About ExperTrees
Expertrees is owned and operated by Neil Masson. Since 1990, Neil has been working in the horticultural industry, striving to establish a benchmark in quality design and personalized service.
From a young age, trees have captivated him not only for their awesome beauty, but especially for their effect on people in their everyday life, whether they realize it or not. The art of visual perception as related to the environment has intrigued him. The power of a tree or a landscape has been the inspiration for famous artists throughout time, and Neil has studied many of them to unlock the secrets and intrigue of the natural world. The Group of Seven, for example, were among few of histories dedicated artists whose inspiration was found in painting natural environments. The beauty of their paintings originates with the subject matter of their art, and Neil has seen the transformation in his clientele whose perception of their environments changes by the creation of a beautiful landscape. Their gardens become a work of art. The artistic value of a well designed landscape is as elemental to Neil as the functions that it may fill for the home owner.
Neil’s passion further developed into an expertise, which has been developed since the early 1990s, by careful and purposeful employment, in order to learn as much as possible about landscape, culminating in the creation of ExperTrees as a vehicle for promoting good landscape design and educating people on landscaping. Neil has worked as an arbourist at one of the largest tree companies in North America, where he learned and perfected the art of pruning. Wanting to increase his knowledge and experience in the horticultural field, Neil then continued on to work as a landscape technician for Ontario’s largest garden center, in addition to working on many tree farms as a grower and propagator. Loose calculations show he has planted over 20,000 trees over the past 15 years? He learned extensive knowledge of all plant material, their care, proper installation techniques, insect and diseases prevention as well as hundreds of invaluable tips that can save time and money. He learned about the different styles of garden design, from formal, woodland/native, English, container, European, Feng Shui, Japanese, cottage and romantic styles to name a few.
One of Neil’s prevalent theories is that everything you see, everything within your field of vision, should be considered part of your landscape. Many times designers will use a photo of a property to begin a design, and they design only within the parameters of the owners property. The problem with this is that the landscape around the property is not considered. That neighbouring landscape should directly affect what a designer puts in the landscape design on the clients property. For example, if the neighbour behind you has a Crimson King Maple, there is not much point in putting a Crimson King Maple on your property in front of the other one, is there? One will upstage the other, and the money could be better spent on accenting the tree that is already there. Even though it is not on your property, it still part of your landscape overview.
EXPERTREES’ GOALS
- to apply first hand knowledge and vast experience, partnered with the art of visual perception, and completed with detailed, artistic and personal attention, to raise the level of awareness and appreciation of good landscape design.
- to introduce nature to environments that are otherwise lacking in interest, to draw people into natural living spaces and to give them more reason to enjoy their properties, and to know the value of the property will grow through the landscape investment, continual proper care and the addition of sustainable enhancements.
- to educate people on the care and maintenance of landscapes and the importance of maintaining mature trees through pruning, in order to reap the benefits, year after year, of a beautiful and carefully designed garden.
- to draw upon our deep appreciation and experience to serve a wide range of customers, from residential homeowners, to resorts, retail centers, restaurants, corporate environments and public spaces.
During the course of Neil’s ongoing education, he found himself in various points around the world, studying and analyzing the natural environments. He has done extensive studies in some of the worlds major cities such as London, New York City, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Havana (Cuba), Helsinki (Finland), Las Vegas, St. Petersburg (Russia) and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. He found it immensely interesting how, no matter where he went in the world, people seem to naturally and almost magnetically, flock towards natural environments. In New York, people radiate to Central Park on their lunch hour, coming out of their steel and concrete office building to enjoy a breath of fresh air and the natural beauty of the park. He found that people the world over, from High park in London to Central Park in New York, found solace and peace in amongst the flowers and trees.
Neil is available for seminars in the Toronto and surrounding area.
General Educational seminars - focus on the art of landscaping and landscape design.
Topic-specific seminars - many topics available, such as pruning, annual maintenance, winterization, how to tell what a focal point is in the garden, how to assess a property for its design potential - feel free to ask for any topic !
Personal seminars - a small group of up to 5 neighbours who wish for Neil to analyze their properties and be instructed on personalized design ideas for their particular property
Our Services Include:
- Landscape consultation and design (includes a landscape shopping list and scaled design)
- Landscape construction and installation
- Maintenance and Care
- Trouble shooting (Pest and Disease Prevention and Control)
- Lighting
- Ponds and Water Features
- Pruning
- Rockery Stone
Please contact us for further information. Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please allow 2-3 days for a reply. Feel free to leave a telephone number where you can be reached in the evening. |