Ellen Hermans, hands-on owner of Grass Roots Gardens, grew up next door to a farm in rural Belgium and got hooked on growing things from very early on. As most families still had big vegetable gardens then, that’s where she got to experiment alongside her dad.

An avid amateur gardener (both ornamental and edible) for most of her life, Ellen tried her hand at growing pretty much anything in a variety of conditions in Belgium, the UK and Vancouver, storing up all the knowledge of what worked & didn’t work along the way.

In 2009, Ellen started Grass Roots Gardens when finding herself between editing jobs. Creating a garden for a friend whose garden was destroyed after drain tile replacement was the catalyst for finally going professional.

Ellen continues to learn and expand her knowledge. She loves working with clients in making their garden the space they have always wanted it to be, be that through design, consultation, full installation or by simply maintaining it for the client to enjoy every day. In the end, she aims to translate the client’s wish list for their garden space into a reality.

Being flexible, adapting to each client’s situation and budget , treating every garden she works in as her own and finishing projects with the lightest footprint possible are some of the things that have made Ellen stand out as ‘not your typical contractor’.

In the last 2 years, Grass Roots Gardens has also started networking with other landscape professionals and can now offer easy access to hardscape services, tree services, seasonal commercial installations, house painting and much more.

Grass Roots Gardens is fully insured, bonded and covered by the Workers Compensation Board.