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 Aeas
Including Kawartha Lakes, Muskoka and Hastings
Ecological Maintenance and Management
We’ll take care of all your landscaping and slowly add native plants. Backed by our Monarch Guarantee.…
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 Me
My name is Simon Payn. I create gardens and shorelines that work the way nature does—densely planted, layered, alive.
Sometimes it takes five decades to find your calling. I was fascinated by nature and gardens as a child, but it took years to figure out how to combine both.
Look at any wild landscape and you'll see plants packed together, functioning as a community. That's what I'm after. Native plants already know how to thrive here—they've adapted to our soils, our rainfall, our winters. Match the right plant to the right place and you're working with nature, not against it.
I think of this as gardening for life. Gardening that supports life—the insects, birds, and mammals that depend on these plants. And gardening that enriches your own life, because when you pay attention to a garden, you fall in love with it.
That's what I want for you.
What is Grounded?
Education
University of Guelph
- Naturalizing and Restoring Landscapes
- Plant Identification
New Directions in American Landscapes
- Ecology-based Landscape Practice
Kelly D Norris
- New Naturalism Academy
Garden Masterclass
- Naturalistic Planting Course with Noel Kingsbury, Nigel Dunnett and Cassian Schmidt.
Examples of Grounded's Work
What Clients Say
"We get lots of compliments on our new native plant garden."
Leanne Tucker, Drag Lake
"We are very pleased with our native plant garden, and it continues to give us much pleasure. During this project, we appreciated how Simon always met his commitments to us; particularly with respect to design, budget, and installation. He always took the time to listen to our needs; responded promptly to any inquiries; and has made several follow-up visits after the garden was installed. Thank you, Simon, for a great experience and a wonderful new garden."
Scott and Marian Anderson, Kennisis Lake
From Our Blog
Natural, Not Neglected: The Art of Managing Naturalized Gardens
Often hailed as a low-maintenance alternative to traditional lawns, native plant gardens are sometimes mistakenly thought of as no-maintenance. However, naturalized gardens require a unique form of care — a harmonious blend of management and stewardship that respects nature’s rhythms while gently guiding its course.
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.
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.
The Garden at Lucas House in Haliburton
One century building.
One fewer lawn.
One Grounded garden.
Get in touch
If you'd like to talk about Grounded gardens, please contact Simon Payn.
705-854-0663
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.