What you plant matters

What's happening here in Ontario

Recently, many leading conservation and government organizations have taken aim at restoring biodiversity. Similarly, we, at St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre, continue to work with our partners to support important ecological restoration initiatives in Ontario.

Still, we will not be successful unless more is done. The loss of nature’s biodiversity around the world continues to occur at an alarming rate. We need everyone’s help in our efforts to restore healthy ecosystems. Today, most habitat for wildlife is fragmented across many privately-owned lands. As a result, habitat loss is a problem that can only be reversed by many people collectively taking action.

Want to help?

One of the best ways you can help is to create more habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators by planting native plants around your home. Native plants are the foundation of the food chain, which supports local wildlife and biodiversity. They’re crucial for the survival of our native pollintators, beneficial insects, songbirds, and more. Without native plants, species already at risk and other native wildlife populations will continue to decline.

So, we need you to get planting.

Adding native plants to your garden, yard, or even rooftop will have a very significant impact if enough people do it.  By doing your part, you’ll also be rewarded by the beautiful native wildflowers, grasses, butterflies, songbirds, and more wildlife around your home.  Better yet, many native species are hardy, well-adapted, perennials that will continue to grow and flower year after year with very little effort and low maintenance. 

When sourcing your native plants, it’s important for conservation that you select plants of local wild-type genetics. They should be sourced and grown ethically so they're best adapted to help restore your area’s natural biodiversity.  St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre specializes in growing source-identified Ontario native plants specifically to help support the conservation of Ontario’s natural biodiversity.

Looking to order our plants?

We're sowing new seeds to help you access our plants very soon. Please stay tuned to our website or subscribe to our mailing list for updates in your email inbox.

Interested to learn more?

For more information about the importance of native plants, check out some Ontario native species that we're growing here or explore our recommended resources here. As always, you can also contact our team, if you have questions or thoughts to share with us.