Inside this edition of Natural Garden News

• Planting a new world
• If you want a Grounded garden…
• Haliburton deer: Lessons and hope from Lucas House
• A natural shoreline garden
• New here? Start with these articles
• Today’s recommended reading
• Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant)
• This week at Lucas House
• From the socials

I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any questions or feedback, please reply to this email.

Simon Payn
Grounded
​​
Email: hello@groundedgardens.ca​
Web: groundedgardens.ca​
​
​Follow Grounded on the socials!

Planting a new world

I was saying to someone the other day that our gardens are a microcosm of our lives. How we consider our personal landscapes mirrors how we relate to the world.

Part of this is the answer to this question: Do we want to engage in dominance or in community?

The old world is one of dominance – sprays, saws, backhoes.

The new world is one of community – respect, relationships, nurturing.

TV shows might portray nature as a battle for dominance, but the reality is that ecosystems are built on cooperation and balance.

One of the articles below is about deer and our gardens. The old world is one of dominance over the deer. The new world is one of mutual benefit.

What we plant and how we plant is also a story of old versus new. Do we bend the rules and plant what serves us or do we dance with the rules and plant what serves us all?

We’ve lived in the old world for too long – and it’s hurting us. Now it’s time to bring in the new world, one plant at a time.

After all, a better world lies just outside your door.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving.

Simon
​

If you want a Grounded garden… I’m now booking garden and shoreline installs for next year. We still have a few more weeks until the snow flies, so if you’re interested in talking about a Grounded garden, there’s still time. To see some of my recent work, please look at this article. ​ Learn more

​
​

Haliburton deer: Lessons and hope from the garden at Lucas House Here’s how we can garden when there are deer around. Read more.​

A natural shoreline garden Plants can do many things. Here’s a shoreline project I recently completed that played more than one role. Read more.​ ​

New here? Start with these articles

Native plants and natural gardens 101 Links to my most important articles. Read more.​

Myths about native plants and natural gardens I hear a lot of myths. Here’s the reality. Read more.​

All about shorelines A look at shoreline naturalization: why it’s important and how to do it. Read more.​

Today’s recommended reading

From lawn to meadow: Here’s a couple who turned their lawn into a meadow… without removing the lawn first. I’ll be on a webinar listening to one of them next month to see if it’s something I can replicate here. Read more.

Shoreline restoration…to the max: Speaking of meadows, here’s one on a lakefront. Could your lakefront look like this? Read more.

The ethics of ecological horticulture: Please read this interview with the CEO of The Native Plant Trust if you want to understand why we do what we do here at Grounded. Read more.

Bee’s-eye view: Here’s what flowers look like to insects. (Cool picture alert.) Read more.

Get the free guide I’ve updated my guide to natural gardens in Haliburton County and surrounding areas. Download here

Now booking garden and shoreline installs If you’d like me to come and look at your garden or shoreline, please contact me. Learn more

​

Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant)

I’ve put together some information “cards” about native plants. These are plants I use in my designs.

Today let’s look at Bebb’s Sedge

​

This week at Lucas House

Here’s Baz from Haliburton Micromeadows. He’s been visiting Lucas House to collect seeds from our Little Bluestem grass.

The seed will help restore tallgrass prairie and sand barren grasslands in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Northumberland County to provide habitat for endangered and rare grassland birds.

I’m delighted our little patch of Haliburton will be helping this project!

​

Please share me! If you know someone who might like this newsletter, please forward it to them!

Did someone forward this to you? Get your own copy by clicking here and adding your email address.

From the socials

Here’s the naturalistic gardens at The Barbican in London, UK. These pictures were taken last month. I visited them in the spring, when they looked a little different.

They were designed by Nigel Dunnett. I’m currently taking a course he is teaching. I’ll let you know what I learn.

​See the post here.​

Rufus looks wistfully as the low September sun catches the bronzed leaves… and is too distracted to say Hi. ​

Thank you for reading!

Simon

Email: hello@groundedgardens.ca​
Web: groundedgardens.ca​
​