Tranquility Garden Design

Tranquility Garden Design Tranquility Garden Design provides bespoke design solutions for downtown properties.

We design, build and maintain gardens in the GTA with a focus on perennial gardens, pollinator gardens, shade gardens, seasonal urns and low-cost landscaping solutions.

Despite all appearances, spring is almost here, and that means that Witchhazel or Hamamelis, pronounced ham-ah-MAY-lis, ...
08/26/2026

Despite all appearances, spring is almost here, and that means that Witchhazel or Hamamelis, pronounced ham-ah-MAY-lis, is here. Though it may not be as showy as forsythia, witchhazel beats forsythia to the race when it comes to timing. I've even seen some varieties bloom in February. Unlike Forsythia, witchhazel does not have such a wild growth habit and does not tend to shoot sprouts high into the sky or sprawl all over the lawn. These guys also have some excellent fall color. Smaller varieties are available for small yards, and there is also a native Hamamelis virginiana, which can tolerate full shade. Fun fact: this shrub can propel its seeds up to 10 m away! These seeds are eaten by grouse, wild turkeys and pheasants, while the leaves support over 60 moths and butterflies in their larval stages. For those of you with shady back yards, this may be the shrub to plant. I've even seen it survive under a canopy of conifers.

Working on downtown properties, we are used to finding ourselves in tight spaces. Whether it's digging a rain garden or ...
08/25/2026

Working on downtown properties, we are used to finding ourselves in tight spaces. Whether it's digging a rain garden or moving plants through a tight alleyway and over a fence, we are nimble enough to handle most situations. As space becomes more of a premium, we think a lot about issues such as flood mitigation and how to use rainwater to irrigate your plants. Even if you don't have a lot of space, a few plants can really help create a sense of calm and reduce the temperature of your patio.

Totally Tubular FlowersMonarda or Bee balm attracts more than 37 species of long and short-tongued bees. Other pollinato...
08/25/2026

Totally Tubular Flowers
Monarda or Bee balm attracts more than 37 species of long and short-tongued bees. Other pollinators include sand wasps, and many species of butterflies and moths, which have long proboscises (or tubes for noses), which they use to extract nectar from the long trumpet-shaped flowers. The most interesting species to visit the monarda is the incredible "hummingbird moth" which moves like a hummingbird with a rapid wing speed and can hover in the same precise manner as a hummingbird. These moths can move at speeds up to 80km an hour. To learn more about this incredible insect, click the link to this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYLtpqkMSvU

08/25/2026

As the weather warms up, many of you may be considering landscaping projects for your gardens. A common question I receive is, "How much will it cost?". It’s crucial to approach this topic without awkwardness. Think of it like going to a hair salon: the services and their costs can vary significantly from a blow dry to a balayage, there is a huge range in cost. When discussing your dream garden, remember that for plants and maintenance only, our gardens range between $4,000-$25,000. If you want hardscaping such as patios, pergolas, special furniture, water features, etc. you can easily find yourself in the 100-500,000$ range. We find that plants (softscaping) brings a good bang for your buck. But it's vital to understand that a significant portion of this budget may go towards preparing your space, including removing invasive plants and unwanted weeds. If you're looking to tackle your garden in stages, that’s perfectly fine! Just ensure you have a clear budget in mind so that we can create the best plan for your yard with the funds available at the moment.

Our Clinton Street Shade Garden shows how shade-loving plants can create a peaceful urban retreat. Pink hydrangeas, feat...
08/25/2026

Our Clinton Street Shade Garden shows how shade-loving plants can create a peaceful urban retreat. Pink hydrangeas, feathery ferns, and textured foliage layer beautifully for a vibrant and thoughtful year-round design. We take care of it every two weeks, so we get to see it evolve, week to week, year to year. A small drip irrigation system cuts down on water usage and keeps the garden well fed during summer droughts.

Pollinator Cam: Who Eats WhatOne of our favorite things to do during our daily dog walks is to check out the buzz at Duf...
08/25/2026

Pollinator Cam: Who Eats What
One of our favorite things to do during our daily dog walks is to check out the buzz at Dufferin Grove Park pollinator garden. It helps us learn about different pollinators and their favorite foods, their food collection strategies and this often yields some surprises such as these monarchs feeding on thistles. Though most of us may think of pulling thistles rather than planting them, they provide an important food source for butterflies when they migrate down to Mexico. Follow us for more videos on pollinators in action, or visit your local pollinator garden to watch them yourself.

08/22/2026

Pollinator Cam: It's a Numbers Game
Generally, the more types of pollinator-friendly plants we can place in one spot, the more pollinators we will attract. Some pollinators prefer plants with large flower heads and flat petals to land on. Others like umbel-shaped plant heads, while some prefer plants with trumpet-shaped flowers, such as monarda. It's also important to keep in mind the spring and fall when pollen and nectar resources are scarce. Therefore, planting things like asters and goldenrod for fall and spring ephemerals such as bloodroot, trout lily, and Virginia bluebells, along with blooming trees such as serviceberry and pussywillows, can do a lot to help our pollinators year-round. Finally, there is the crucial step of keeping pollinator habitat in the fall by providing stalks for solitary bees to live in and leaf litter for beneficial insects to overwinter. Many of these insects can also keep your garden's ecological balance in check, to prevent certain pests from getting out of control. It's a win-win situation.

Bring some color to your patios and doorsteps with summer planters！We provide bespoke planters to suit all light conditi...
08/21/2026

Bring some color to your patios and doorsteps with summer planters！We provide bespoke planters to suit all light conditions and tastes. Reach out and let us know what size of planter you have, where it is located and what kind of look you would like to achieve.

For this small project, we were asked to help a client who wanted to convert a lawn into something more beautiful and ec...
08/21/2026

For this small project, we were asked to help a client who wanted to convert a lawn into something more beautiful and ecologically beneficial than a lawn. We added a layer of compost to the soil to help with water retention, and planted a variety of grasses, sedums and even a few cacti. Looking forward to watching this one grow as the years go by.

Address

730 Dovercourt Road
Toronto, ON
M6H2W9

Telephone

+16479149228

Website

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