Hensley Gardens
205 Lakeshore Drive L4N 7y9 Barrie, ON, Canada

Repost from @healthy_yards Visit the ‘for professionals’ section of their website www.healthyyards.org to learn more about best practices for landscapers. Please share with any landscapers you know. ... #landscapedesign #gardendesign #yardmaintenance #landscapers #landscape

Seed supply from our still-standing perennials is strong even at the end of January. We are in the deep snow and deep winter and even with our small-ish piece of land we are able to keep feeding the birds right through until spring in May simply by not cutting back our perennials in the fall. We have long snowy winters here and the hungry birds are easy to attract. You always hear ‘winter interest’ when people are planning gardens. I would be willing to venture that the most interest you can achieve in the winter through plants is wildlife support. What a joy to watch with a coffee in hand every morning! #wildlifegarden #wintergarden #birdgarden #snowbelt #nativeplantsontario #nativeplantgardening #supportwildlife #truewinterinterest

Providing Nesting Materials for Backyard Birds "Some materials that were previously recommended for nesting are now considered unsafe. Do not provide hair (huma...n or animal), string, yarn or loose bits of thread, as birds can become entangled in these materials. Likewise, do not provide pieces of felt or cloth, dryer lint, plastic, tinsel, cellophane or aluminum foil; these can be choking hazards or cause internal blockage." https://cwf-fcf.org//www.fw/midwest/news/WildlifeTips.html See more

A big wallop of snow on our Chokeberries this weekend! How can I even describe how rewarding it is to watch birds eating berries and seeds in the deepest of the winter months. Coffee in hand, binoculars at the ready, this show will go on until spring arrives. The Black and Red Chokeberry plants are in that rarest of category when it comes to sustaining wildlife ... the berries last all the way through winter. By February and March when pretty much everything else has bee...n foraged, the chokeberries will be there to fill the end of winter gap as a food source. This native has everything! Spring flowers which are favoured by many pollinators. Pretty berries in summer and fall. Bright red fall foliage. A larval host to many species of moths and butterflies (don’t forget to turn off your porch lights!). A well-behaved understory plant that has delivered on everything that was promised. Not a chokecherry. Those are a different plant. Today we celebrate the Chokeberry! Aronia Melanocarpa (Black) and Aronia Arbutifolia (Red) #aronia #chokeberry #feedthebirds #nativeplantsontario #nativeplantgardening #nativegarden #wildlifegarden #wildlifegardening #sustainablegardening #birdwatching #gardenforbirds #pollinatorgarden

In the words of Doug Tallamy ‘Our environmental boat has sprung a leak. Many of us are trying to repair the leak; others are bailing to keep us afloat until the leak is plugged. What is baffling, though, is that far too many of us are dumping new buckets of water into our boat, as if sinking it will not be a problem for them. At this point, each of us must decide what role we will play in the future: Will you be a bailer or a dumper? Your choice of plants in your yard will de...termine what role you have chosen’ ~Nature’s Best Hope We are bailers! Passionate and energetic bailers! If you want some help bailing in your own yard, we will help you. As well as sharing beneficial designs and native plant ideas that you can use to plan your next gardening project, we can also help you do the work. Our driving force is helping the natural ecosystem in Simcoe County. This is a passion project through and through. Let’s all start bailing while someone figures out how to repair the leak. We will help you bail if you let us know you need help. Featured in photos are up-close photos of native gardens in the fall...leaf litter all around to keep the critters, insects and plants cozy in winter...seed heads intact and ready for snacking by birds all winter...red glow from Serviceberry leaves (who needs a burning bush?!) We love the glorious fall garden and all of its layers of deliciousness. Join us in this quest! #naturesbesthope #douglastallamy #homegrownnationalpark #wildlifegarden #wildlifegardening #nativeplantsontario #nativeplantgardening #nativeplantgarden #nativeplantgardendesign #sustainablegardening #leavetheleaves #passionproject #beabailer

Repost from @prairierestorations Thank you!! So happy to see this lovely native getting some love. We have used this in rain gardens (the drier sections) and it always gets comments from admirers wondering why they have never seen this flower before and asking where they can get it. They haven’t seen it much because garden centres don’t feature enough native plants. Where can they get it? Try @onplants.ca for all your native plant dreams ... #geumtriflorum #nativeplantsontario #nativeplantgardening #raingarden #sustainablegardening #plantnatives #supportwildlife #wildlifegarden

January is for planning next year’s garden and so many people are posting questions as to how to include more native plants. Here is a neat little design for a corner garden with native plant suggestions for many varying conditions and exposures. So many possibilities! A great source for plants if you live in Ontario, Canada is @onplants.ca and you can start your order now for delivery at the beginning of the planting season. Thank you for your passion and expertise Halton... Master Gardeners. #gardendesign #nativegarden #sustainablegardening #wildlifegarden #climatechange #dosomethinggood

This is a huge deal for the well-being of humans and wildlife alike. Please sign the petition !

Teach your children that insects are AMAZING. We should all be in wonder and grateful for these tiny powerhouses because without insects we would not exist. Think food chain. The use of Insecticides, herbicides, plus the harmful effects of light pollution (turn off your porch lights!) and climate change are decimating insect populations. We need them! https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/insects-death-1.5870352

Truth #gardeningtruths #whattheheckisthatplant #whatchamacallit

Already dreaming of what to plant next spring? Consider native Prunus such as Black Cherry. Pretty white flowers which attract pollinators galore produce important fruit in the fall which so many animals depend upon. Plus, 456 species of caterpillars, moths and butterflies rely on this plant for various stages of their life cycle. Of all the keystone plants (as identified by Douglas Tallamy), the Prunus is #2 on the list, only behind the White Oak, in terms of the benefit to the ecosystem. #prunus #keystonespecies #nativeplantsontario #ontarionativeplants #sustainability #sustainablegardening #nativeplantsociety #naturesbesthope #supportpollinators #savethebees

Mulch 101 Mulch should be: -natural... -organic -adding nutrients to your soil -break down to become soil -protect plant roots from extreme temperatures -slow evaporation of water from soil Mulch should not: -be artificially dyed -be chemically treated -be made of shredded scrap wood such as old decks and pressure-treated lumber (this is the stuff they dye to hide how it really looks) -sit on top of your soil and never break down and meanwhile you keep adding more layers on top to get the ‘right colour’ We have seen new client’s gardens with layers of black mulch laid so thick that it has become hydrophobic ... it actually repels water! Mulch laid almost a foot thick sometimes, smothering roots, preventing water from reaching them (despite ongoing irrigation! How wasteful), with black dyed mulch reaching much higher temperatures in the hot days of summer than a natural mulch ever would. Cooking and dessicating the roots of plants, shrubs and trees. And the previous landscaper was vacuuming the gardens every fall to remove leaves and debris. Madness. With natural mulch laid not too thick (an inch or two will do), it will do what it’s supposed to and break down in a year or two to become soil. You can put leaves in the garden in the fall and they will become soil. In the spring you can add compost and a little mulch if you really want to, and it can go right on top of the leaves and old mulch because those are already on their way to becoming soil. If you have a garden full of black mulch, it’s time to make a change. And if your garden is full of red mulch. WHY OH WHY? Look for pine bark mulch, pine bark nuggets, north woods pine. And use leaves to make mulch! Make the change for the sake of sanity and the environment.

A quick walk outside this morning with a macro lens shows how important it is to leave native plants standing through the winter. The insects that we invite dur...ing the warm months to our plants are currently using the dead stems of natives for overwintering as adults, larvae, or in their egg stage. The holes that they make in the stem are usually inconspicuous at around 1-3 millimeters wide. Some insect species also overwinter in leaf litter, bark, or under the ground. See more

We keep growing as if the Earth holds infinite resources to sustain us. New subdivisions, built to house our ever growing population, are approximately 92% lawn. A manicured lawn is a status symbol and a sign of wealth and good citizenship. Can we change the paradigm so that lawns are seen for what they really are? Lawns are... - unsustainable water guzzlers - toxic when chemicals are used to control insects and weeds... - contaminating the watershed with 40-60% of applied fertilizers running off the lawn and killing aquatic organisms, contaminating drinking water - polluting the air with gas mowers (emitting more emissions than vehicles) - providing no essential ecosystem services So why do we all have lawns? Why are neighbours without lawns the ones who stand out and raise eyebrows? Who set the standard for acceptable landscaping that the vast majority of us still adhere to? Evolutionary psychologists postulate that we prefer lawn because it makes us feel like we have conquered nature and that we are safe from predators because we can see them coming across the savannah. These days perhaps there is still a misguided feeling of conquering nature when caring for a lawn, but the need to turn our properties into a savannah is no longer about safety from predators. Now it has just become the thing to do. Most people don’t question it. They don’t know that we are wiping out nature at an unsustainable rate. Nature is not to be conquered. How do we change the paradigm?

Please stop using your leaf blower. If you or your landscape/lawn ‘professional’ are using a leaf blower (or vacuum!) on your garden, STOP. Stop this damaging practice today. Are you wondering why so many people are calling for a ban on leaf blowers? Let me explain.... The issue comes down to 3 main categories: noise pollution, air pollution, and garden/habitat destruction. Noise pollution: whenever I see a landscape crew wearing leaf blower backpack units and no ear protection I think ‘they are headed for premature hearing loss’. But the noise doesn’t just affect the operator of the unit. The low frequency of the sound coming from a leaf blower is able to penetrate through walls and cement, adversely affecting so many people in the course of their daily lives. Air pollution: Gas blowers are typically crude two-stroke engines using a mixture of gas and oil which creates a very inefficient combustion process. These dirty engines produce aerosols containing carcinogens and other harmful pollutants. Plus the blower sends ground debris into the air such as dried animal feces, bird droppings. Basically any fine particles on the ground become airborne and the resulting aerosol pollution is inhaled by anyone in the general vicinity. But maybe you’re using an electric motor? Read on... Garden/habitat destruction: the average leaf blower produces winds of between 180 mph and 200 mph. This kind of wind is not natural. Directing this hot, dry, ridiculously strong wind on your lawn is bad enough, but people don’t stop there. They direct it at their gardens. If a landscape ‘professional’ is doing this to your gardens, then demonstrably they know very little about gardens, and their actions are wholly irresponsible. The hot dry wind scours the surface of your garden, stripping compost, topsoil, and any natural protection for plants, dessicating roots. Worse, this air destroys insects, insect habitats, and any potential ground shelter for insects, birds and small animals. The leaves belong IN your garden. Why waste your time blowing and hauling away leaves when they are the ideal winter compost/mulch for your garden? Diabolical machine

Help! Calling all gardeners! This is the current state of the garden in front of my local garden centre. A full cut-down and cleanup has occurred despite all of the latest messaging to the contrary. This is what members of the general public are seeing as they visit the garden centre. This perpetuates the idea that gardens needs to be ‘cleaned’. Clearly this is an uphill battle to try to help everyone understand that the old way of doing things is not sustainable. So fellow sustainable gardeners, how are you getting the word out in your area? Instagram only reaches the people who are mostly already on-board with the changes which need to occur. Please let me know any other method you are using to get the word out. I would love to copy you #sustainablegardening #sustainablegarden #nofallcleanup #stopthefallcleanup #leavetheleaves

Why should we care about insects? One example: A nesting chickadee will consume over 400 caterpillars per day. Caterpillars are rich in carotenoids which are essential nutrients growing chicks need to survive. 400! Does your garden do something to support that circle of life? All of the encouragement to leave your leaves in your garden for the winter is to provide winter shelter and protection for the living creatures which need it to survive. A sterile ‘clean’ garden with ...no debris and dyed mulch between plants which have been trimmed back to ground level is not helping. Climate change is real and we need to change what is considered proper gardening. We need to change what is considered being a good neighbour. The leaves resting in a native garden down the street should make you thankful that someone in your neighbourhood is setting a good example for others to follow. It has been said that humans would last only a few months if insects were to disappear from Earth (Wilson 1987). This winter I am embarking on a mission to provide real examples of sustainable gardens you can plant as soon as the ground thaws next spring. Sunny? Shady? Part-sun? Whatever your exposure, I will provide ideas. Native Ontario plants which are readily available at local garden centres so you don’t have to go on an exhaustive search for the right plants. And I will tell you how to care for them. Stay tuned #sustainableliving #sustainablegardening #nativeplantsofnorthamerica #nativeplantsontario #naturesbesthope #suburbannationalpark #gardendesign #sustainablegardendesign #savethebees #climatechange

One garden can motivate action in others #sharingthemessage #wildlifegarden #fallgarden #leavetheleaves #nativeplantsontario #sustainablegardening #organicgardening #nopesticides #pollinatorgarden

Don’t sprinkle cayenne pepper (or any kind) on your garden to deter squirrels. This is animal cruelty as it irritates the eyes and mucous membranes of the poor critters who get into it. Squirrels can lose their eyes. Bees die Some people sprinkle this over newly planted spring bulbs thinking it is a great idea. Think again. This is a terrible idea. A much better solution to protect your spring bulbs?? HEN MANURE This is a terrific organic fertilizer which will feed... the bulbs in the spring as it breaks down over winter resting over your bulbs. Where to get it? Almost literally anywhere they sell spring bulbs. These days there are huge displays selling packaged hen manure right beside the selection of bulbs. So inexpensive and so effective in protecting your bulbs from becoming a snack. Spread the word! Tell your neighbours. #henmanureistheanswer #organicgardening #sustainablegardening #wildlifegarden #bekindtoanimals

Here is a bare naked new rain garden ready for planting in the spring. Something to plan and look forward to over the winter months. Let’s see...cardinal flowers...blue vervain...rudbeckia...bluestem...Joe pye weed...so many options!!! Every house should have a rain garden. Rain gardens direct water from your downspouts into permeable soil planted with native plants which can deal with fluctuations in moisture levels. All of this prevents water from running off your property ...and into the sewer systems when it rains. Protecting the Lake Simcoe Watershed. Rain gardens are an easy and inexpensive way to make a difference. #barenakedraingarden #raingarden #raingardens #nativegarden #sustainablegardening #sustainablegarden #organicgardening #nativeplantsontario

Halloween is over. The leaves have been falling dramatically this weekend. Sunday TO DO lists may include raking leaves but please read this thoughtful suggestion from David Suzuki first. 2 minute read. https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-g/how-to-leave-the-leaves/ Link in bio... #sustainablegardening #leavetheleaves #fallgarden #stopthefallcleanup #davidsuzuki

Repost from @healthy_yards Raising awareness with our neighbours is vital as the leaves fall all around us #leavetheleaves #sustainablegardening #supportwildlife #noleafblowers #ifnotnowwhen

Vacuuming a garden?! I saw a property maintenance company this morning using a vacuum on a client’s garden. STOP! Professional gardeners and garden services have an obligation to understand how damaging this practice is. All garden professionals should be united in trying to correct the public’s understanding of how to garden, particularly in stopping the fall cleanup. I truly believe that when people know better, they do better. ... So please...rake leaves into your garden...leave perennials standing...let your gardens just fall asleep with the cold weather. And for the love of our planet, DO NOT VACUUM YOUR GARDEN #vacuumsareforcarpets #leavetheleaves #stopthefallcleanup #gardenforwildlife #sustainablegardening #fallgarden #nomorefallcleanup #dobetter

Invasive species alert! Everyone wants one of these in the fall. Please resist the temptation to plant a ‘burning bush’ (euonymus alatus). These are on the list of highly invasive species in Ontario. Invasive plants are defined as non-native species which displace native plant communities. Over the history of time, our native species have evolved ways to cope with one another. In contrast, invasive plants (always non-native) have arrived in a community within the last severa...l hundred years, which is the blink of an evolutionary eye. They have arrived without their suite of natural enemies to keep them in check. Invasive non-natives have a huge advantage over our native plants from this perspective. Meanwhile, the insects, mammals...wildlife...which rely on our natural world for their very existence, have not always evolved to make use of non-natives. The burning bush spreads by seeds from the fall berries. We spend a significant amount of energy trying to keep these in check. Look carefully and you will see small ones popping up all over the place. Choose wisely and choose for the future of our planet rather than for 2 weeks of ‘pretty’ in the fall. My Serviceberry (Amalanchier Canadensis) is just as pretty right now! Referencing from Douglas Tallamy’s book Nature’s Best Hope Plant with purpose please #climatechangeisreal #nativeplantsontario #dotherightthing #wildlifegardening #sustainablegardening #fallgardening #fallgardenmistakes

Support wildlife by stopping the antiquated concept of the ‘fall cleanup’ Echinacea are finally ready for the feast. The finches have been waiting patiently for the seeds to be ripe. Don’t cut them down and throw them in a brown bag. This is just one example. Leave your perennials standing for nature’s sake! #supportwildlife #wildlifegarden #nativeplantgardening #sustainablegardening #stopthefallcleanup #stopclimatechange

Stop the fall cleanup!!! Article in today’s Toronto Sun featuring sage advice for proper fall gardening from MY SISTER! Brenda has worked with Canadian gardening guru Mark Cullen for over 18 years and is helping get the word out to STOP the misguided fall cleanup of gardens for nature’s sake. For the wildlife’s sake. For our climate. https://torontosun.com//fall-gardeners-top-5-mistakes-and-... Anyone asking @hensleygardens for a ‘fall cleanup’ will not get one...instead we will try to educate you on how you can sustainably garden for the sake of our planet’s future. #nofallcleanup #fallgarden #sustainablegardening #stopclimatechange #naturesbesthope #nativeplants

Now is the time! The best time of year to plant. Plant native plants now to help support nature. One small act to help our wildlife sustain itself. Add organic sustainable natives like these beauties from the wonderful @onplants.ca The ground is warm and the air is cool. Root development is so easy in these conditions. Plants thrive in the fall.... #plantnatives #sustainablegardening #fallgarden #climatechangeisreal #organicgardening #whyigarden

A perfect fall flower! You grew echinacea for 6 months....and finally the payoff comes when finches start munching on the seeds. Don’t cut them down in some misguided ‘Fall Cleanup’. This is a huge part of why we garden. #nativeplants #sustainablegardening #nofallcleanup

Wanna do one thing for the climate this weekend? Use white clover seed to overseed your lawn. It’s right there beside the grass seed. Maybe you never noticed. Start with a small area. Pictured is my ‘lawn’...which is to say I really don’t have one. No one notices. At least no humans. But the bees and butterflies and all those lovely insects and creatures we need to survive on this planet, they notice. I don’t have to mow it or fertilize or water. It stays green even when you...r lawn goes brown. A little bag of white clover seed and a bit of soil. Mix it together and spread it on your lawn. Your kids can do it. No watering required if you do it now or in the spring when the dews are heavy. #facetheclimateemergency #lawnsareoverrated #naturesbesthope

Doug Tallamy is a hero! Can’t wait to read his latest book...

Sounds like our conversations as we garden and ponder how our sustainable approach may help in some small way... #sustainable #nativeplants #organicgardening Repost @janegoodallinst

Backyard ecosystem doin’ just fine #watergarden #myhappyplace #plantsmakepeoplehappy and frogs too

An echinacea bloom with smaller echinacea blooms instead of petals #plantsarecool #plantsofinstagram

We love masks! We have found masks to be a key component to gardening safely during this challenging year. Masks allow us to keep your gardens in tip-top shape in a safe and mindful approach to working in a pandemic.

An excellent article to help explain how non-natives can take over and change our ecosystem. Here in Simcoe County a good example is ‘periwinkle’ or vinca minor which is planted as a ground cover on residential properties and then creeps out uncontrollably into the surrounding forest. The Springwater forest floor is almost entirely vinca. A highly invasive non-native making life harder for native plants and animals. Often clients ask us to plant vinca...we always say 'no'.

Bird-friendly and soil-enhancing fall maintenance is the only kind we do here at Hensley Gardens. This article captures some of the great reasons why we are so passionate about this approach. https://www.audubon.org//to-help-birds-winter-go-easy-fall

What is that over there?! A white football?? No...that’s a Giant Puffball Mushroom #appetizersfordays #puffball #gardening #foraging #fortheloveofgardening

Insect hotels! . . These are everywhere this year. As garden centres encourage us to provide a habitat for insects, remember that native plants will support your hotel guests beautifully. .... . Oh and skip the chemicals on your lawn and garden. The last thing you want to do is invest in an insect hotel and then spray for ‘pests’. #organicgardening #sustainablegarden #nativeplants #gardeningtips #organic #pesticidefree #insecthotel #supportthepollinators #supportwildlife #hensleygardens See more

Ephemeral beauty! Literally...it’s here and then it’s gone? . . A spring ephemeral plant is a perennial that emerges quickly in spring and dies back to its underground parts after a brief show above ground. One of the earliest pollen sources for bees! We all know the Trillium, but pictured here are the lesser known Carolina Spring Beauty and Bloodroot. .... . Thank you to the lovely native plant grower The Ephemeral Ark Nursery for this gorgeous Carolina Spring Beauty, and for all that you do in support of native plants. @ Barrie, Ontario See more

Sunday morning walking with my Nana at the Wye Marsh. Native plant lovers are we! We saw Trout Lilies everywhere and Marsh Marigold ready to explode with blooms. The birds were hungry and friendly...which made our day @ Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre

Adding one...a few...or many native plants to your garden can do wonderful things to help wildlife in Southern Ontario in the midst of urban growth. I’m excited to be volunteering at the annual North American Native Plant Society plant sale this upcoming Saturday at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Come visit and our experts will help you find plants that are just right for your garden.

I'm very excited to be volunteering at the NANPS plant sale this weekend at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. So much can be accomplished by adding just a few native plants to your gardens...

Shirley’s garden For 49 years Shirley and Jim lived here. This award-winning garden was a constant source of joy. We had the honour of working in these gardens. . . Shirley and Jim made the heart-wrenching decision to sell their home this winter and moved to a condo down by the water. This photo is hanging on the wall of their new kitchen where they have immortalized their garden in a large print on canvas. .... . Visiting their new home this weekend I was excited to see the large sunroom where they can enjoy a new indoor garden in the years to come. It is a blank canvas just waiting for Shirley to work her magic. For some of us, life would not be the same without a garden I’m so happy that plants will flourish in their new condo. @ Kempenfelt Bay See more

Garden design is keeping us busy at this time of year. . . Today we made time to meet with many new clients so we can turn dreams into goals. A particular highlight is the client who is dreaming of a rain garden and wildlife habitat complete with insect hotels. .... . Thank you to Kell’s Garden City for a beautiful day. See more

This is not a picture of crocuses! Well...ok there are crocuses pictured...but this is about everything else in this photo. The ‘mess’ that we are in such a hurry to clean up in the spring. As we wait for the final bits of snow to melt here in Canada, try not to be in a rush to clean up. Why? For Nature’s sake. If you want to support wildlife with your garden, start here. . . Birds are industriously gathering twigs, leaves, grasses, and even fur to build and line nests. The...y love messy gardens at this time of year. I even asked a houseguest last evening if they would brush their Siberian Husky in my garden and leave behind all the fur for the animals. . . Meanwhile, on another level, insects are busy underneath the ‘mess’. They’ve been overwintering and waiting for the chance to emerge. Worms are slowly moving to the surface and dragging decaying leaves down into the soil. Let them do this work for you. . . Leave the beautiful mess for now and watch the wildlife take advantage of your garden. . . #organic #organicgardening #sustainability #sustainableliving #sustainable #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlifegarden #nativeplants #gardening #gardeningtips #hensleygardens #instagardenlovers #springincanada #barrie See more

Meet Tex A dog with a story . . Tex is 8 and has been a part of my family for 3 years. He carries around a ballerina teddy bear while patiently waiting for me in the office. He drinks from the little cat bowl and always ignores his big dog bowl. He loves truck rides and piano. Seriously. Whenever I play he settles in beside me and sings to his favourites. .... . Tex had a tough start to his life. He was found by firefighters tied to a pole in the basement of a burnt house when he was about 1 year old. All evidence indicates he spent his first year tied to that pole. He didn’t find his forever home until he was 5. By then he had a difficult time walking due to neglect and was fearful of people. . . With love and attention he has regained his health and now has some trusted human friends. And that ballerina teddy bear . . All the love in the world for this gentle soul See more

A helping hand for the birds and critters in the form of cherries, blueberries and apples on top of the deep and icy snow. This was eaten up by Robins and rabbits in less than 2 hours. . Today is a great day to be designing a backyard bird sanctuary for a client. Water, shelter, and food that is accessible to birds in all seasons is the order of the day.

The endangered Silver Tree of South Africa. The photo doesn’t capture the mesmerizing silver beauty of this member of the Proteaceae family. My favourite at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

Serviceberry . . Such an understated name for a spectacular native tree. Amelanchier Canadensis. You’ll be seeing these covered in delicate white flowers early this spring, followed by berries that birds love and then wonderfully cheerful orange leaves in the fall. One of those trees you can plant and forget about. Low-maintenance and hardy to Zone 3.

the pink peeling bark of the River Birch. Thinking of adding new trees? Consider this one...graceful branches, delicate leaves, dappled shade, and that bark. So hardy in Ontario!

It’s the season for garden design. Dreaming and planning are in full swing. We designed this garden a few years ago. Full-sun, hot and dry, and the homeowner wanted blooms for the entire growing season. Native plants were used prominently and once established they now flourish with just natural rainfall. This is a low-maintenance garden you can just sit back and enjoy. The homeowner recently told us the buzzing of the bees is extraordinary . . . #nativeplants #gardening #gardendesign #garden #sustainabledesign #sustainability #organicgardening #compost #wormcastings #hensleygardens

All dried and ready to be crushed and added to the soil . . . #gardeningtips #eggshells #doityourself #compost #composting #sustainability #gardening #gardens #gardener #urbangarden #supportlocal #hensleygardens

Working today on a garden design inspired by my favourite book. I wonder how many gardeners out there read this as a child? I must’ve read it 30 times...seems like every spring just before the snow melts I crave this beautiful story ‘...she was inside the wonderful garden and she could come though the door under the ivy at any time and she felt as if she had found a world all her own’ - Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden ... #gardening #garden #gardens #greenthumb #urbangarden #gardeninspiration #gardener #secretgarden #plants #instagarden #urbangardening #organicgardening #nativeplants #hensleygardens See more

If you have a garden created by Hensley Gardens then you have native plants in your garden. Here we made a little pot of spring flowers for our own immediate enjoyment and we will let the native Comfrey take over in the warmer months. It will become both food for insects and a potent organic fertilizer for the other plants. #springflowers #nativeplants #sustainability #organic #organicgardening #garden #gardening #gardeningtips #comfrey #symphytumofficinale

Mini ‘living wall’ herb garden planted up and ready to go in our kitchen. . #herbgarden #herbalife #livingwall #greenwall #sustainabledesign #sustainablegarden #indoorgarden #garden #gardening #freshherbs #basil #oregano #lavender #spearmint #rosemary #violas #yummy

I’m so excited to start building a living wall...that I bought too many plants! Anyone else have this sickness too? . Shout out to @vandermeernursery and @richters_herbs @richters.herbs for having irresistible plants. It’s worth driving a little out of the way to visit these amazing growers. #fafard #markschoice #vandermeernursery #richtersherbs #garden #gardener #gardening #gardenaddict #livingwall #springblooms #springplanting #herbs #hensleygardens

Good times volunteering for @nativeplant_society this week! . #canadablooms2018 #nativegardening #hensleygardens #savethebees #honeybee #sustainablegarden #sustainabledesign #organicgardening #gardening #garden #northamericannativeplantsociety

1 in 3!! . Do you want to support pollinators in Southern Ontario? Consider adding some native plants to your gardens this year. Not sure which? Just ask us! We are happy to provide suggestions for plants you can find at your local garden centres. . #nativegardening #pollinators #bees #sustainabledesign #nativeplants #perennials #canadablooms2018 #honeybee #hensleygardens #fusion

Someone at Canada Blooms 2018 must have known about my obsession with River Birches! These native beauties were everywhere. Delicate leaves, artistic branches, super hardy and pink peely bark! Sigh. Perfection. I will be volunteering with the North American Native Plant Society at the show again this year. Dispensing seeds for some of my favourite native plants. I hope to see you there...

Checking out the South African flora and fauna...

Holiday planter delivery began this weekend! All custom and each unique...no 2 alike! Plus we pick up your old planters and drop off the new beauties right at your door. It is tempting to want to deliver flowers all day every day just to see those big smiles.

Why haven’t I cut back my dead flowers? The birds are feasting right now on seeds from native plants. THIS is why I garden. I plant natives to do what I can to support the ecosystem. The resulting fall feast for wildlife is beautiful in my eyes and a treat to watch.

Brand new garden. These young plants will establish roots in the October rain and begin to fill in next year. Photos show Before pruning and Before sod removal. We were inspired by the string of fairy lights...

We have now arrived at The Best time of the year to plant. Cooler air temps but the ground is warm...perfect for root development. This is the time of year we can plant cottage gardens without worry that no one is around to water.

Before and After...

#admiration #fortheloveofgardening #nativegardening #sustainable via ripl.com

Fall colour on a Serviceberry getting us all distracted #nativegardening #sustainable

A gardening family! So proud of my son, Zack. He has been helping with the gardens, lawns, and even cooking our dinners after a long workday. Pictured in today's Toronto Star as he helped our friend Mark Cullen 10 years ago...he just started high school this week. https://www.thestar.com//now-is-the-time-to-grow-some-grea

#woodlandparadise #organicgardening #sustainablegardening #nativeplants #hensleygardens via ripl.com

A gardener lives here...and bees and butterflies and birds #fortheloveofgardening #welcomehome #supportpollinators

Yup #lifeisgood

My son just took this pic of my garden and sent it to me as I work on someone else's garden. My garden is doing it's job!! Yay! Thank you Zack :) #monarchbutterfly #echinacea #organicgardening #supportthepollinators #hensleygardens

Sunrise at our favourite grower @dutchmasternurseries #dutchmasternursery #growninontario #familybusiness

Delicate beauty #echinaceapallida #nativeplants #nativegardening #organicgardening #raingarden #sustainablegarden #hensleygardens

We gifted many of these Canadian Shield roses to our clients at the beginning of the season. They started blooming just after Canada Day and now we can't get enough! Disease- and pest-resistant, hardy almost everywhere in Canada and a true red rose that smells amazing. These are new this year and only available at a few locations. We got ours at The Barrie Garden Centre. #canada150 #canadianshieldrose #weloveourclients

Visiting my dad always involves a garden tour. Looks like I'm not his only fan...Congratulations dad! #happyfathersday