When Lorraine and RJ Roberts first laid eyes on their 24-acre property in Caledon, Ontario, it was far from a garden lover’s paradise. There was no lush border of blooms or meandering path shaded by vines. Just open grass, clusters of trees, and a modest home. Yet for two people with an unshakable love for plants and a vision rooted in soil, it was more than enough to start something remarkable. What began as a personal dream—building a home garden filled with perennial beauty—slowly evolved into Plant Paradise Country Gardens, an organic oasis that now draws visitors from all over.
The transformation didn’t happen overnight. It was a process fueled by patience, sweat, and an enduring belief in the healing power of nature. Each spring brought with it new experiments, fresh ideas, and thousands of perennial seedlings to nurture. Lorraine, with her artist’s eye for landscape design, would sketch out new beds and borders during the quiet months of winter. Come April, RJ would be out tilling the soil, hauling compost, and setting up irrigation lines. The couple worked side by side, often with dirt-streaked forearms and sun-warmed backs, driven more by passion than by any business plan.
As their home garden grew more intricate, so did their knowledge. Lorraine, already an experienced horticulturist, deepened her expertise in native plants, soil regeneration, and organic garden maintenance. RJ became an expert in composting and sustainable land care. They made a conscious choice early on to avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, they invested in healthy soil biology and companion planting. This commitment to organic gardening wasn’t just a marketing angle—it was a way of life. Visitors would often marvel at the lush, pest-free beds, only to be surprised that no chemicals were used. The key, Lorraine would often explain with a smile, was in feeding the soil, not the plant.
Their garden was never built to be ornamental alone. While the winding paths and flower-covered trellises invite moments of wonder, the entire space functions like an ecosystem. Birds flutter through foraging for seeds, bees and butterflies hum over echinacea and rudbeckia, and frogs make their homes in the shaded ponds. The Roberts’ backyard became a haven not just for people, but for pollinators and wildlife. This alignment with ecological gardening made their story resonate far beyond their local community. 🌿
It’s not uncommon now for guests—sometimes fellow gardeners, sometimes curious city dwellers—to walk through the gates and fall into quiet reflection. Perhaps it’s the scent of blooming phlox, or the quiet rustle of tall ornamental grasses in the wind. More than once, someone has stopped Lorraine and said, “This place feels like it breathes.” That atmosphere didn’t come from a commercial blueprint—it came from love. From a desire to live harmoniously with the land, to grow not just a beautiful landscape, but a meaningful one.
Lorraine and RJ's journey also brought them deeper into the world of home landscaping as an extension of lifestyle. Raised garden beds now double as food sources, herb spirals sit just outside their kitchen window, and even their composting systems are thoughtfully integrated into the overall design. Their garden became their classroom, their sanctuary, their daily gym. RJ jokes that there’s no need for a gym membership when you're moving wheelbarrows of mulch all spring. The rewards, though, go far beyond fitness. There’s a real satisfaction in stepping outside to harvest fresh basil for dinner or watching a monarch butterfly emerge from its chrysalis.
Their work has also inspired others to reimagine what a backyard can be. For so many, home gardening is still seen as a weekend hobby—pulling weeds here, trimming hedges there. But Lorraine encourages people to go deeper. Think of your garden as a living part of your home, she says, like another room—only this one changes daily, seasonally, rhythmically. She’s met countless families who came looking for advice on growing drought-resistant plants or installing low-maintenance perennial beds, but left inspired to rewild their spaces, attract pollinators, and cut down on water usage. Topics like sustainable landscaping, organic soil amendments, and eco-friendly garden irrigation aren’t abstract concepts here—they’re part of everyday conversation.
Of course, running a botanical garden that also functions as a nursery has brought its fair share of challenges. There are late frosts, invasive pests, and the occasional crop failure. But Lorraine and RJ treat every setback as part of the process. “Gardening teaches resilience,” Lorraine says. “You have to be okay with not controlling everything. Plants don’t always do what you expect—but sometimes they surprise you in the best way.”
Their favorite moments often come at the most unexpected times. Like the evening they sat on their porch watching fireflies dance over the flower beds they had planted ten years earlier. Or the day a little girl visiting with her grandmother asked if she could hug a flower, then wrapped her arms around a towering sunflower with a giggle. These small, tender experiences have shaped the identity of their garden just as much as their years of planning, planting, and pruning.
What the Roberts have created is not just a garden—it’s a lifestyle rooted in sustainability, beauty, and shared joy. Their success wasn’t driven by market trends or quick-profit strategies, but by a deeply personal connection to the land. That connection is contagious. Visitors leave with more than just a potted plant or a new gardening tip. They leave with a new way of seeing their own outdoor space—as something that can evolve, inspire, and bring lasting happiness 🌸
Today, their home garden continues to grow and change. Some plants get moved. Others are allowed to naturalize. Trees grow taller, casting different shadows and offering new opportunities for shade-loving species. But the spirit of their garden remains the same—a place where nature is not tamed but invited, where gardening is not a chore but a conversation with the seasons.
And in that conversation, Lorraine and RJ have found not just their life’s work, but their joy.