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 this newsletter. If you can’t see them, please enable images in your email.

Simon Payn
Grounded
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Email: hello@groundedgardens.ca​
Web: groundedgardens.ca​

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Looking for on-call help planting!

I’m looking for a few people to join our field team this season — casual, on-call work from May through October doing hands-on ecological landscaping. This suits people who want flexible outdoor work without the commitment of a full-time job, or anyone who just wants to spend time outside doing something physical and useful. If this sounds like you — or someone you know — details and how to get in touch are here.

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Care, built-in

When I complete an installation, I give my client a handbook, which tells them what’s in their garden and shoreline, and how to care for it.

I then pay a few visits over the summer to make sure all is well.

But I’ve realized I need to do more than that. After last year’s hot and dry summer, a couple of my installations suffered. When cottagers can’t come to the cottage every week and the plants need watering, that’s a problem. And it’s a lot to expect people to know exactly what to do with a new planting. The work isn’t hard, but it helps to know what you’re looking at.

So for new clients (and existing ones, if they wish), I’m doing everything I can do build in stewardship – care – of their landscapes. I want to make sure everything succeeds as much as it can.

Indeed, for those who allow me to take care of their landscapes (the cost isn’t huge), I will guarantee results.

Bottom line: I want to put the responsibility for your garden on my shoulders and take them off yours.

I’d be curious if you have any feedback on this idea.

Simon

If you want a Grounded garden… I’m currently booking garden and shoreline installs (and management services) for summer and fall 2026. We start by having a quick call to see if it makes sense for me to come look at your site in the spring. ​ Learn more To see some of my recent work, please see this page.

Beavers, science, you, and your landscape 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. Read more.​

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. Read more.​

In depth: shoreline restoration In case you missed it when I wrote it last year, here’s a detailed look at shorelines and how to make them better for the lake (and for you). Read more.​

Everything blooming all at once

This is the “superbloom” created by Nigel Dunnett around the Tower of London. It’s made using annuals seeded amid perennials.

The gardens I create don’t tend to use annuals because, by definition, they last only one year (although they will re-seed). But I have used them for first-year colour at Lucas House and at another client’s garden.
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Read more and see more pictures here.

Signs of life

Near my house is a stream that runs only in spring or after a lot of rain. I watch it – hopefully – waiting for enough snow to melt.

And here is a Barred Owl, waiting out the day through the window. Near, errr, the bird-feeder…

Today’s recommended reading

A twist on it: Super video tour of a (pretty famous) naturalistic garden, at Federal Twist in the US, that has grown over decades. Watch it.

Digging deep: I’d be curious what you think of this article. A well-known garden writer and podcaster argues for a spiritual angle to landscape design. Read more.

Bolts from the blue: Did you know thunderstorms make trees light up? (And not just at Christmas.) Read more.

Deep-rooted: I love this article because the connection it describes is what I want for my clients. This story is about a Harvard course that pairs students with individual trees. (Read more).

Carpenter birds: Soon the sound of woodpeckers pecking will drum out across the Highlands. Here’s a lovely article on what woodpeckers do, why they’re important, and why we should leave dead trees standing. Read more.​

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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 Harlequin Blueflag

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Thank you for reading!

Simon

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