Grounded Resources
Making Gardens
Why patience comes in shades of brown
The arrival of spring requires a mixture of patience and planning.
The gardening that looks like wandering
Why the design process isn’t done when the plants are put in the ground. (And why that’s a pleasant thing.)
Gardening with cute, hungry deer
Our gardens offer everything a deer could ever possibly want. So what do we do with the deer we attract?
What direction is your land going in?
Before you decide what your cottage landscape should become, it helps to notice what it’s already becoming.
The Myth of Finished
“Finished” is a lie our landscaping culture keeps telling itself. And the pressure to get there is why your property feels like a chore instead of a place.
The dirty secret about poor soils
When the soil test comes back saying your soil is “poor,” you might feel like you’ve been handed a failing grade. Here’s why that might be the best news you’ll get all year.
Sunny landscapes that attract pollinators
If you’ve got a sunny site and you want to attract pollinators, follow this blueprint.
Professional Native Plant Landscaping for HOA Communities, Condominiums, and Happy Neighbours
How naturalistic native plant landscaping can meet the needs of condominiums, homeowner associations – and neighbours.
How native shrubs create living landscapes
Perennials get all the attention, but native shrubs are the workhorses, providing structure, creating habitat and solving problems.
Growing a Green Renaissance
What I learned from a song sparrow one summer
Or why noticing is the beginning of a journey that leads to action.
The less you control, the better it feels
Why our landscapes make weekends stressful and how a different kind of care fixes that.
Nature is good. Let’s have more of it
If you live in the Highlands, it’s likely you love nature. So let’s have more of it… and here’s what happens when we do.
Biggest Haliburton Natural Garden Questions Answered
I was interviewed by Canoe FM for a new show that will be launched in January 2026. Here are my answers.
Trapped on society’s mowercoaster ride: why lawns are an invisible cage
If we don’t have a neatly trimmed lawn, we can feel like we don’t fit in. How can we break free of this invisible cage?
Shifting Baselines: The Legacy We Leave
We’ve forgotten how much nature we’ve lost. Now ‘lake legacy leaders’ are bringing it back and leaving something for our children.
How to Create a Landscape that Belongs Here
To make your home truly belong in its surroundings, the finishing touch comes from thoughtful planting choices, creating a natural connection to the local environment.
Transform your shoreline, transform your legacy
Natural shorelines increase property value, protect water quality, and create a meaningful legacy. The new standard in cottage ownership is working with nature.
Bringing Back Biodiversity
A new go-to book if you love Haliburton’s nature
If you like Haliburton Highlands nature and want to discover more of it, I highly recommend this book.
Your land isn’t messy, it’s getting going
Ecological gardens don’t look perfect right away. But what looks messy to some is a successful landscape establishing.
How much of a pond is beaver?
When does a tree end and the forest begin? How much of a pond is beaver? What percentage of me is me? Big questions… and important for landscaping ecologically.
Why cottage landscapes are all about edges
What if the defining feature of a Highlands landscape is the edge? We sit here in the Land Between, that biodiverse strip at the very south of the Canadian Shield. It’s one big edge where rock meets lowlands. Zoom in on our homes and cottages, and you see more edges. There’s the edge between the…
What the 30-metre shoreline buffer really means
The 30-metre shoreline buffer recommendation makes most cottage owners throw up their hands. Here’s where that number comes from – and what it actually means for your property.
On hydro, roads, beavers… and you
Not all disturbance is bad. Here’s what we can learn from hydro, roads… and beavers.
Why Succession is Key to Naturalistic Landscape Design in Haliburton County
“Arrested succession” is the secret to creating beautiful and biodiverse landscapes. It’s one of the most important things in my toolkit.
Goldenrod: The Myths and the Facts
Goldenrods face two cases of mistaken identity. Let’s clear up the mess and celebrate a valuable species.
Sedges for Haliburton, Muskoka and Kawartha Lakes
Sedges don’t get much glory. They’re everywhere in Haliburton, Muskoka and Kawartha Lakes but we seldom notice them. If we do notice them, we often confuse them with grasses. It’s time to shine a light on the genus Carex. Sedge Basics What Sedges Are The Morphology of Sedges Their Habitat and Distribution Their Ecological Importance…
Kawartha Lakes native plants: New guide gives detailed lists
The Flora of Kawartha Lakes, which lists plants native to the region, is also relevant to Haliburton County’s flora.
Newsletters
Natural Garden News from Grounded – May 2, 2026
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News H2…oh If you want a Grounded garden… Why patience comes in shades of brown The wintergreen on the shoreline Haliburton shoreline naturalization What I learned from a song sparrow one summer New book – The Unfinished Cottage Landscape The new go-to book if you love Haliburton County’s nature Catch our new show on Canoe Nigel Dunnett Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – April 4, 2026
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News Slow gardening If you want a Grounded garden… Gardening with cute, hungry deer The septic bed and the sleeping bee The gardening that looks like wandering The less you control, the better it feels New book – The Unfinished Cottage Landscape Vernacular plantings Catch our new show on Canoe Postcard from London Freeze frames Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any questions or…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – March 7, 2026
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News I’m hiring for the season Care, built in If you want a Grounded garden… Beavers, science, you, and your landscape Nature is good. Let’s have more of it. In-depth: shoreline restoration Catch our new show on Canoe Everything blooming all at once Signs of life Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any questions or feedback, please reply to this email. There are lots of images in…
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