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Environment 
What is an Ecological Garden?
An ecological garden is a space designed primarily with native plants. These gardens provide a diverse mix of native grasses and flowering perennials that bloom from early spring and thrive until fall. Unlike conventional lawns, which use turfgrass, these gardens rely on plants well-suited to their local environment. This eliminates the need for synthetic chemicals and intensive maintenance.
Ecological gardens benefit the many insects and animals on our territory by providing them with food and a home. They also retain rainwater, which is good for the plants and keeps the ground from getting too dry or flooded.
View our Benefits and Misconception guide
Environmental Benefits
Ecological gardens act as ecological corridors, defined as land areas that connect habitat fragments and allow wildlife and insects to move between these spaces. Japanese steps, a type of ecological corridor, have been proven to be one of the biggest contributors to preserving biodiversity by mitigating habitat fragmentation.
Ecological gardens provide insects and animals with access to food, water, and mates, expand available resources in an urban environment, and help populations thrive.
These gardens help reduce the risk of flooding in homes and roads, and the development of heat islands (extreme temperatures) in urban areas during very hot summer days. Some ecological gardens even offer food, such as fruits and nuts, for people to enjoy!
Common Misconceptions
There is often confusion surrounding the difference between a neglected lawn and an ecological garden. A neglected lawn is an area that has been left unattended for some time and poses public safety concerns, including hindering the visibility triangle and access to your property, fire hydrants and other services. These upkept lawns are often composed of invasive plants, whereas an ecological garden is a carefully and intentionally designed area that incorporates native plants and mimics natural ecosystems.
View our Pollinator Garden guide
A pollinator garden is a designed area filled with native plants that attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. These types of gardens play a critical role in ecosystems and food production, while also preventing the decline of pollinators.
Did You Know?
Gardens with a variety of plant types not only attract a greater variety of pollinators but also bloom throughout the seasons, providing food sources from early spring to late fall.
View our Food Forest Garden guide
A food forest garden is designed to grow edible plants such as vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. These gardens support pollinators and local wildlife while providing fresh produce for you to enjoy.
Did You Know?
The species Aurora Haskap (Lca) and Caucasian Spinach (Ht) are plant species that are adapted to thrive in the shade, making them well suited for areas without a lot of direct sunlight.
View our Ecological Lawn guide
An ecological lawn is a type of lawn composed of low-growing native and perennial plants. It offers many benefits, including being easy to maintain and vibrant in colour, reducing the need for mowing and chemical treatments, and supporting biodiversity and numerous pollinators.
Did You Know?
Traditional turfgrass offers few environmental benefits. It is often composed of non-native species that do little to support biodiversity or improve soil quality. Maintaining a traditional lawn typically requires significant amounts of water and the use of chemical products.
Designed primarily with native plants, a meadow garden mimics the look and function of natural meadows, which are open fields of grasses and wildflowers. This type of garden offers numerous environmental benefits, including supporting biodiversity, promoting pollination, and creating a cooling island effect, while requiring less maintenance than a traditional lawn.
Did You Know?
People often confuse a neglected lawn with a meadow garden. A neglected lawn is left unattended and can create safety issues, such as blocking sightlines and access to your property, fire hydrants, or other services. These areas often contain invasive plant species.
A meadow garden, on the other hand, is intentionally designed and maintained. It uses native plants and mimics natural ecosystems to support biodiversity.
Although ecological gardens have lower maintenance needs compared to turfgrass lawns, they still require maintenance, particularly when the new plants are establishing. For the first few months after initial planting, ecological gardens require consistent watering. If watering your garden with automatic or mechanical watering systems, please respect the watering periods in place as defined in the Water Usage By-Law.
Removing invasive species and regular garden weeds should also be done regularly to avoid competition with new plants and for safety reasons. Consult the list of invasive species to be removed in Pointe-Claire.
List of Recommended Plants
Each garden has specific native plants that have several environmental benefits, whether it be water absorbtion properties, food sources for pollinators or food bearing capacities. Here are lists of recommended plants based on garden type:
Plants Recommended for Pollinator Gardens:
| Plant species (common name) | Golden alexanders | Common sneezeweed | Wild bergamot |
| Scientific name | Zizia aurea | Helenium autumnale | Monarda fistulosa |
| Sunlight needs | Full sun to partial shade | Full sun | Full sun to partial shade |
| Plant size | H: 45 to 90 cm L: 45 to 60 cm | H: 90 to 120 cm L: 60 to 90 cm | H: 60 to 150 cm L: 60 to 90 cm |
| *Hardiness zone | 3 to 8 | 3 to 8 | 4 to 9 |
| Type of soil | Average moisture, properly drains | Soils with medium to high moisture | Rich; retains moisture |
| Flowering period | End of spring, beginning of summer | End of summer to fall | Mid-summer to end of summer |
*Learn more about hardiness zones here
To find more information about these flowers, visit Fleur sauvages du Québec website (French only).
Plants Recommended for Food Forest Gardens:
| Plant species (common name) | White clover* | Chives | Lettuce | Tomatoes | Spinach | Kale | Wild Strawberry | Lavender* |
| Scientific name | Trifolium repens | Allium schoenoprasum | Lactuca sativa | Solanum lycopersicum | Spinacia oleracea | Brassica oleracea | Fragaria virginiana | Lavendula spp. |
| Sunlight needs | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun, light shade | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun, partial sun | Partial sun, partial shade | Full sun |
| *Hardiness zone | 3 to 10 | 3 to 9 | 2 to 11 | 3 to 11 | 2 to 11 | 2 to 11 | 5 to 9 | 5 to 9 |
| Type of soil | Well-drained, moist | Loamy, sandy | Loamy, rich, well-drained | Loamy, well-drained | Loamy, moist, well-drained | Loamy, moist, well-drained | Fertile, well-drained loam | Dry, well-draining |
| Flowering period | Spring, summer | Early summer | Seasonal | Summer | Summer | Spring | Spring | Summer |
*Learn more about hardiness zones here
Plants Recommended for Ecological Lawns:
| Plant species (common name) | Wild Columbine | Bergamot (bee balm) | New England Aster | Yarrow | Butterfly Weed | Carpathian Bellflower* |
| Scientific name | Aquilegia canadensis | Monarda | Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Achillea millefolium | Asclepias tuberosa | Campanula carpatica |
| Sunlight needs | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun | Full sun | Full sun | Full sun to partial shade |
| *Hardiness zone | 3 to 8 | 3 to 9 | 4 to 8 | 3 to 9 | 3 to 9 | 3 to 8 |
| Type of soil | Sandy, loamy, moist but well-drained | Loamy, Moist but well-drained | Moist but well-draining | Sandy, loamy, clay, well-drained | Dry, well-drained | Loam, sand |
| Flowering period | Spring, summer | Summer, fall | Fall | Summer, fall | Summer | Summer |
*Learn more about hardiness zones here
Plants Recommended for Meadow Gardens:
| Plant species (common name) | Little Bluestem | Wood Grass | Prairie Dropseed | Black-eyed Susan | Common Milkweed | Canada Anemone |
| Scientific name | Schizachyrium scoparium | Sorghastrum nutans | Sporobolus heterolepis | Rudbeckia hirta | Asclepias syriaca | Anemone canadensis |
| Sunlight needs | Full sun | Full sun | Full sun, partial sun | Full sun | Full sun | Partial sun, shade |
| *Hardiness zone | 3 to 9 | 4 to 9 | 3 to 9 | 3 to 9 | 3 to 9 | 3 to 10 |
| Type of soil | Various | Sandy, loamy, clay, well-drained | Tolerates any soil; prefers dry, rocky soil | Moist, well-drained | Well-drained | Moist |
| Flowering period | Summer, fall | Fall | Summer, fall | Summer, fall | Summer | Spring, summer, fall |
Respecting the Nuisance and Water Usage By-Laws
It is important to consider the municipal by-laws in effect when planting and maintaining your garden. By respecting these regulations, regularly maintaining your garden, and adhering to permitted watering periods, you can enjoy a space that benefits the environment and complies with our City's by-laws.
Nuisance By-Law
The nuisance by-law stipulates that an ecological garden, defined an area designed to be covered with a mix of wildflowers (annuals or perennials), shrubs and graminaceous plants laid out to imitates nature, can exceed the 20-centimetre height limit.
However, if the garden encroaches on an adjacent property, this would constitute a nuisance and is therefore prohibited under the by-law.
Water Usage By-Law
Ecological gardens require regular care and watering once planted to ensure they establish and grow to their full potential. However, it is important to respect the water consumption by-law and its specific watering periods.
- Manual watering, that is water from a rain barrel, manual hose with release closure or watering pot, is always permitted on days without rain.
- Automatic watering, that is water from outdoor automatic sprinkler systems or in-ground watering systems, is only allowed during permitted watering periods.
- Mechanical watering, that is water from oscillating manual sprinklers, is only allowed during permitted watering periods.
