OnGrowing Works’ Horticulture Services Project Manager Russ Poon describes horticulture as “knowing and growing the best plants for the particular needs of a garden.”

“It’s all about growing a garden,” says Russ. “When you break down the word horticulture, hortus means yard. So essentially, when we’re talking about horticulture, we’re cultivating plants to grow in your garden. I look at it as the art of gardening and plants.”

But why is good horticulture important, and why should you care about it?

It improves your outdoor surroundings.

During COVID, when we’re limited on what we can do, having a beautiful outdoor environment that you are proud of and enjoy provides a peace of mind during difficult times.

It prevents flooding and increases water conservation.

When you have more plants in your garden, instead of just a lawn, plants absorb a lot of the water that a lawn will not. When it rains, you’re not only watering your garden without tapping into municipal resources but decreasing the chances of flooding.

It helps decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

Plants help to cool our urban environment. By practicing good horticulture, you are helping to reduce the amount of heat that urban environments absorb and trap. Incorporating trees and plants into your horticulture plan, helps to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fighting climate change in your own backyard.

It allows you to decrease the amount of chemicals used in the natural environment.

Good, sustainable horticulture uses natural mulches and compost to fertilize plants and help them grow. By focusing on natural horticulture practices, you can feel good knowing that less chemicals are washed into our water system and poisoning our air and water.

It enhances natural environments for critters and helpful insects.

Good horticulture practices help create safe spaces for critters to live. Before you know it, you will have a variety of birds, squirrels, bees and bunnies visiting your yard.

It helps manage pests.

Through good horticulture, we can reduce the number of pests in our gardens. By focusing on a combination of plants that reduce annoying pests and encourage useful insects such as ladybugs, worms and pollinators, you can create a wholesome, healthy garden.

It creates learning opportunities.

Practicing good horticulture provides your children the opportunity to get curious about gardens and care for the earth. The next time you’re working in your garden, let your children help. Not only will they have fun helping you, but you will be teaching the next generation how to incorporate sustainable horticulture practices into their lives.

Now that you know why horticulture is important, where do you start? At OnGrowing Works, one of the things we focus on is educating our clients about best horticulture practices and answering any questions you have so that you can enjoy gardening in your spare time.

Russ Poon prunes an Acer palmatum ‘Red Dragon’ Cutleaf Japanese Maple in his garden.

“If you’re not sure where to start, or need some advice, OnGrowing Works is here to share best practices based on your project needs,” says Russ. “We can teach you how to take care of the plants in your garden, as well as determine the ideal plants to incorporate based on your goals. We are Cochrane’s plant people and are here to support your horticulture aspirations.”

OnGrowing Works offers the following horticulture services:

Consultations:

If you’re not sure what plants will work best in your yard, we offer consultation services so you can confidently move forward with your project.

Planting designs and planning:

Before work begins, we can develop two-dimensional planting plans so you can see what your garden will look like. We offer two types of plans: quick, on-demand planting plans and more detailed plans.

Delivery and installation:

Want someone to do the work for you? No problem. OnGrowing Works will not only deliver your plants, but we can take your plan and turn it into reality by planting and landscaping everything you want to include in your outdoor space.

Seasonal arrangements:

OnGrowing Works can craft annual and seasonal planters to accent your outdoor space. Better yet, we work with you to teach you how to create your own seasonal arrangements.

Water-wise gardening:

If you’re wondering how to incorporate water conservation into your garden, we can help. Maybe you just want to be more water conscious or even want to incorporate water harvesting. Whatever your goal, we are your water-wise horticulture specialists and can educate you about how to maximize storm water capture usage and use it to nourish your outdoor space.

Pest management:

What are the good insects you want in your garden and which ones are considered pests? We use natural methods to help control annoying pests and make room for helpful insects to thrive in your garden.

Training and handoff:

Once OnGrowing Works completes your project, rest assured that we are still available to answer any questions you have and will ensure you have everything you need to confidently moving forward. We will teach you about the best horticulture practices so you have the information you need to make your garden thrive.

Ongoing maintenance:

Some landscapers you will never hear from again once a project is complete. This is not us – once your project is done, we will touch base with you regularly to make sure your garden is functioning as you want it five, 10 and even 15 years down the road. Chat now with OnGrowing Works to discuss our project warranty.

Cleanups:

If you’re looking for support with yard cleanups throughout the year, we’re here to help. Need help raking leaves in the fall or getting your outdoor space ready for spring? We are just a call away.

No matter if you have a big or small project, just want to ask a question, or are looking for someone to help you learn more about horticulture best practices, OnGrowing Works is here to support you. Contact us now to learn more.