Cardinal Glen Ecological Landscaping

08/28/2026

A perfect day for planting in New Edinburgh

08/20/2026

08/15/2026

Matrix design is the foundation of ecological design. Great explanation here. We use grasses and sedges for the matrix in our designs as well as low perennials.

If you’re new to natural garden design and want to show intention while still having a wilder, climate-resilient landscape, the matrix style is it. Plus, honestly, it’s just really darn accessible and actionable no matter if you’re creating a shade meadow or sunny prairie echo -- and no matter...

08/12/2026

Thrilling to watch our spring installations grow in! This streetside section of a lawn conversion features prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) and cylindrical blazing star (Liatris cylindracea), native to southern Ontario, as well as autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis) and calamint (Clinopodium nepeta subsp. nepeta), two cultivated European species.

In the first years of a new garden, plants often grow too tall for their immature roots to balance. The wonky, floppy Liatris cylindracea here will stablize itself and grow upright as its corms grow larger and deeper.

07/14/2026

Layered planting is the key to both beauty and resilience in ecological design.

Here, pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) is beginning to bloom above drifts of hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) and a matrix of little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium).

07/10/2026

During the devastating storms on Canada Day, I happened to be watching the storm out my back window when my neighbour's Norway maple ripped in half.

Half remained standing, half landed on my nursery. Luckily not on any houses.

Today, my son and I watched Neal and his incredible team at Up There Tree Care and his colleagues at Capital Timber Company and Gardiner Tree Trimming & Removal Ltd safely lift the Norway out with a crane. An enormous buckthorn had grown into the maple's canopy many years ago, hiding it from view, and this was also lifted out.

More photos and video to come with advice about managing invasive trees and how to restore soil health after their removal. -Christina

06/26/2026

Fantastic germination of Antennaria neglecta from . They'll be potted up soon in our micronursery for fall installations.

06/24/2026

Preparing for the final spring plantings this week. These gorgeous plugs are ready to become a part of two small urban shade gardens.

Species in photo include oak sedge (Carex pensylvanica), tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana), woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), and white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata).

06/08/2026

Got dog strangling vine, creeping bellflower, or buckthorn?

Do you regret planting periwinkle, lily of the valley, daylilies, barberry, or burning bush, or did they come with your home?

We offer personalized invasive species action plans that balance practical action with the highest risks of ecological harm.

We are pleased to now also offer a small team of mighty gardeners, all being extensively trained in evidence-based invasive species removal.

Once you have your action plan, you can book our team once or schedule regular visits over a longer period of time to get the right support for your situation.

We also offer one-on-one consultations to teach practical techniques, from identification to monitoring, and offer hands on workshops for community groups.

We're currently booking into mid July and are especially prioritizing those in central and eastern Ottawa.

06/03/2026

It's been a privilege to work on this property over the last two years, helping my client continue to convert it into a wildlife haven. We successfully removed creeping bellflower from the side yard, designed and installed a woodland garden in the backyard (with more to come), and this week, we finalized the front yard lawn conversion and installed hundreds of sedges, grasses, perennials, spring ephemerals, and shrubs under an incredible red oak.

All plants selected for the garden are native to the Ottawa region except the endangered wood poppy.