Landscapes as beautiful to nature as they are to you
Natural gardens and shorelines designed and installed using native plants
Can we garden for nature as well as for humans? Can we make a beautiful landscape full of native plants that have co-evolved with Ontario's insects and birds? Can we see the world from the perspective of everything in it, not just through our own eyes? And can we leave our small patch of the planet a little bit better?
Why you'll feel good when you garden for life
A better future lies just outside your door.
Imagine no more mowing. No more fertilizing. Much less watering. Instead, you'll have a garden alive with butterflies and birds that changes month by month, season by season.
With the world facing a biodiversity crisis, it's hard to know what to do. The problem seems so big. One answer is to act where you can: close to home, healing the world one garden at a time.
Most importantly, you'll feel a deeper connection with your home and the land you live on. You'll be at the vanguard of humanity's rediscovered healthy relationship with the rest of nature.
Get a free guide to natural gardens and shorelines
Fill out the form to get a free guide to creating natural gardens and shorelines in Haliburton County and surrounding areas, plus Grounded's popular newsletter.
"Great job on your newsletter! Well researched, fact based recommendations with excellent resources. Looking forward to more!" - Rita D.
Serving Haliburton County and surrounding areas
Including Kawartha Lakes, Muskoka and Hastings
Lawn Replacement and Native Plant Gardens
Lawns, long a symbol of garden perfection, have environmental and psychological implications. Transform your garden into a landscape that benefits you – and nature.
Shoreline Naturalization
Haliburton County’s lakes are its lifeblood, and healthy lakes require healthy shorelines. We can help bring your shoreline back to life.
Septic System Landscaping
Don’t know what to do with your septic bed? Using it for a native plant garden is a great way to combine functionality and natural beauty.
About Simon Payn
My name is Simon Payn and I help people transform their boring lawns into gardens that are beautiful for wildlife as well as for humans.
Sometimes it takes five decades of life to figure out your calling. Now I've discovered it. Fascinated by nature and gardens as a child, finally I've found a way to combine both, and to do our part to fix the biodiversity crisis the world is facing. Now my hands are in the soil ad my head is in native plants.
I've taken several courses with the University of Guelph, including one on naturalizing urban landscapes. And I've created a demonstration native plant garden in downtown Haliburton.
Gardens that please nature as well as humans are the future. Not only do they save hours of mowing and maintenance, but they create an ecosystem rich in invertebrates, birds and mammals. These types of gardens help us do our bit to fix our broken relationship with nature, and I want to bring them to the Haliburton Highlands.
Philosophical background
Snubsta
- Each day is a meditation on the beauty and wonder that surround us. Most of all, it's about love. Read more here.
What is Grounded?
Education
University of Guelph
- Naturalizing and Restoring Landscapes
- Plant Identification
- Business Principles in Horticulture
NDAL
- Ecology-based Landscape Practice
Kelly D Norris
- New Naturalism Academy
The Garden at Lucas House in Haliburton
One century building.
One fewer lawn.
One Grounded garden.
Making Natural Gardens and Shorelines
A Different Kind of Beauty: Discovering Gardens in the Off-Season
As autumn’s vibrant palette fades and winter’s chill sets in, traditional gardeners often see this as a cue to ‘put the garden to bed.’ This usually involves tidying up, cutting back dead foliage, and preparing for a dormant season. However, native plant gardens challenge this conventional approach, revealing a different kind of beauty in the fall and winter months – one that is not only visually appealing but also ecologically significant.
Inspired by Nature, Crafted by Hands: The Essence of Native Gardens
Native plant gardens stand as testaments to the beauty and complexity of nature. These gardens offer a unique fusion of natural splendor and human artistry. Unlike their wild counterparts, native gardens are carefully crafted spaces, reflecting the delicate interplay between natural ecosystems and human intervention.
Exploring the Groundcover Layer: Native Grasses and Sedges in Haliburton Gardens
The secret to vibrant and ecologically balanced gardens often lies hidden in plain sight: within the groundcover layer. These unassuming plants play a pivotal role in the structure and sustainability of native plant gardens, providing an ecological foundation that supports biodiversity.
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.
Bringing Back Biodiversity
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.
Get in touch
If you'd like to talk about Grounded gardens, please contact Simon Payn.
Grounded
123 Maple Ave.
Box 261,
Haliburton, ON K0M 1S0
Get a free guide to natural gardens and shorelines
Fill out the form to get a free guide to creating natural gardens in Haliburton County and surrounding areas, plus Grounded's popular newsletter.
"Great job on your newsletter! Well researched, fact based recommendations with excellent resources. Looking forward to more!" - Rita D.