Dominique Filion was 18 years old in 1992 when he launched his business with just one lawn mower. Since then, his landscaping company – one of the South Shore’s largest – has thrived thanks to its mission: To provide top-notch horticultural expertise and exceptional customer service.
“Dominique soon began adding other landscaping services in response to his clients’ needs, such as flowerbed maintenance and shrub trimming,” recalls his sister Catherine Filion, who joined the company 12 years ago as its assistant general manager.
As president, Dominique leads a team of 135 employees, including landscape architects, garden designers, horticulturists, technicians, certified landscapers, masons and an agronomist. Together, the crew covers all South Shore municipalities and the island of Montreal.
Catherine credits her parents, Pierre and Johanne, with teaching the importance of having a well-maintained, beautifully landscaped property. “These were the family values passed along to us; that’s how our business was born,” she explains.
Pierre worked with Dominique to develop the company before retiring. Johanne heads up the award-winning design office and co-owns the South Shore headquarters with her son. Catherine co-owns the Montreal office, opened four years ago with her brother.
Today, Services Paysagers Dominique Filion offers a complete range of tailored landscaping services, including design and execution of residential and commercial projects, plus horticultural and tree maintenance.
“What distinguishes us is we offer a turn-key service; we take care of everything,” says Catherine.
As certified Master Landscapers, the company aims to surpass existing industry standards and deliver exceptional quality, regardless of project size, she adds. “For us, no project is too small or too big, and we take that to heart,” Catherine says. “It takes a lot of creativity to bring out the best in a garden, whether it’s a tiny space or a massive one. People want to maximize their space and be outdoors as long as they can, and we help them do this.”
The company also has a robust commercial niche, designing and maintaining outdoor spaces and green roofs. “We do work for a lot of condo associations that want turn-key services with high residential standards,” she says.
To preserve the health and beauty of residential or commercial landscaping year-round, a dedicated crew does everything from spring cleaning, planting and fertilizing flowerbeds to weeding, pruning shrubs, trimming or removing trees and raking leaves.
One unique service, Flash-Project, is especially popular with clients, Catherine says. Targeting specific areas of a property for a face-lift, a landscaping team divides perennials, revitalizes and redesigns flowerbeds and replaces polymer sand between paving stones to instantly boost curb appeal. “We create very elegant landscapes that match the style of the homeowner’s property, and we want them to last. Once an outdoor space has matured, it’s important to keep the plants and flowers under control,” she explains. “The before and after is really spectacular, and this upkeep allows you to keep the visual impact without having an overgrown garden.”
Autumn is the ideal time to begin a long-term landscaping project, Catherine says, adding that the company’s teams work until December. “It can be a long process from initial meeting to determine the client’s needs, to developing the design concept, presenting sketches for approval, drawing up final plans, and then finally starting the work,” she says. “Starting in the fall allows homeowners to really plan out their project so it can be among the first to be executed in the spring. Plan early, and then everything’s ready so we can start planting your garden.” •
Originally published in the Montreal Autumn 2019 issue.
Services Paysagers Dominique Filion
13 rue Principale, Saint-Basile-Le-Grand, ~ 450-653-0000
7940 18th Avenue, Montreal ~ 514-722-9000
www.dominiquefilion.ca/contact
