The Grounded Blog
Newsletters
Natural Garden News from Grounded – October 12
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 PaynGroundedEmail: hello@groundedgardens.caWeb: groundedgardens.caFollow…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – September 28
Where gardening and ecology meet; Life on the edge: an enhanced forest clearing; Good mess, bad mess? Gardening with disturbance
Natural Garden News from Grounded – September 14
The benefits of planting in fall ; Discover the versatile world of sedges; Goldenrod: the myths and the facts
Natural Garden News from Grounded – August 31
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News Why naturalistic landscapes are like paintings If you want a Grounded garden… Discover the landscape design of Piet Oudolf How to landscape like nature does New here? Start with these articles Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) The latest from Lucas House (lots of pictures!) From the socials There are lots of super images in this newsletter – please allow your email software to see them! I hope you enjoy the newsletter!…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – August 17
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News What makes a garden If you want a Grounded garden… Native plants for challenging sites The virtuous cycle of joy New here? Start with these articles Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) The latest from Lucas House, From the socials
Natural Garden News from Grounded – August 3
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News Plant it and they will come If you want a Grounded garden… Myths about native plants and natural gardens My shoreline helped me through Covid Native plants and natural gardens 101 Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) July at Lucas House (lots of pictures!) From the socials There are lots of super images in this newsletter – please allow your email software to see them! I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – July 20
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News Slow down, see more, lose your mind If you want a Grounded garden… All about shoreline naturalization New book helps us find local native plants Are natural gardens always messy? Today’s recommended reading Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant) This week down in Fenelon Falls What a difference a month makes! From the socials I hope you enjoy the newsletter! If you have any questions or feedback, please reply to this email. Simon PaynGroundedEmail:…
Natural Garden News from Grounded – July 6
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News: Snow White and the billion lives; How I choose the right plants for a landscape; Your cottage landscaping is done. Now what?; A look inside my favourite book
Natural Garden News from Grounded – June 22
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News: What the Highlands and plants have in common; If you want a Grounded garden…; A look at two gardens we installed this spring; How to weed native plant gardens; Today’s recommended reading; Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant); This week in the Highlands; From the socials.
Natural Garden News from Grounded – June 8
Inside this edition of Natural Garden News: Welcome to our new friends from the home show! Will the deer eat these plants? If you want a Grounded garden… ; Do you really need that many plants? My most important advice to the owners of new gardens Today’s recommended reading; Today’s VIP (Very Important Plant); This week in the garden; From the socials
Making Gardens
Haliburton Deer: Lessons and Hope From the Garden at Lucas House
Haliburton deer and gardens: it seems like they’ll never get along. But maybe there’s a way embrace our hungry friends.
A Natural Shoreline Garden
Plants can do many things. Here’s a recent shoreline project that played several roles.
Good Mess, Bad Mess: Using Disturbance in Your Landscape
Whenever we do something in our landscape, we cause disturbance. But is disturbance good or bad? The answer depends on what we want to achieve. What is disturbance? From an ecological perspective, disturbance is any event that disrupts an ecosystem. Think of a forest fire, a flood, or a storm toppling trees. Each of these…
Life on the Edge: An Enhanced Forest Clearing
Sometimes it’s not so much about starting afresh, it’s about enhancing what you already have. This is how we’re working to make something that’s already great… even better – for humans and for nature.
Discover the landscape design of Piet Oudolf
Piet Oudolf is a pioneer in naturalistic landscaping. And he’s a big inspiration for us here at Grounded. Here is a book that celebrates him.
How to Landscape Like Nature Does
How does naturalistic landscaping differ from traditional landscaping? The answer: more plants, in layers, and in a community.
Native plants for challenging sites
I often get asked to advise on native plants that are suitable for the more challenging sites. Here are some ideas.
Native Plants and Natural Gardens 101
New here? Here are the most important articles on this website about native plant gardens and shorelines.
Myths about Native Plants and Natural Gardens
At Grounded, we hear a lot of myths about natural gardens and the native plants they host. Here’s my personal takedown of this fake news.
Your cottage landscaping is done. Now what?
Here is an advertorial about using native plants in Haliburton cottage landscaping published in the June 27, 2024 issue of The Highlander.
Growing a Green Renaissance
Finding Joy in Nature and in Native Plants
Why finding the joy in nature is the key to developing interest in native plants. A local gardener is calling for more joy in our Highlands landscapes. Simon Payn, who owns Haliburton-based ecological landscaping company Grounded, says it’s time to ramp up the pleasure we get from our gardens and shorelines. “For so long, the…
My Haliburton Cottage Shoreline Helped Me Through Covid
Haliburton cottage shorelines do more than keep the lake healthy. The nature they attract keeps us feeling good too.
Gardening for the environment: ecological landscapes beautiful to us and nature
A look inside the book Garden Revolution, a beautiful inspiration for those of us who want to garden for the environment.
Native Plants Are Messy: Is That True?
Native plant gardens are messy. That’s the number one claim that people such as myself face. But are natural landscapes really an unruly tangle?
Nature’s Echo: Rediscovering Human Identity through Native Gardening
The deep, intrinsic connection with the natural world, once the bedrock of human existence, has been eroded by the pursuit of progress and convenience. This disconnection has not just scarred our planet; it has left an indelible mark on our very sense of self. Amidst this backdrop of alienation, native gardening emerges not just as a horticultural practice, but as a beacon of hope, a pathway to rediscover our true identity and reclaim our place in the natural world.
Rooted in Region: How Native Plant Gardens Foster a Sense of Place
Traditional gardens, with their often non-native and cosmopolitan plant selections, can sometimes blur regional distinctions, creating a homogenized landscape that lacks a true sense of locality. In contrast, native plant gardens offer a vibrant alternative, deeply rooted in the region’s natural heritage and ecological makeup.
Cultivating Love: The Garden’s Path to Global Compassion
In the tranquility of our gardens, amid the rustle of leaves and the hum of bees, a profound transformation unfolds. It’s a journey of the heart, where the simple act of nurturing plants becomes a pathway to cultivating a deeper love – not just for our gardens but for the entire world.
Sowing Seeds of Change: Garden Rebellion as a Model for Environmental Action
In the quiet corners of our backyards, a revolution is taking root. It’s called the garden rebellion — a movement where ordinary gardeners are transforming their manicured lawns into wild, native havens. But this movement is more than just about changing gardening practices; it’s a microcosm of the societal shifts needed to combat global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Are You a Garden Rebel?
A new breed of gardener is emerging. These are the ‘garden rebels’ — individuals who are breaking away from the traditional, manicured lawns and perfectly pruned flower beds to embrace a more natural, sustainable approach to gardening.
Working with Nature, Not Against It: The Joy of Native Plant Gardening
Gardening, long viewed as a laborious battle against the whims of nature, is being reimagined. The traditional image of endless weeding, watering, and pest control is giving way to a more harmonious approach: native plant gardening. This method is a dance with nature, not a fight against it.
Bringing Back Biodiversity
Haliburton’s Homegrown National Park: The Power of Native Plant Gardens
A quiet revolution is underway, inspired by the visionary ideas of ecologist Douglas Tallamy. It’s a movement transforming private gardens into vibrant ecosystems that collectively form a new kind of national park — one dedicated to biodiversity. This concept, where every backyard becomes a haven for native species, is reshaping our approach to conservation and redefining our relationship with nature.
Beyond Aesthetic: The Hidden Environmental Toll of Lawn Culture
In Haliburton County and across Canada the lush, green lawn has long been a symbol of garden perfection. However, this seemingly benign landscape choice has far-reaching environmental implications.
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