CONNECT WITH US
Working hand-in-hand with community volunteers and partners, Oakvillegreen creates and maintains pollinator gardens at various locations throughout Oakville. These vibrant gardens showcase all that is possible when we work with nature. The gardens are filled with pollinator-friendly native plants, all adapted to our climate and conditions in Oakville.
We plant pollinator gardens to serve as demonstrations for individuals who wish to support local biodiversity, and to provide opportunities for residents to connect with nature.
Every summer our Pollinator Garden stewards pay weekly visits to weed, water, and tend the many varieties of wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses. Each garden is a reflection of the community, shaped by the many hands who’ve helped plant and nurture them.
Want to Get Involved to Help Pollinators?
- Sign up to become a Pollinator Garden steward!
- Drop by the gardens for a visit to see what’s growing (& buzzing!)
- Have an idea for a Pollinator Garden site? We are always on the lookout for community partners who wish to collaborate.
- Look out for our NATIVE PLANT SALE each spring! We sell ready-to-plant pollinator garden kits, native trees and shrubs. Sign up to our Newsletter to be the first to know!
Pollinator Garden Sites
Kingsford Gardens Pollinator Pathway
2480 Sherwood Heights Dr, Oakville, ON L6J 7E3
The Kingsford Gardens Pollinator Pathway is a pilot project of Oakvillegreen and the Town of Oakville that was launched in 2020. With the hard work of our volunteers, we’re reclaiming and naturalizing a turfgrass area of the park to create a vibrant meadow ecosystem.
In the fall of 2021, we incorporated hundreds of native wildflowers and grasses to provide an important food source and habitat for foraging pollinators, as well as for nesting birds and other wildlife. Native meadow plant species, accustomed to Oakville's climate and soils, will help improve carbon sequestration. They will also help mitigate flooding due to their deeper root system and increased biomass; these naturalization efforts will continue through 2022. By reducing the amount of turfgrass in the park, we'll be increasing biodiversity. As an added bonus, the pollinators will increase yields for gardeners at Kingsford community vegetable garden plots!
This project is made possible through the generous support of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the Town of Oakville, and dozens of dedicated volunteers.
Glen Abbey Pollinator Garden
1415 Third Line, Oakville, ON L6M 3G2
The Glen Abbey Pollinator Garden was created at the Glen Abbey Community Centre in May 2015 in partnership with the Town of Oakville and with the help of many dedicated volunteers. This butterfly-shaped native plant garden sits just outside the library window, west of the main entrance. It is used as a teaching tool for Oakvillegreen workshops. It also serves as an outdoor space for visitors of the library and community centre. The garden demonstrates just how simple it is to turn a patch of grass into a pollinator oasis!
What’s in the Garden?
Shrubs: Nannyberry – Viburnum lentago, Alternate-leaf Dogwood – Cornus alternifolia, Black Chokeberry – Aronia melanocarpa
Wildflowers: Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta, Big Leaf Blue Aster – Eurybia macrophylla, Wild Bergamot – Monarda fistulosa, Wild Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis, Butterfly Milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa, Lanceleaf coreopsis – Coreopsis lanceolata
Grasses: Indian Grass – Sorghastrum nutans, Little Bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium
Butterfly Wing Garden at Oak Park
2545 Sixth Line, Oakville, ON L6H 7V9
This pollinator garden is a naturalized oasis located beside Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House and overlooking the beautiful Oak Park ponds. Enjoyed by park-goers, neighbours, and visitors to Wellspring, the garden is a colourful place for reflection. Planted in two phases starting in 2018, it was created in the shape of two butterfly wings. On a sunny day you might catch sight of Enver, our dedicated Board volunteer, who has been tending this garden with care for the past several years.
This project was made possible with help from the Town of Oakville, volunteers from Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House, Sean James, Cathy Kavassalis, Brenda Van Ryswyk, and many community volunteers.
What’s in the Garden?
Wildflowers: Wild geranium – Geranium maculatum, Virginia mountain mint – Pycnanthemum virginianum, Anise hyssop – Agastache foeniculum, Wild strawberry – Fragaria virginiana, Sky blue aster – Symphyotrichum oolentangiense, Blue false indigo – Baptisia australis, Black eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta, Foxglove beardtongue – Penstemon digitalis, Smooth aster – Symphyotrichum laeve, Pale purple coneflower – Echinacea pallida, Coastal plain Joe Pye weed – Eutrochium dubium‘ Little Joe’, Dense blazing star – Liatris spicata
Grasses: Little bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium, Switch grass – Panicum virgatum, Indian grass – Sorghastrum nutans
Medicine Wheel Garden, Sheridan College
1430 Trafalgar Rd, Oakville, ON L6H 2L1
To commemorate Sheridan’s 50th anniversary in September 2017, Oakvillegreen joined Sheridan students, staff and faculty (led by Sheridan Mission Zero) and Paul O’Hara of Blue Oak Native Landscapes to plant a new Medicine Wheel Garden on the college campus. This beautiful space is intended to symbolize First Nations’ traditional teachings while promoting biodiversity and offering a sacred space for healing, celebration, and peace. Learn more about the Medicine Wheel Garden here.
Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCC) Native Pollinator Garden
2302 Bridge Rd, Oakville, ON L6L 2G6, Canada
In collaboration with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) and the Town of Oakville, a native pollinator garden featuring a total of 200 native wildflowers and grasses was installed in the summer of 2024. This newly planted site is already seeing the inhabitation of monarch butterfly caterpillars. It’s wonderful to see newly planted spaces already being inhabited by these creatures!
This project was made possible with the support of TD Friends of the Environment (FEF), which provided funding for the creation of this native pollinator garden.
The garden contains:
Wildflowers: Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Smooth Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
Grasses: Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Butterfly Garden, Sunningdale Public School
1434 Oxford Ave, Oakville, ON L6H 1T4, Canada
The butterfly garden at Sunningdale Public School is alive with pollinator activity. The naturalization of the schoolyard began in 2001, led by innovative teacher Maggie Linton. Areas like this naturalized garden, add biodiversity and act as a living classroom to learn about native plants and insects. The garden also offers seating and shade for learning and socializing.
Over the years, these spaces have been enjoyed by students during science and art classes, as well as during recess and lunch, and by community members after school hours.
Canoe Garden, Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park
2340 Ontario St, Oakville, ON L6L 6P7, Canada
In partnership with Bronte BIA and community volunteers, a pollinator garden was created in an art canoe, painted by community members, under the sails of Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, with 100 native perennial species added.
Trafalgar Wildflower Garden, Sheridan College
1430 Trafalgar Rd, Oakville, ON L6H 2L1
The wildflower garden at Sheridan College features 29 varieties of native plants. In partnership with the Office for Sustainability, a total of 459 native wildflowers, shrubs and grasses were planted to support pollinator habitats and enhance biodiversity. Oakvillegreen led an educational talk on the importance of native pollinator gardens and the role Oakville’s waterfront plays in supporting endangered species such as Monarch butterflies and migratory birds. The event also included the planting of native perennials and mulching, completed by Sheridan Mission Zero volunteers and community members. Native seeds were also distributed on-site to complement the existing plantings.
This project was made possible with the support from the Town of Oakville and Bloomberg Philantropies via the Youth Climate Action Fund.
What's in the Garden?
Shrubs: Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo), which is a leguminous shrub despite its resemblance to a wildflower, Myrica gale (Sweet gale), and Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush).
Wildflowers: Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower), Liatris spicata (Dense blazing star), Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo), Asclepias incarnata (Swamp milkweed), Heliopsis helianthoides (Smooth oxeye), Ratibida pinnata (Prairie coneflower), Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth aster), Helenium autumnale (Common sneezeweed), Eupatorium maculatum (Spotted joe-pye weed), Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove beardtongue), Monarda didyma (Scarlet beebalm), Monarda fistulosa (Wild beebalm), Spiraea alba (White meadowsweet), Spiraea tomentosa (Steeplebush), Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush), Myrica gale (Sweet gale), Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed), Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint), Agastache nepetoides (Yellow giant hyssop), Doellingeria umbellata (Flat-topped White Aster), Solidago rigida (Stiff goldenrod), Verbena stricta (Hoary vervain), and Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis).
Grasses: Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush grass), Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem), Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye), Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem), and Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass).
David R. Williams Public School
3199 Post Rd, Oakville, ON L6H 0V4
Students at one of the largest schools in North Oakville have focused on promoting biodiversity and altering their school practices to be more sustainable. They have made climate action a priority, and have gotten their entire school community involved.
One of their green projects included the creation of 8 pollinator gardens in front of their school in 2024 where 350 native perennials were added to create habitat and offer educational opportunities for current and future students.
Both Junior and Senior eco teams were involved in the planning and delivery of the project and will continue to maintain the sites and enhance pollinator pathway connectivity in the area.