How to Grow a Sustainable Garden at Home
Wise Words: Natural-gardening guru Grant Minkhorst inspires green thumbs to get growing with native plants and environmentally beneficial practices.
By Nicole Keen | Illustrations by Maya Nguyen
A light-hearted, practical approach to gardening and sustainability is what earned Grant Minkhorst a loyal following on Instagram (@thegardeninggrant) and TikTok (gardeninggrant). Minkhorst, who is currently training to become a Toronto Master Gardener (TMG), shares with CAA Magazine a wealth of knowledge and experience, urging green thumbs of every skill level to dig in. His passion is a “messy” eco-friendly garden filled with native plants and perennials.
Did you know…there’s an easy way to find out if a certain plant is native to your area? The non-profit BONAP (Biota of North America Program) is a great resource. “You can put any plant in [their database] and it will [show] you the range map of where it is indigenous.” Grant Minkhorst
If someone is looking for perennial garden ideas, where is a good place to start?
Part of sustainable gardening is making sure you include a really healthy [proportion] of native plants in your garden — 70 percent should be native plants, shrubs and trees that will support [local] wildlife. With the remaining 30 percent, you can kind of run amok with peonies, tulips and roses.
What are some other best practices for eco-friendly gardening?
Collecting rainwater in a rain barrel is a great way to manage water use [as is] installing a drip irrigation system, which is much better for the environment than overhead watering. And then, choose plants that are drought-tolerant.
What flowers are good for eco-friendly gardens?
I love a lot of milkweed species. Butterfly milkweed is a bright orange flower that is incredibly drought-tolerant. I love fall-blooming asters. The blue wood aster will flower from the end of September all the way through to November. And then, old favourites like pale purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans have a really long bloom time and good ecological value.
Where is the best place to get everything on your perennial garden flowers list?
[One of] my favourite go-to garden centres is Ontario Native Plants. They deliver [right] to your door.
In terms of gardening and sustainability, why are perennials a better investment than annuals?
Annuals sometimes seem cheaper, but it’s a trick. You have to buy them every year. It’s going to be an annual expense and they don’t propagate. [Meanwhile,] a lot of perennials will start as little plants and then they’re going to spread over time.
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If someone is looking for perennial garden ideas, where is a good place to start?
Part of sustainable gardening is making sure you include a really healthy [proportion] of native plants in your garden — 70 percent should be native plants, shrubs and trees that will support [local] wildlife. With the remaining 30 percent, you can kind of run amok with peonies, tulips and roses.
What are some other best practices for eco-friendly gardening?
Collecting rainwater in a rain barrel is a great way to manage water use [as is] installing a drip irrigation system, which is much better for the environment than overhead watering. And then, choose plants that are drought-tolerant.
What flowers are good for eco-friendly gardens?
I love a lot of milkweed species. Butterfly milkweed is a bright orange flower that is incredibly drought-tolerant. I love fall-blooming asters. The blue wood aster will flower from the end of September all the way through to November. And then, old favourites like pale purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans have a really long bloom time and good ecological value.
Where is the best place to get everything on your perennial garden flowers list?
[One of] my favourite go-to garden centres is Ontario Native Plants. They deliver [right] to your door.
In terms of gardening and sustainability, why are perennials a better investment than annuals?
Annuals sometimes seem cheaper, but it’s a trick. You have to buy them every year. It’s going to be an annual expense and they don’t propagate. [Meanwhile,] a lot of perennials will start as little plants and then they’re going to spread over time.
A light-hearted, practical approach to gardening and sustainability is what earned Grant Minkhorst a loyal following on Instagram (@thegardeninggrant) and TikTok (gardeninggrant). Minkhorst, who is currently training to become a Toronto Master Gardener (TMG), shares with CAA Magazine a wealth of knowledge and experience, urging green thumbs of every skill level to dig in. His passion is a “messy” eco-friendly garden filled with native plants and perennials.
Did you know…there’s an easy way to find out if a certain plant is native to your area? The non-profit BONAP (Biota of North America Program) is a great resource. “You can put any plant in [their database] and it will [show] you the range map of where it is indigenous.” Grant Minkhorst