "a borrowed landscape". Adjacent neighbors, birds, pollinators and other city dwellers alike reap the benefits of this garden in the sky; meanwhile, materials and detailing have significant meaning to the owner by recalling the industrial and agricultural roots of their family.
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photography @rsmphoto

Have a great long weekend everyone 🙂 From our re

Have a great long weekend everyone 🙂
From our recently completed project of Italianate character - the reflecting pool is a feature beloved by the aptly named, Trevi, an Italian water dog.

📸 @rsmphoto

VBD TURNS 25! Celebrating the years with a video o

VBD TURNS 25! Celebrating the years with a video of principal Virginia Burt describing her beautiful journey in landscape architecture.
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Thank you for capturing:
🎬 @bowkerresolutions

From grand master plans to intimate details like t

From grand master plans to intimate details like this humble and elegant boot scraper…Do you think there will be a resurgence in entry boot scrapers with the pandemic’s gardening boom?

A boot scraper is a metal plate located near the front steps used to scrape dirt or mud from the bottoms of shoes or boots before entering the building; common before the advent of paved streets, scrapers appeared two to three centuries ago and were initially made of hand wrought iron. Their composition evolved to cast iron designs in the 19th century and were generally secured into stone, built into steps, railings or even into the side of a building. For a time, they became so ubiquitous that they were often included in builders’ and architects’ plans.

In case you missed it on our story – this VBD ga

In case you missed it on our story – this VBD garden and preliminary concept plan is now 10 years old! Incorporating native and edible plantings into our designs is very much a part of our practice today as it was all these years ago…and in the case of this formal green and white garden, you’d never know it!