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Beauty Through

Biodiversity

A house with a gray and stone exterior sits behind a lush, colorful garden with various plants, flowers, and trees.

Thriving gardens. Native plants. Eco-friendly care.

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  • KIC Gardening Services Inc. is based in Toronto, Ontario. We specialize in garden maintenance, native plantings, garden restorations, and educational outreach.

    We’re passionate about transforming outdoor spaces into ecologically vibrant, beautiful, and functional gardens.

  • Our name, KIC (pronounced kick), stands for Knowledge, Interest, Compassion.

    Inspired by the work of entomologist Douglas Tallamy, we believe that when people understand the species in their gardens, they develop interest, and from that, a deeper compassion for nature.

    This philosophy guides everything we do- from native plantings to mindful maintenance practices that support healthy soil, thriving plants, and local biodiversity.

  • Valerie Groves (Val) launched KIC after 13 years in the landscaping industry, including over a decade at the award-winning Landscape Plus Ltd. She also recently joined the board of directors for the North American Native Plant Society.

    A graduate of Humber College’s Horticultural Technician Pre-Apprenticeship program and Gaia College’s Organic Master Gardener course, Val brings deep expertise in plant identification, garden restoration, and soil-focused maintenance.

    Her leadership ensures every garden KIC touches reflects both skill and care.

  • Val is not only passionate about gardens, but also about people.

    She volunteers regularly in the Weston neighborhood, where she leads community planting projects, runs garden workshops at local schools, collaborates with community organizations, and serves as a core member of the Pelmo Park PollinateTO team.

About KIC Gardening Services

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A landscaped garden bed with colorful flowers, a tree, and a stone wall, with a house and trees in the background.
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Services

Garden Maintenance

A well-maintained garden bed with various green plants and small shrubs along a brick pathway, featuring a decorative stone birdbath, and surrounded by trees and bushes.

New Plantings

A garden bed with various green plants and flowers, surrounded by a dark wood mulch, with a black wooden fence in the background and tall trees with green leaves overhead.

Restorations

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Education

Dig deeper into services

Community Program

See a green space in need? YOU can help!

Your snapshot could help restore an entire micro-ecosystem!

All it takes is someone like you to spot them.

Black and white drawing of a flowering plant with large, bell-shaped flowers and elongated leaves.

  1. Snap a photo

  2. Post it to Instagram: with Location & #KICThis

  3. I’ve got it from there!

I follow up, do the legwork, and revive that space using eco-friendly, native planting practices.

Follow on Instagram to see which space thrives next, and watch your neighborhood get greener one garden at a time.

Learn more

Why choose KIC?

Rooted in Biodiverse Ecology

We don’t just garden for beauty, we garden for biodiversity. Our work supports pollinators, strengthens soil health, and helps native plants thrive.

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Thoughtful + Personalized

No two gardens (or gardeners) are the same. We tailor every service to your space, your goals, and the unique rhythms of your landscape.

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Experienced + Trustworthy

With years of hands-on experience and a deep respect for plants, we treat your garden with the same care we’d give our own.

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Front view of a house with a stone and dark wood exterior, a brick pathway leading to the front door, surrounded by a lush garden with autumn-colored trees.
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787

79

121

- Native Plants Installed

- Invasive Species Management Efforts

- Team Volunteer Hours

Lovely backyard transformation today!
Lovely backyard transformation today!
Exactly the sort of project we love! đź’• Complete front lawn removal replaced by a variety of colourful and well-organized pollinator plants that won’t require much care or water once established. This garden will be a stunner, even in its fir
Exactly the sort of project we love! đź’• Complete front lawn removal replaced by a variety of colourful and well-organized pollinator plants that won’t require much care or water once established. This garden will be a stunner, even in its first year. Special thanks to our local client for their trust and for the faithful watering these first few weeks!
Our crew is craving warmer days but still appreciating the calm and quiet progress of spring in King City.
Our crew is craving warmer days but still appreciating the calm and quiet progress of spring in King City.
We’re back! After a long winter, it is a great comfort to see the first blooms of the season.🌷🌼
We are looking for the right person to join our team this season. If you are in the Toronto area and think you’d be a good fit, please reach out!
We are looking for the right person to join our team this season. If you are in the Toronto area and think you’d be a good fit, please reach out!
Community outreach and education is something we love! It has been a pleasure supporting hands on learning for students at Kipling Collegiate, filling and planting up large stock tank planters with native perennials in the fall, and winter sowing a v
Community outreach and education is something we love! It has been a pleasure supporting hands on learning for students at Kipling Collegiate, filling and planting up large stock tank planters with native perennials in the fall, and winter sowing a variety of different seeds last month to help keep their garden expansion going! It is fun and inspiring to work with teachers that go the extra mile in providing great educational opportunities for their students. KIC is thrilled to play a part in efforts like this. Reach out if you need advice or assistance with a community garden project!
Thinking about a rain garden? đź’¦ 🌱🌸 We now have a Certified Fusion Landscape Professional in house, and we’ll be looking for opportunities to help our clients manage stormwater on site! đź’§ Want to utilize rainwater for your garden? đź’§ Have w
Thinking about a rain garden? đź’¦ 🌱🌸 We now have a Certified Fusion Landscape Professional in house, and we’ll be looking for opportunities to help our clients manage stormwater on site! đź’§ Want to utilize rainwater for your garden? đź’§ Have wet areas on your property with poor drainage? đź’§ Interested in protecting our environment and waterways? Beautiful solutions are available and we would love to help!
We had a great time attending #locongress2026 this week! The conference always brings interesting and inspiring speakers - this year’s lineup included @mylandscapeartist, @frankferragine, and @lavish.gardens and covered all sorts of topics from
We had a great time attending #locongress2026 this week! The conference always brings interesting and inspiring speakers - this year’s lineup included @mylandscapeartist, @frankferragine, and @lavish.gardens and covered all sorts of topics from utilizing AI, educating clients, enhancing customer experience, and designing with native plants and indigenous perspectives in mind. @locongress1973 always provides a nice opportunity to connect with colleagues, find new and exciting products on the trade show floor, and continue learning. Great start to the New Year!
As a new year begins, it is a pleasure to reflect on the many great clients, projects and beautiful sights that we encountered in 2025. We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from long term clients as well as the 8 new local clients we worked with this year (Thank you, Weston!). We take great joy and pride in the work we do, enjoy the new twists and challenges that each season brings, and we can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store.
Good example of why it’s important to leave the leaves. Came across this large cocoon within a couple of oak leaves - most likely from a large polyphemus moth with a 4-6 inch wingspan! These caterpillars often form cocoons on twigs or wrapped u
Good example of why it’s important to leave the leaves. Came across this large cocoon within a couple of oak leaves - most likely from a large polyphemus moth with a 4-6 inch wingspan! These caterpillars often form cocoons on twigs or wrapped up in leaves. If the leaves drop for the winter, so do the cocoons. Many creatures also purposely drop from trees in the fall to seek protection in the leaf litter over the winter. If you have a tree on your property, consider planting a garden bed underneath it so you can let the leaves and the insects have a safe place to stay. AND save yourself from the chore of raking and bagging leaves off your lawn. This cocoon was blowing around on the brick walkway and was moved to an area that won’t get any foot traffic. Hope to spot one of these moths one day! Winter pots (the reason for our visit here) turned out well too!
Lovely backyard transformation today! Exactly the sort of project we love! đź’• Complete front lawn removal replaced by a variety of colourful and well-organized pollinator plants that won’t require much care or water once established. This garden will be a stunner, even in its fir Our crew is craving warmer days but still appreciating the calm and quiet progress of spring in King City.
We’re back! After a long winter, it is a great comfort to see the first blooms of the season.🌷🌼
We are looking for the right person to join our team this season. If you are in the Toronto area and think you’d be a good fit, please reach out! Community outreach and education is something we love! It has been a pleasure supporting hands on learning for students at Kipling Collegiate, filling and planting up large stock tank planters with native perennials in the fall, and winter sowing a v Thinking about a rain garden? đź’¦ 🌱🌸 We now have a Certified Fusion Landscape Professional in house, and we’ll be looking for opportunities to help our clients manage stormwater on site! đź’§ Want to utilize rainwater for your garden? đź’§ Have w We had a great time attending #locongress2026 this week! The conference always brings interesting and inspiring speakers - this year’s lineup included @mylandscapeartist, @frankferragine, and @lavish.gardens and covered all sorts of topics from
As a new year begins, it is a pleasure to reflect on the many great clients, projects and beautiful sights that we encountered in 2025. We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from long term clients as well as the 8 new local clients we
Good example of why it’s important to leave the leaves. Came across this large cocoon within a couple of oak leaves - most likely from a large polyphemus moth with a 4-6 inch wingspan! These caterpillars often form cocoons on twigs or wrapped u

Instagram Gallery

We don’t just cultivate spaces, We grow community.

Our Instagram is a living journal of the work we do together: restoring habitats, supporting native pollinators, and bringing people back into connection with the land.

Follow us on Instagram (or Facebook) to see what’s buzzing and blooming!

Valerie Groves hand holding an inspirational book titled 'Bringing Nature Home' in a native garden with colorful flowers and greenery.
Detailed black and white illustration of a green sweat bee with three visible legs, large wings, and segmented body.
“Knowledge generates interest, and interest generates compassion.”
— Douglas W. Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home

Featured Articles

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A lush backyard garden with various flowering plants, green bushes, and trees, adjacent to a dark-colored house with large windows.

Learning is part of our main mission.

Got questions?

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Neighbourly Reviews

  • Colorful native pollinator garden with purple, yellow, and green plants expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services Valerie Groves

    Val and her team have done a fantastic job creating and caring for my gardens. Their professional and dedicated service helps keep my property looking like a true oasis.

    Tyson B.

  • native polinator garden Expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services showing skills and attention to detail for a project for Leslie D

    Val has been working with us for 20 years and we are very happy with all the work done. For the last 4 years, Val and her KIC Team have been consistently guiding the ongoing development and maintenance of our gardens. Everyone is friendly and respectful of each other and our property. Val listens, suggests then gets the job done. I highly recommend KIC Gardening Services.

    Leslie D.

  • A backyard native pollinator garden with a green lawn, a flower bed with green plants, a large tree with broad leaves, a white wooden shed, expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services Valerie Groves

    Val and her team recently did some gardening work for me, and I couldn’t be happier. She started with a great consult, really listened to my concerns, and came up with smart, creative suggestions. Then she and her crew got everything done quickly and beautifully. She’s a natural gardener, and it really shows. As someone with a pretty hopeless green thumb, I found her advice and help so valuable. The whole process was easy, friendly, and fun — I’d happily recommend Val and her team to anyone looking to spruce up their garden.

    Monica W.

  • native polinator garden Expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services showing skills and attention to detail for a project for Romano D.

    Valerie Groves and her team at KIC Gardening Services have transformed my overgrown garden into a vibrant, colourful showpiece. Val's creative vision and her team's professionalism, attention to detail, and punctuality made the entire process a pleasure. Their love for gardening truly shows in the beautiful results. Highly recommended!

    Romano D.

  • native polinator garden Expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services showing skills, knowledge, and attention to detail for a project for Maria R.

    Val and her team worked their magic to transform our weedy front yard into a beautiful garden. They were responsive to my needs, adjusting as needed to ensure that I would be happy with the result. From choosing the plants that would do best in the location to advising on how to care for them, they made the process easy for me. Subsequent visits have allowed me the opportunity to seek guidance and get reassurance on the progress of the various plants. I know I am in good hands with KIC Gardening. Thank you very much.

    Maria R.

  • colorful native polinator garden Expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services for Doris and George

    Val has brought knowledge, vision and inspiration to the maintenance of our flowerbeds and shrubs. Her monthly visits keep our surroundings trimmed and beautiful. Under Val’s care our gardens give us pleasure every day. We are happy to recommend her landscaping services.

    Doris and George M.

  • native polinator garden Expertly installed by KIC Gardening Services showing skills, knowledge, and attention to detail for a project for Jason

    After a storm transformed my garden from full shade to full sun, she thoughtfully designed and delivered a vibrant, sun-loving landscape bursting with colour. Her deep knowledge of native plants, eye for design, and willingness to accommodate every request made the process a joy. Kind, nurturing, and truly dedicated, she brings a quiet, steady passion to every project.

    Jason D.

  • Colorful garden with pink, white, and orange flowers next to a brick building and a sidewalk.

    We have had the privilege of using KIC gardening for our flower/rock garden maintenance for 4 years and Val has been working with us for over 15 years. They are a talented, organized, kind, and knowledgeable group of "worker bees". We get so many compliments on the appearance of our gardens every year. We are so fortunate to have them and look forward to having them help us in years to come!

    Myra F.

Contact

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Need a service, looking for guidance, or just curious?

Valerie is here to help, feel free to reach out!

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