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Location & Hours
Location: 219 Maybee Rd, Outside Frankford, Ontario (click on map below) Natural Themes native plant nursery is open by request or by chance between April and November. We do bring some native plants to the Trenton Farmers’ Market every Saturday, Orders can be placed for pick up at the farm or at the market. Call 613-398-7971 or e-mail...
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About Us
Natural Themes is a business rooted in the principle of “Nature knows best”. Beate Heissler, sole proprietor of the business, uses her knowledge of the natural environment and eighteen years of experience in outdoor education to help people understand local ecology and the importance of incorporating native plants into our gardens. Demonstration gardens in Frankford, Ontario show woodland, meadow, succession field and wetland communities. A plant nursery on site assures a constant supply of native plant species well adapted for the yard you would like to naturalize. To recreate a natural area in your yard, it helps to understand how natural communities work. Tours are available on request. Species and availability of native plants are dependent on seed collection, plant propagation, and availability of plant materials from suppliers. Most plants are propagated on site from seeds, by division, or cuttings. Some are removed locally from areas being developed or cultivated. No plants are taken from the...
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WHY Native Plants?
Why Native Plants and Naturalization? Our yards are excellent locations for helping re-establish natural communities that existed here prior to European settlement. Development threatens global ecology as more and more species are being pushed out of their natural environments. The loss of any species results in an irreversible effect on all others, including us. Over thousands of years, species have developed adaptations to thrive in this climate and environment as well as close relationships with all other living things in their communities. Bringing back threatened native plant species will gradually allow wildlife dependent on them to return. Assess the area you would like to naturalize as sunny, shaded, or partly shaded, moist or dry and select the species accordingly. Many plants will tolerate a variety of conditions. To research what native plants would grow in your yard, check out natural places similar to yours in parks and conservation areas close to you or visit the Natural Themes demonstration gardens just west of Frankford, Ontario. Taking plants from the wilderness is a threat to natural communities. Plant rescues from areas that are being developed or threatened helps ensure their survival provided they are replanted into similar environments. Natural Themes’ Native Plant Nursery primarily acquires stock by seed collection, taking cuttings and by division of plants in the Natural Themes gardens. Other stock is purchased from a tree and shrub nursery or originates from tractor trails and edges of fields where plants collected are threatened by vehicle use and a farming...
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Species Stock
We have over 200 species available for meadows, wetlands and woodlands. Trees Shrubs Wildflowers Ferns Grasses Vines The 2016 Catalogue is now available. Contact...
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Natural History Tours
Groups wishing to explore different natural communities during any season can arrange for a guided tour. The focus and length of the tour will vary with the group. Please contact Bea to arrange a time and place. A fee of $50 + GST will apply. No plant materials may be removed from these areas. Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints. Sites currently available for tours include: The Plainfield Conservation Area (H. R. Frink Outdoor Education Centre) Deciduous Woodlands and mixed forest Deciduous Swamp Coniferous Swamp Succession Fields Marsh Stream Ecotones (transition areas between these communities) The Bleasdell Boulder Conservation Area in Glen Miller Mixed Forest with dominant oaks Upland Forest Wetland Forest Meadow and Succession field Seasonal...
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Trees
Natural Themes carries many species of native trees for any environment in your yard. Please check our catalogue to see species available and their requirements. The tree nursery in Stockdale Above, Hemlock Tree Nursery Above, basswood Above, Red Oak Above, White Pine Above, Spruce Above, Maple Tree...
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Shrubs
Natural Themes carries a large variety of shrubs for your yard, gardens, shorelines and naturalization and shoreline erosion projects. See the catalogue for a listing of shrubs and their requirements. Shrubs for sunny dry meadow like environments (above: ninebark)…. ….to shrubs for shady woodlands… Above, Serviceberry Above, Buttonbush Above, Trumpet Honey Suckle Above, Elderberry Above, Meadowsweet Above, Purple Flowering Raspberry Above, Winterberry Above, Blackberry Above, Bayberry Above,...
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Wildflowers
Natural Themes carries a variety of wildflowers for your yard, from the dry and sunny locations to the moist and shady. Check out our catalogue for a listing of wildflowers and their requirements. Above, Marsh Hibiscus. A naturalized meadow with Wild Bergamot Butterfly Milkweed (above) Above, a woodland Bloodroot (very early bloomer) Blazing Star (above) a meadow plant, great for butterfly gardens. Above, a meadow butterfly garden, seen above is Blazing Star and Black-eyed Susan. Ironweed, a great meadow plant. Above, a woodland garden consisting of spring bloomers, Shooting Star and Wild Columbine Above, an early spring bloomer that grows best in moist, rich, sites like stream banks, the Marsh Marigold. Above, Culver’s Root, a meadow plant. Above, a native shade loving plant, Wild Geranium. Above, Woodland Phlox. Above, Wild Strawberry, a nice groundcover for a native plant garden. Above, Royal Catchfly, a meadow plant. Above, Prairie Smoke, a Spring bloomer for a meadow garden. Above, woodland flower, Bellwort. Above, Coreopsis, a meadow plant. Above, wild Bergamot, for the meadow environment in your yard. Above, Plains Prickly Pear Cactus. Purple Coneflower. A Butterfly...
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Grasses
Grasses are a beautiful addition to a yard and a great place to plant in those hard to grow areas that can be sandy, sunny, hot, and dry. Grasses can look great all year long and bring various heights, textures and hues to your gardens. Check our catalogue for a listing of grass species available and their requirements. Eastern Bottlebrush (above) Little Bluestem (above) ...
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Ferns
Natural Themes carries a number of different native fern species appropriate for shady moist areas of your yard. Ferns provide a great ground cover and backdrop for woodland wildflowers. Check out our catalogue for woodland species available for naturalization of shaded areas. Botanical Name Common Name Height Amount of Sunlight Moisture Preference Wildlife Association Soils Remarks Adiantum pedatum Maidenhair Fern 40 cm Full Shade Mesic rich delicate fern for woodland gardens Athyrium filix-femina Lady Fern 65 cm Full to Part Shade Mesic unknown rich delicate, lacy appearance; enhances woodland garden Dryopteris marginalis Wood Fern 65 cm Full Shade Mesic unknown rich evergreen foliage Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern 1 m Full to Part Shade Moist provides cover for wildlfe and is host to the caterpillar of the Ostrich Fern Borer Moth rich best know for its edible fiddleheads, fertile fronds persist through winter Onoclea sensibilis Sensitive Fern 45 cm Full to Part Shade Moist rich senstive to frost, hence the name; fertile fronds persist through winter Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern 1 m Full to Part Shade Moist provides cover rich fertile frond is a cinnamon colour Osmunda regalis Royal Fern 1 m Full to...
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Butterfly Gardens
Butterfly Garden to Attract Monarchs and Others Consider adding native plants (like the Butterfly Milkweed featured in the photo on this post) that act as a food source for butterflies to your gardens and yard. A butterfly garden contains food plants for butterfly caterpillars and nectar plants for the adult butterflies. Tangles of roots, logs, and stumps create cavity areas for pupating caterpillars. There are several native milkweeds that are an important food source for Monarch Butterflies, a species at risk, currently in population decline. Butterfly Milkweed (above) Wild Columbine – woodland nectar plant Blue Harebell – full sun, long blooming – nectar plant Butterfly feeding on the nectar of a Coneflower A butterfly garden should always have larval host plants Above and below – examples of butterfly...
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"Natural Themes provides goods and services that facilitate living in harmony with nature."
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Services
*Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard
*Landscaping with Natural Material
*Site Plans for Naturalization Projects
Chemical-free produce from our farm
Natural Themes offers fruits and vegetables as they come into season between March and end of December as well as native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns from April through October. To see what is now available please visit www.navheifarms.com
All of the produce comes from our chemical-free gardens and unheated greenhouses where we strive to support natural balance as much as possible.
Contact Us
Beate Heissler 219 Maybee Rd, R. R. # 1 Frankford, Ontario K0K 2C0
To Contact Us
Phone: (613) 398-7971
Cell/text: (613)968-0837
Email: bea@naturalthemes.com
