Our Services

Grounded specializes in designing and installing naturalized gardens using native plants. Our focus is on creating landscapes that are both beautiful for humans and beneficial for nature.

Our philosophy centers on creating harmonious, sustainable gardens that connect people with nature and contribute positively to the local ecosystem.

A native garden primarily uses plants indigenous to the region, which are more adapted to the local climate and support local ecosystems, unlike traditional gardens that may use a mix of native and non-native plants.

Native plants are adapted to the local environment, requiring less water and maintenance. They also support local ecosystems, providing habitat and food for native wildlife.

We provide garden design and installation services, specializing in lawn replacement, shoreline naturalization, and septic system landscaping with native plants.

The cost varies from project to project, but as a general guideline, it runs between $7 and $10 per square foot. That price includes design, all required plants, and installation.

Here's how we'll work together to create your garden:

1) Initial Meeting: Our first step is meeting with you right in your landscape. This is where we'll chat about your goals, ideas, and needs.

2) Design and Plants: On signing a design contract, we ask for a 50% nonrefundable deposit for the plants. Once that's sorted, we'll order your plants and give you a rough timeline for delivery or garden installation. Our designs are crafted on-site, which brings a few advantages: it allows us to tailor the design to your home's unique character, draw inspiration from the surrounding environment, and lets you have a say in any last-minute tweaks.

3) Installation and Initial Care: We handle the installation, unless you’d prefer to plant them yourself. The prime months for planting are generally May to June and Labour Day to Thanksgiving.

4) First-Year Support: As part of our service, and to ensure your garden thrives, we offer at least two complimentary consultations during its critical first year, provided you proceed with our design. We'll walk through your garden with you, helping identify weeds, advise on watering and mulching, and discuss other care practices. It's all about guiding your garden from its early stages to a flourishing ecosystem over 3-4 years. This attention in the early days pays off, often as early as the second year. And remember, we're just an email or text away for any queries.

5) Ongoing Management: Gardens need care, and ours are designed to be low-maintenance. However, especially in the first few years, some attention is needed to ensure your garden continues to thrive. We will provide you with the information you need to take care of your garden.

Our approach to design is straightforward: choose younger, smaller plants and use them in greater numbers. Why this particular strategy? The answer lies in the benefits it brings.

Opting for smaller plants allows your garden to become denser and more vibrant, achieving this lushness quicker and often more cost-effectively than if larger plants were used and spaced too far apart.

Maintenance becomes easier too. As these plants grow, they form a natural cover, akin to a living mulch. This layer of plant life reduces the need for the more traditional, labor-intensive wood mulch. We only use wood mulch in the first year, to help with weed suppression.

Our focus is on carefully selecting plants that not only suit the site but also each other, particularly emphasizing those with significant value to wildlife. We prefer straight species natives over hybrids and cultivars to maximize benefits for pollinators and insects.

This variety in plant choice – different root systems, leaf structures – naturally amends the soil. These gardens don't just look good; they also store atmospheric carbon, filter water, enhance rainfall absorption, and gradually outcompete weeds. Importantly, they provide a habitat where wildlife can thrive and complete their life cycles.

A matrix garden design refers to a planting approach where a mix of different plants, typically perennials and grasses, are arranged in a dense, intermingling pattern, mimicking natural plant communities. This design creates a visually cohesive and ecologically balanced garden. The "matrix" usually consists of one or more dominant plant species that form the background, with other species of perennials and shrubs interplanted for variety and contrast. This method is often used in naturalistic landscaping and aims to create a garden that is both aesthetically pleasing and supportive of biodiversity.

Absolutely! Native gardens offer a dynamic, changing beauty through the seasons. They don’t have the same aesthetic as neat lawns and flowerbeds, but they combine the beauty of nature with the benefit of  attracting wildlife. They're beautiful to us and beautiful to nature too.

Native gardens typically require less maintenance than traditional gardens. However, it is important to manage them in the first couple of years while they establish. After that, occasional management is required to keep them performing well. We will advise you on best management practices.

The initial cost may vary, but native gardens often save money over time due to reduced maintenance, watering, and no need for fertilizers.

We carefully choose plants that are native to Haliburton County and surrounding areas and suit your specific garden conditions, such as soil type, sunlight, and moisture levels.

Yes, native plants are well adapted to local weather conditions, including our winters. They are resilient and can survive seasonal changes better than non-native species.

Native plants are generally more resistant to pests and diseases. Some nibbling of your plants is expected and to be welcomed as a sign of a functioning ecosystem. Because we use a large number of plants, damage to individual plants is unlikely to be noticed and can indeed be beneficial in promoting healthy growth.

Absolutely! While we prefer to replace lawns with native plant gardens, you don’t need to go all-in. We can work on just one part of your landscape.

We can offer guidance on maintaining your native garden, particularly in the first couple of years.

Yes, we can help transition your existing garden into a native plant landscape, enhancing its ecological value and reducing maintenance.

Native gardens evolve with seasons and years, becoming more robust and self-sustaining. Our style of gardening is about working with nature, allowing the garden to evolve as it matures.

Yes, we offer guidance and resources to help you understand and maintain your garden effectively. After installation, we provide a handbook listing all the plants installed and how to manage your garden in the months and years to come.

1. Erosion Control: Natural vegetation stabilizes the soil, reducing erosion from wind and water.
2. Water Quality: Plants filter runoff, absorbing excess nutrients and pollutants, thereby improving water quality.
3. Habitat Creation: Provides habitat and food sources for a variety of wildlife.
4. Aesthetic Value: Natural shorelines enhance the scenic beauty of the lake environment.
5. Sustainability: Promotes a balanced, sustainable ecosystem around the lake.

You can read more about shorelines in Haliburton County on their website.