Our Approach
Beautiful, Balanced Plant Communities
We design contemporary, ecological plantings that support local ecosystems while maintaining a refined appearance. Our approach creates lush, layered, and densely planted gardens that are dynamic, resilient, and thrive with minimal maintenance.
Ecological landscape design applies the concepts of plant ecology to classic, timeless garden design principles. A deep understanding of plant behaviour and competition is essential. We carefully consider how different species behave and interact over time both above and within the soil.
This creates balanced, functional, and abundant gardens that are dynamic and expected to change throughout the years. This leads to manageable and even enjoyable maintenance levels over the long term.
Our focus is on native and near native plants, which we source from trusted nurseries including our own micro-nursery. Perennials, shrubs, trees, grasses, sedges, rushes, and ferns are chosen based on careful analysis of your site conditions and micro-climates, ensuring they will thrive.
“Christina transformed our home’s gardens with creativity, skill, and integrity. She has a warm and confident manner, which makes her especially wonderful to work with.”
- Centretown client
Land Acknowledgement
Ko au the whenua, te whenua ko au.
I am the land, the land is me
I acknowledge that the land where I live and work, including the gardens I design and plant, is on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people.
I recognize their enduring stewardship of this land, and I am committed to honouring their ongoing relationship with it.
My work is guided by the teachings of Indigenous leaders such as Dr. Jennifer Grenz and Robin Wall Kimmerer, as well as many Māori teachers in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa.
Indigenous approaches honour deep connections between the natural and human worlds and seek to bring healing to that relationship through reciprocity and the fostering of mutual reliance.
I strive to centre Indigenous perspectives on landscapes, and I hope that my designs will contribute to this healing for my clients, the land, and the wider community.
“What's good for the land is also good for the people.”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants