Reconnecting Ecosystems

09/02/2026

Tom Green and the Invasive Species Centre team up to raise awareness about invasive species and fight phragmites!

Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/X9GER6hzhD4

Today at the farm, the Invasive Species Centre is helping remove in...

08/15/2026

Thank you Klimat Ottawa for hosting our native plant pickup location!

🧗Drop in for some bouldering, or if that's not your thing, they have a fabulous cafe too! ☕️

08/13/2026

Great band names, but also great native plants to add to your garden!

🛒 Order your plants online and choose free pickup in Wakefield or Ottawa Klimat . Links to the newsletter and nursery are in the comments.

🪴 Plants range from $3 - $20 each, in a variety of sizes including plant snails (6-12 plants bundled together).

🌱 Ageratina altissima / White Snakeroot
🌱 Anaphalis margaritacea / Pearly Everlasting
🌱 Aquilegia canadensis / Columbine
🌱 Aralia racemosa / American Spikenard
🌱 Asclepias incarnata / Swamp Milkw**d
🌱 Asclepias syriaca / Common Milkw**d
🌱 Coreopsis lanceolata / Lanceleaf Coreopsis
🌱 Cornus sericea / Red-twig Dogwood
🌱 Euthamia graminifolia / Grass-leaved Goldenrod
🌱 Eutrochium maculatum / Spotted Joe Pye w**d
🌱 Fragaria vesca / Woodland Strawberry
🌱 Fragaria virginiana / Wild Strawberry
🌱 Helenium autumnale / Sneezew**d
🌱 Matteuccia struthiopteris / Ostrich Fern
🌱 Oenothera biennis / Evening Primrose
🌱 Onoclea sensibilis / Sensitive Fern
🌱 Penstemon hirsutus / Hairy Beardtongue
🌱 Rudbeckia hirta / Black-eyed Susan
🌱 Rubus odoratus / Thimbleberry
🌱 Sambucus canadensis / Black Elderberry
🌱 Sanguinaria canadensis / Bloodroot
🌱 Sisyrinchium montanum / Blue-eyed Grass
🌱 Solidago caesia / Bluestem Goldenrod
🌱 Solidago juncea / Early Goldenrod
🌱 Symphyotrichum cordifolium / Heart-leaved Aster

08/12/2026

Know before you grow!
Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR)

𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧!

What starts out as the perfect plant to cover large areas in your garden can quickly become a massive problem. Goutw**d is in aggressive invasive species that can overtake your garden, turn up in unexpected areas in your yard, and spread onto neighbouring properties. Improper disposal can also introduce goutw**d into natural areas, where it spreads aggressively and can crowd out native plants, reducing biodiversity.

Learn more about goutw**d here: https://bit.ly/44n2M9U.
Access our Gardening Resource page here: https://bit.ly/4t1k1bl

08/11/2026

Why spend money fighting plants that we planted ourselves?

Join Halton Hills in urging the government to expand the list of prohibited species that can be sold in the horticulture trade. Prevention costs less than management!

Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) Town of Halton Hills

Could this be the start of a movement that finally tackles invasive species at the source?

07/30/2026

Say no 👎 to periwinkle!

Say yes 👍 to native plants!

Let your local garden centre and your municipal representatives know that the sale of invasive plants needs to stop now!
Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) The Weather Network

Instead of periwinkle, consider using native plants in your garden.

06/30/2026

One of my favourite gardens in the city - it was transformed from lawn to woodchips to native plants. Now you can find tiny neighbours like this swallowtail butterfly caterpillar munching on golden Alexanders, even as cars and busses pass nearby and amidst the noise of a bustling city.

It doesn't matter where you live ~ if you build it they will come! 🐛🦋

06/27/2026

🌱 I'll be at the Maison Fairbairn House tomorrow with some native plants for sale!

Come on down at 2:00 and learn about wetland ecosystems, why they're so important and why we need to protect them.

I'll have swamp milkw**d, black eyed Susans, Joe Pye w**d, blue vervain, lance leaf coreopsis and more! 🐛🦋

Rejoignez nous le 28 juin à 14h pour une conversation ouverte sur les zones humides qui façonnent notre municipalité.

Partagez vos connaissances, écoutez les perspectives locales et regardez des films qui donnent vie à ces écosystèmes essentiels. Ensemble, nous explorerons ce que nous pouvons faire en tant que communauté pour protéger et préserver nos zones humides pour les générations futures. Tout le monde est le bienvenu.

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Join us on June 28th at 2pm for an open conversation about the wetlands that shape our municipality.

Share your knowledge, hear local perspectives, and watch films that bring these vital ecosystems to life. Together, we'll explore what we can do as a community to protect and preserve our wetlands for generations to come. All are welcome.

06/18/2026

🌿 Nursery update!

After a slow spring, we finally have a few first year plants added to our inventory. Available in a variety of sizes, including plant snails - reduce plastic and reduce costs with these bundles of plants! (No snails were used in the making of these products)

Ready for their new homes:
- Anaphalis margaritacea / Pearly everlasting
(American lady and American painted lady butterflies call this home!)
- Aquilegia canadensis / Wild columbine
(Shade? Sun? Sure, why not?!)
- Aralia racemosa / American spikenard
(Spikenard, really? Really! You think it's a shrub but it's a super-perennial that loves the shade!)
- Asclepias incarnata / Swamp milkw**d
(No need for a swamp! Very versatile)
- Asclepias syriaca / Common milkw**d
(Loves to roam - great for a meadow!)
- Coreopsis lanceolata / Lanceleaf coreopsis
(Have sun? Must have these neverending yellow flowers!)
- Cornus sericea / Red-twig dogwood
(Red stems can't be beat amidst the winter whites!)
- Euthamia graminifolia / Grass-leaved goldenrod
(Loves to spread - Perfect for planting after removing pesky invasive plants!)
- Eutrochium maculatum / Spotted Joe Pye w**d
(Fuels up migrating monarchs in the fall!)
- Fragaria vesca & virginiana / Woodland and wild strawberry
(Who doesn't love teeny tiny strawberries??)
- Matteuccua struthiopteris / Ostrich fern
(Edible fiddleheads! Loves to spread)
- Oenothera biennis / Evening primrose
(Yellow flowers open up at night = moth magnet!)
- Rubus odoratus / Thimbleberry
(Melt-in-your-mouth bliss...)
- Rudbeckia hirta / Black-eyed Susan
(The most cheerful flower ever made)
- Sambucus canadensis / Black elderberry
(Host plant for lots of butterfly and moth species!)
- Symphyotrichum cordifolium / Heart-leaved aster
(Asters that don't need full sun and are guaranteed to be full of bees!)
- Verbena hastata / Blue vervain
(Spikes! Blue! Bees galore! Hakuna matata!)

Order online, weekly pickups in Wakefield and Ottawa.
www.reconnectingecosystems.ca/nativeplantnursery

06/03/2026

Can't get enough of these beautiful maidenhair ferns! 😍

They're happiest in a part shade to mostly shade setting, with well draining moist soil. A fern from deciduous forests, they appreciate a nice layer of fallen leaves for winter protection and a source of nutrients.

I love to add them along the edge of a pathway, so you can really appreciate their structure and beauty!