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Monkey Business Landscaping


Blog by Christine Tossa | August 23rd, 2020


Monkey Business Landscaping . . . the name itself is fun, and so is creating a landscape of your home that you will enjoy for years to come!

Ben Riley, the man behind the landscaping company, started Monkey Business Landscaping in 2016; he had been doing landscaping construction since 2003 and realized he wasn’t getting any younger, so he thought it would be a great idea to challenge himself to be his own boss on projects!  He named his company Monkey Business Landscaping after his two boys, who he used to call his “monkeys” when they were younger! 

Ben’s goal isn’t to take over the world of landscaping, but instead to create something that offers him an opportunity to work outside, be creative, and hopefully one day soon, have his boys work with him on projects as their summer jobs! 

Being his own boss has allowed him to control where he works, and he loves working locally!  “I love working locally!  It’s so satisfying to walk or drive by past projects knowing I was part of that creation!” 

Monkey Business Landscaping provides installation services, which basically means the non-living parts of landscaping such as paving stones, wood and concrete block retaining walls, synthetic turf, and landscape lighting. 

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Ben enjoys each project for a variety of reasons, and the experiences he has enjoyed the most are the ones that allow him to truly do a drastic make-over in someone’s yard!  It is always fun for him to look back at the “before” pictures and then see the transformation that he was responsible for!  Very rewarding!

Most people don’t realize that with the Lower Mainland’s mild winters, the majority of landscaping projects can be completed all year round.  It’s hard to envision summer evening wine parties on a new backyard patio in the middle of a dark wet dreary January but Ben says it’s worth trying!  A helpful tip from Ben for homeowners who are thinking of doing a landscaping project are doing the projects in the “off season”. This increases your chances of hiring quality companies since they normally get swamped with work in spring and summer.  Also, doing projects in the fall or winter may even save you some money!  A little foresight will help to ensure that when the first hint of warm weather arrives, you’re already setting up the outdoor furniture on that new patio instead of trying to find someone that will install that patio before summer ends!

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When someone first contacts Ben, the conversation starts off with exactly what the client is looking to do and whether or not it is in Ben’s scope of work!  From there, Ben will ask the client to take the time and send some pictures of the work area.  After that, a meeting on site takes place to discuss the potential project.  This almost always turns into an impromptu brainstorming session where the conversation leads to various options and designs!  Then based on measurements and the conversations, Ben will submit an email to the client with an estimate detailing the project!  It is that simple!  

The best way to contact Ben is to text or call him at 778.773.1194!  You can also email him at themonkeybiz@hotmail.com or send a direct message on Instagram @monkeybizlandscape. 

Happy Summer, and happy landscaping!