Integrate Your Plants
Vegetables and herbs have a place in the flower garden. Use herbs to edge the beds and borders. Variegated mint arrives early and stays late. "In the garden, integration is the key. The mint's aroma wafts on the breeze when visitors brush against it, and the chefs in the garden's restaurants snip sprigs to flavor the day's fare.

Play Up Texture
Pay attention to foliage texture, as well as colour. For example, purple heuchera makes a lovely contrast against 'Burgundy Glow' ajuga and gray-blue stones.

Put Trees and Shrubs in Pots
Don't think container gardens are limited to annuals -- you can use trees and shrubs to make a bold impact. For example, ferny Sorbaria 'Sem' is a stunning partner for burgundy-leaf Red Majestic hazelnut.

Plan for a Grand Entrance
Defining an entrance makes a big statement - Place two spruces ready to usher visitors into a hillside garden of slow-growing conifers and alpine plants. The evergreens are just big enough -- about 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide -- to play hide-and-seek with the meandering path that leads to a vine-covered garden folly.

Leave a Spot to Enjoy Your Garden
"Gardens are magical places, and there should be reminders along the way: pretty vignettes and little escapes." Whether they're used or not, a decorative table and chair invite contemplation. The invitation stands: Come, sit awhile, and smell the flowers, listen to the bird song, and watch the grass grow

Grow Fragrant Herbs
Plant herbs in window boxes and containers so you can place them by your kitchen door or next to the grill so you can snip and tuck them into salads, soups, and sauces. They're a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds

Let Nature Be Your Guide
A carved alpine pond in a hillside where frogs and toads join the chorus of birds splashing in the shallow water. "The trick is to work with the setting so the pond and plantings look natural. Lady's mantle and cotoneaster in the foreground and alpine firs and weeping Nootka false cypress in the background.

Don't Forget Containers
In early spring, long before the garden bursts into colour, pot up containers that bridge the seasons with bright foliage and subtle textures. Start with a weeping hemlock, then add a euphorbia or two. Next comes a sampling of Heuchera 'Marmalade' followed by a streak of Sedum 'Angelina'. "With foliage like this, who needs flowers.
Incorporate Curves
The secret to cultivating intrigue in the garden, always have a curve. You want to keep them guessing -- What's up ahead? What will I discover? You don't need a lot of space to achieve that.

Go with Rich, Dark Colors
Your garden will profit from the addition of plants with dark purple foliage that appears blackish. "Black foliage creates magical combinations in the garden. Look at these dark-leaved begonias and 'Bishop of Llandaff' dahlias."

Benefits for the homeowner when purchasing a BUILT GREEN(TM) home built by Nicon Developments Limited

Energy Efficiency
Energy cost are the second largest expense that homeowners incur after the mortgage payment. With an energy efficient home the homeowner reaps the benefits with lower energy costs.

Comfort
Homes with improved ventilation and fewer drafts allows the homeowner more control over the temperature and humidity in their home. Proper designs in a new home can take advantage of sun in both the winter by using it to help heat the home and in the summer to help keep the home cooler. A less drafty home with improved ventilation increases the homeowner’s control of humidity and temperature. Appropriate design and orientation can take advantage of the sun's warmth in the winter and reduce the sun’s impact in the summer.

Water Efficiency
As water becomes a more precious resource year after year, installing water efficient appliances such as low-flow fixtures allow the homeowner to better control the use of these resources. Energy Star dishwashers, clothes washers and water aerators on the faucets also help in our water conservation. Planting landscapes that are drought resistant or require less water are also easier to maintain as they need less attention.

Healthier Indoor Air
Well sealed duct systems are encouraged by the BUILT GREEN™ program making the ventilation system in your home healthier for you and your family.

Durability and Less Maintenance
Both inside and outside your home, more durable building materials are used to reduce both maintenance and the need for costly replacements.

By purchasing a BUILT GREEN(TM) home built by Nicon Developments Limited, you not only seeing the benefits as the homeowner but the environment and community are also seeing the benefits. Using local sustainable materials not only reduces the cost of the products used to build the home, it also reduces the pollution as less transportation is required to get the supplies to the building site. Buying locally also stimulates the economy and when the builders choose materials and products made from recycled content we see a reduction in the energy to extract new materials.

#1 You know what you are getting When you opt for a newly-built Nicon home, you know that it was built via your choices and decisions, so it is something you can be totally proud of. You know what went into its construction and what lies behind the décor.
#2 You choose the builder
When it comes to a newly-built home, it is up to you to choose the builder based on their reputation and references. Nicon home builders are proud of the homes they have built and are committed to your satisfaction.
#3 Get what you want
Newly-built home builders offer myriad home models; you can choose the one you like and modify it with your builder. You can do anything from make the garage a few feet bigger to adding an extra room. You decide.
#4 Easy to maintain
Today’s newly-built homes come with designs that take into consideration the ease with which you can maintain them. Convenience and condition are major factors for home builders and they take into account what it will take to simplify your life.

#5 A great design
The newly-built homes of today blend function and style to create an open-concept, inviting living area that incorporates lots of light, work spaces and flexible layouts that can accommodate changes you may want to consider in the future.
#6 Create an energy efficient home
Using more advanced products and materials, home builders use energy efficient products from construction materials to heating systems that create a newly-built home that will save you money and save the planet. #7 Upgrade the finishes
From the hardwood floors to the bathtub, you can select all the finishes that reflect your particular taste, whether it be super minimalist or incredibly traditional.

#8 A good community
When builders have plots of lands in specific areas, these new developments are planned in a way that fosters a neighborly atmosphere without sacrificing privacy. These communities boast green areas, playgrounds, and safe roads and bicycle paths.

#9 Enjoy great indoor air quality
Between the clean air and comfortable moisture, thanks to central air and (de)humidifier installation, there is minimal risk of mold or unpleasant odors. Newly-built homes are designed to give you the best air quality.

#10 No major repairs
While a newly-built home may be the largest purchase you make in your lifetime, you can rest assured that you will not have any major repair bills or replacement costs of items in the home for many years to come. #11 Take comfort in the warranty
One of the great advantages of buying a brand new home is the warranty that comes with it. Professional builders stand behind their work with an after-sales service program and a guaranteed third-party warranty.

#12 Feel safe
Newly-built homes are constructed with respect to the latest building codes (smoke detectors, safety glass, electrical circuit protectors, etc.), and new homes include these safety measures so you can rest assured that you and your family are safe.

Take advantage of buying a newly-built home today. If you are interested in buying a newly-built home or building one from the ground up, check out the www.nicon.ca or www.trumpeterpointe.ca websites for a selection of our new homes and lots available today.

“Published in the Vancouver Island Business Examiner April 24/2011”
DUNCAN - Nicon Developments Ltd. is a true Vancouver Island success story. Nicon Developments with more than a dozen Gold and Silver CARE Awards under its belt from the Canadian Home Builders Association is a leading developer and builder of quality residences.
The driving force behind Nicon Developments is Nick Woywitka. Woywitka literally grew up in the industry. His parents owned a lumber yard in Alberta and lived on site. By age 10 Woywitka was driving the forklift and serving customers in the yard. His father sold the business in 1967 and moved the family to Duncan. Woywitka moved back to Alberta in the spring of 1972. Needing a job, he wrote his real estate exam and qualified the same day. But real estate wasn’t the career for him. Three months later he took a job as a clean-up contractor for a residential facility, repairing deficiencies after construction. Three weeks after being on the job, he was promoted to the position of superintendent. “I didn’t even know how to spell it at the time,” Woywitka says. “So I was handed the keys to the van and a couple of boxes of files.” The company he worked for was building about 400 houses a year under the supervision of four project managers. Each manager, Woywitka included, was responsible for 25 homes each quarter.

If each home came in on time and on budget, the project manager received a bonus. Woywitka recalls that he spent his first quarter learning the ropes and his next three quarters collecting the maximum bonus. At age 23 he was outperforming everyone else. “I was really good at scheduling and delegating,” he says, recalling that he spent every Saturday inspecting every house under construction that he was responsible for and drawing up the next week’s schedule for each.

One of the secrets to his “on-time and on-budget” success was his relationship with the sub-trades that he had to share with the other project managers. He offered them a share of his bonuses – the enticement worked like a dream. “I wasn’t in it for the money,” he says. “I was out to prove something to myself.” In September 1974, with another cold Alberta winter setting in, Woywitka moved back to Duncan. Looking around for something to do, he noticed a new subdivision starting on Sherman Road. Unfortunately all he had was a 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo, a trunk full of tools and $1,700. He suggested to the realtor on the subdivision that he sell him a lot for $1 with the guarantee that once he built and sold the house, he would pay the full price of the lot and give the real estate company the listing. The company agreed. He offered the same deal to the lumber yards and other suppliers – they’d get paid when the house was finished and sold. “And that’s how I built my first spec home,” Woywitka recalls.

With that house under his belt, Woywitka took on a wide variety of odd construction jobs. He did dry-walling, cabinetry, painting, concrete work – everything except electrical. He learned to build fireplaces by paying a bricklayer to sit in a lawn chair and drink beer while he instructed him and told him what to do. Two projects later, and Woywitka was an accomplished bricklayer. In 1976, Woywitka founded Nicon Developments Ltd. Within a year he was hiring staff and beginning to delegate while he managed his projects. A couple of years later he got into the insurance restoration business – literally by accident when the ceiling in his home fell down due to frozen pipes. The insurance adjuster who came to look after the claim said he couldn’t get hold of a restoration company immediately and suggested Woywitka take on the restoration work himself. In very short order, the insurance company was sending him more restoration work. Woywitka hired a project manager for the new division of his company and very quickly, he was handling about 350 files a year until he closed that division in 2002. In the early 1980s, Woywitka brought an expert commercial project manager to Duncan from Alberta and Nicon Developments became known for a wide variety of commercial projects including:

• Fuller Lake Arena
• International Plastics, Duncan
• Fulford Harbour School, Saltspring
• United Buy & Sell, Duncan
• Public Works Canada, Calgary
• Drillwell Enterprises, Duncan
• Chemainus Safety Building
• Ministry of Forests, Chetwynd
• Cowichan Community Centre
• Chemainus Dinner Theatre
• Cowichan Hatchery, Duncan
• Lighthouse Pub & Bistro, Port Renfrew

Woywitka says, “We’ve built everything from a Theatre and community centers to hockey arenas and even a dam. We’ve built schools, we did a fish hatchery for the federal government on Boys Road and we’ve done lots of multi-family projects on the island and in Alberta.” In 1997 Woywitka opened a second office in Airdrie Alberta just north of Calgary to build single family and multifamily homes. For the next seven years he commuted back and forth, building 160 units with a sales manager on site at the development. In 2004, after closing the office in Airdrie, he began to focus strongly on residential development in the mid-Vancouver Island area, first with the Heritage Park Development in Ladysmith and then with Pondside in Duncan. The company’s multi-family new home projects include:

• Heatherton, Duncan
• M’Akola Housing, Duncan
• Nanaimo Lions Housing
• CMHC affordable housing, Duncan
• Rockwood Terrace, Duncan
• Oakgrove, Duncan
• Waterton Place, Nanaimo
• Silver Springs Terrace, Airdrie

Nicon Developments’ current project is Trumpeter Pointe on the shores of Quamichan Lake in Duncan. Of 66 lots, 17 are lakefront and 30 are already sold. Nicon Developments develops the lots and builds spec houses on its projects. Every home at Trumpeter Pointe is Built Green Gold or Platinum certified. Woywitka says, “We make sure that we build to reduce maintenance and improve air quality and lower heating and cooling costs. The houses that we’re building at Trumpeter Pointe are quality. We’ve even gone so far as to put in tankless hot water heating.” Building for environmental sustainability is important for Nicon Developments, Woywitka says, noting that Trumpeter Pointe was a sensitive project that took years to approve.

He notes that Trumpeter Pointe sets a new standard for development on Vancouver Island lakes. The greatest of care and attention went into planning and designing every detail of Trumpeter Pointe to preserve and protect the habitat and ecosystem, as well as to minimize the impact of storm water runoff and riparian zone disturbance. Extensive consultation with the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Provincial Ministry of Environment, freshwater specialists and a professional arborist focused on the singular goal of protecting the lake. “After all, Quamichan Lake is the focal point of Trumpeter Pointe,” Woywitka says. “And this local treasure needs to be kept safe so it can be enjoyed by generations to come.”


In addition to creating bio swales for storm water management, Nicon also built a sewer system that not only handles all the waste water for the subdivision but dozens of neighbouring homes as well, taking them off old and problematic septic systems. Not only has Nicon Developments won a host of CARE awards, it also received the prestigious Master Builder Award from the New Home Warranty Program in 1993 and Woywitka received the Job-Site Innovator Award in 1990 from CMHC in a Canada wide competition. He was recognized for his time and money saving innovation for accurate placement of foundations.


Woywitka says his future ambitions include building more residential communities like Trumpeter Pointe. “My preference now is to develop environmentally friendly communities,” he says. “We’re looking up and down the island right now for a new project. I don’t know where it’s going to be yet – but I can’t stop. We’ve got really good staff. I try to put the vision and the projects together and they do a great job.” He says he loves the challenge of the work and never grows tired of it. “You’re dealing with so many different aspects of a development, right from the politics to the concrete. But the most enjoyment I get from a project is when it’s done and I stand back and know – that’s what I did.” Nicon Developments Ltd. is at

2922 Allenby Road in Duncan.

www.nicon.ca

Lawns are an integral part of our landscape, from providing a lush background for your plants to awarding a soft cushiony surface for lounging and play.
Lawns, doing their job!
Whether you have a new lawn, or are caring for a long established one, mowing it is more than cosmetic. Leaving your lawn looking crisp and clean, mowing promotes new growth and density – a thriving “green carpet”.

The key to producing a fuller lawn is to make sure you don’t cut off too much of the leaf blade. Professionals recommend that you remove no more than one third of the grass height for optimum healthy turf. Grass grows at different rates through out the season. Therefore, let the height of the grass be your guide to a mowing schedule. This rule of thumb is especially helpful during the fast growing periods of spring and fall here in British Columbia.

Remembering to regularly sharpen your mower blades will prevent shredding the grass and leaving it with a ragged appearance. With sharp blades, you will produce clean cuts for a good looking lawn; best cut when the grass is dry.
Sun, water and fertilizer affect how fast your grass grows. During normal conditions, you can mow the lawn a bit shorter and your lawn will re-grow with little stress. But during the peak warm season, keep the grass on the longer side to shade the soil. This will allow the lawn to retain moisture, which reduces watering.

Communities dealing with watering restrictions have become increasingly common. Even if watering is banned, and your grass turns brown, it is just dormant and ceasing to grow. Luckily, grass is very resilient.
Should water restrictions be imposed, when you are allowed to water, water thoroughly to maintain deep root growth. Only 1 to 2 inches of water each week is needed by your lawn to stay healthy.
For more tips on how to mow like a pro, fertilize and winterize your lawn, visit : http://www.ehow.com%3elawn/ or lawncare.net