John Karl Schilder, Garden Designer
Hello!
I’m a graduate of the combined Horticulture and Agriculture program of the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. The Ridgetown Campus was established in 1922 and hosts about 500 diploma and certificate students each year. Ridgetown is one of the best-known and most prestigious colleges in Canada for people who want to study garden design, horticulture, and agriculture seriously.

Garden designer John Karl Schilder, right, explains elements of a new garden design to a client in Oaville, Ontario.
Garden designer John Karl Schilder, right, explains elements of a new garden design to a client in Oaville, Ontario.
When You Hire Me
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I love designing beautiful gardens. Let me be your guide.
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Together, we will create a garden design that will reflect your style and taste.
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Your new garden design will enhance the curb appeal of your home, to add value to your property.
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We will choose the right trees, shrubs, and plants for your unique location.
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Let me help you select the best available landscape and plant materials from reputable growers and suppliers.
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Garden design done right, we will avoid costly re-do garden mistakes, saving you time and money.
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Let me offer my professional garden design services for your plant-it-yourself projects. We design. You dig.™
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Or, you are matched with a personal landscape partner who will realize your garden vision for you.
I know horticulture.
I know about seed germination, plant physiology, plant growth cycles, plant propagation, types of fertilizer and their application, daily plant care, hydroponics, and managing a greenhouse. I know about plant diseases and integrated pest management (IPM). I took an entire course on soil and soil quality, and how it should influence garden design and landscape design.
I know garden design.
My garden design credentials include land surveying, grading, soil remediation, landscape construction, and budgeting (or project costing). I am experienced in CAD software and currently use Realtime Landscaping Pro for landscaping and garden design. But for some garden design projects, I frequently do hand drawing. I have a talent for thinking in 3D when designing gardens.
Garden design software is only as good as the person using it. Each house is different, each homeowner has different needs, and wants. So, great landscape design and great garden design needs a “big idea.” It all starts with a bold vision, which is what I bring to your garden design project. It all starts with garden design. Garden design is everything.
Garden design and landscaping consulting in Oakville, Milton, Burlington, Mississauga, Etobicoke, and Toronto.