How to Design a Garden?

Ep 1: First Steps to Design a Landscape & Creating a Site Plan Designing a garden can be an incredibly rewarding process, but knowing where to start can often feel overwhelming. At Restoration Earth, we focus on transforming outdoor spaces into thriving, sustainable environments using native plants and thoughtful landscape design principles. In this blog, we’ll dive into the first steps of garden design, focusing on creating and using a site plan as your foundation. This step

John Clese

Apr 103 min read

Going Native Is Easier Than You Think

So you want to get started planting natives, but you don't know where to begin. I won't go into all the great personality traits you must possess moving you towards this decision, but let's just say, ' You got it going on!' A great deal of current research highlights the benefits of planting more natives in the landscape. There is a renewed sense of urgency to create more natural plantings to reverse the decline of essential pollinator insects and other wildlife. Cup Plant |

John Clese

Feb 103 min read

Tips For Planting Your Native Garden

Curious about native gardening but not sure where to start? This guide offers practical tips for easing into native planting, helping you support biodiversity while creating a landscape that works for you.

John Clese

Jan 207 min read

Notes from the field

Developed for MNLA

A Practical Guide for Michigan Green Schools

This guide is grounded in real Great Lakes landscapes and serves as a practical starting point. It’s designed to help students and educators understand how a site functions - from soil and water to plant communities - and use that knowledge to make thoughtful, lasting changes.

Rather than prescribing a fixed outcome, it encourages observation, patience, and small steps that build toward more resilient, living landscapes over time.

Download our Native Planting Guide

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Support the Work

Through Merch >

To support the work, we’ve also created a small collection of merchandise through Bonfire - a way to carry the message forward and help fund continued education and outreach.