Montreal, QC, Canada – September 30, 2026 – Francesco Saltarelli, founder of Saltarelli Outdoor Design in Montreal, has set a formal standard for how his company handles the year after a project wraps.
Starting this season, every client gets a scheduled follow-up visit, roughly one year after installation, to check plant health, drainage performance, and how features like lighting and water elements are holding up through a full Quebec winter and summer.
“A design isn’t finished when the crew packs up,” Saltarelli said. “It’s finished when we’ve seen it survive a real Montreal year.”
Why one year
Montreal’s climate is hard on outdoor spaces. Freeze-thaw cycles crack poorly set stone. Salt and snow load stress plants that were not chosen for the region. A rooftop that looks perfect in October can reveal drainage problems by the following spring.
Saltarelli said a single season of good weather does not prove a design works.
“Anyone can make a backyard look good for one photo shoot,” he said. “The real test is whether the soil drained through the spring thaw, whether the native plants came back, and whether the family is still using the space the way they hoped.”
What the check includes
The one-year visit covers a short list of items:
Plant survival and growth, with replacement of anything that failed to establish
Drainage performance after spring melt
Condition of lighting, water features, and custom planters
A short conversation with the client about how the space is actually being used
That last point matters most to Saltarelli. He has said before that he judges his own work by what happens after his crew leaves, and the one-year check is a way to make that judgment formal instead of informal.
“We used to check in when a client called us,” he said. “Now we call them first.”
How it fits the company’s approach
Saltarelli Outdoor Design has built its reputation on rooftop terraces and backyard designs suited to Quebec’s climate, using native plants, eco-conscious materials, and drainage systems built for the region’s weather. The one-year standard extends that same thinking into the maintenance period, rather than treating installation as the end of the relationship.
The company also works with local artisans and suppliers on custom features, and the follow-up visit gives Saltarelli a chance to see how those elements perform over time, not just how they look on delivery day.
“Sustainable design isn’t just about what you plant,” he said. “It’s about whether it’s still thriving a year later, and whether we’re honest enough to go check.”
Rollout
The standard applies to new residential projects moving forward, covering backyards, rooftop terraces, and urban green space installations across Montreal neighborhoods including Westmount and Notre Dame de Grace, where Saltarelli Outdoor Design has done much of its work.
Saltarelli said the change came from a simple observation: the projects he was proudest of were the ones he happened to revisit, and the ones he worried about were the ones he never heard from again.
“I’d rather know,” he said. “Even when the answer isn’t perfect, I’d rather know.”
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About Francesco Saltarelli
Francesco Saltarelli is a landscape designer and entrepreneur based in Montreal, Quebec. He is the founder of Saltarelli Outdoor Design, a firm specializing in backyards, rooftop terraces, and urban green spaces built for Quebec’s climate. Founded in 2014, the company works with native plants, eco-conscious materials, and local artisans on residential projects across Montreal.
Contact:
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Media ContactCompany Name: Francesco Saltarelli MontrealContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCountry: CanadaWebsite: francescosaltarellimontreal.com
