We Design, plant, and care for

BEAUTIFUL
EARTH-FRIENDLY
GARDENS

RAINscapeTO is a social enterprise based in Toronto that offers eco-landscaping services with a focus on the installation of rain gardens and other beautiful Earth-friendly landscapes.

Book a 45 min consultation to learn about the best options for your property and get a no-obligation quote.

Residential

Services offered:

  • Landscape Consultations
  • Rainscape design & installation
  • Rain harvesting (rain barrels)
  • Organic Garden Maintenance
  • Garden Clean-ups & makeovers

community & businesses

We work with Neighbourhood Groups, BIAs and Faith Groups to provide customized services to help the membership base. Connect with us for:

  • Streetscape and public space transformation with raingardens, pollinator plantings and more
  • Maintenance and makeover of parkettes and planter boxes
  • Community gardens and planting events
  • Raingarden and Eco Garden Workshops
  • Community Events and Walking Tours

RAINSCAPING – WHAT IT IS And its benefits

Rainscaping is a NEW earth friendly way of gardening with wonderful benefits for you, your community and nature. Rainscapes are specially designed to capture, retain, and manage rain on your property and also enhance your life on many other levels.

Rainscaping includes strategies such as rain water harvesting, composting and care for the soil, organic garden management, permeable paving, rain gardens, bioswales, woodland restoration and pocket forests, and stream bank restoration if you have a creek in your garden.  

A rain garden is a small bowl shaped area in the garden that catches water from roof and driveway and allows it to soak into the ground instead of flowing over the road into the sewers and the lake.  This reduces flooding and keeps pollutants out of the lake.

Beautiful Gardens

We focus on beautiful native plants that attract butterflies, pollinators and birds.  Your garden will have four season interest and will contribute to biodiversity.

Focused on You

We listen carefully to learn your preferences needs and garden dreams, then work with nature to provide a great solution for your lifestyle and the needs of your family.

Inspired by Your Local Historic Ecosystem

We bring our deep knowledge of local historic ecosystems to develop a solution specifically adapted to your soil system.

Protect Your Property & Reduce Neighbourhood Flooding

Rainscaping helps solve basement flooding issues, erosion, and local flooding issues.

Less Maintenance & Need to Water the Garden

Less noise and air pollution from gas mowers and leaf blowers.

Indigenous Knowledge & Modern Techniques

We work with members of Canada’s First Nations communities, alongside with experienced Landscapers to design a garden like no other.

Increase Property Value & Curb Appeal

A beautiful garden that is on trend can add to the resale value of your house and enhance the neighbourhood.

Recharge Groundwater

Encouraging infiltration of rainwater allows for the rejuvenation of our groundwater sources; an important supply of fresh and clean drinking water.

Protect Rivers & Lakes

With a rain garden water soaks into the ground instead of flowing over dirty roads to pick up oil gas salt and heavy metals that end up in the lake and rivers.  Organic garden care prevents pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

ABOUT US – OUR TEAM

Our staff consists of young adults from Indigenous and equity deserving communities who share their knowledge and perspective on sustainable living while working with our experienced landscaping leadership. Working along side experienced landscapers, these young adults develop industry experience, apply their unique techniques to your property, and build a brighter future for all. RAINscapeTO is a program of Toronto Green Community (TGC), a non-profit engaging neighbourhoods, promoting diversity, and building sustainable communities across Toronto since 1995.

Plants, shrubs & trees

Pollinator and rain gardens

Clients

Squared Meters of public green spaces maintained

*Numbers are based off the 2023 work season

Jose Torcal, Manager

Jose holds a Master in Civil Engineering and has over 6 years of experience working in urban sustainability and public space across 4 different countries. Jose is focused on supporting the global movement towards sustainable communities and has a strong commitment to collaborate across sectors and organizations to address climate change and improve our cities, starting from the community.

Prior to joining RAINscapeTO, Jose was a Program Manager in the Sustainable Neighbourhoods team at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

Paula Messina, Human Resources Advisor

Paula joined TGC in 2008 as a Volunteer Manager, and is currently the Executive Director. She brings over 25 years of non-profit experience in various sectors including environment, newcomer settlement, health, social justice and human rights issues with a focus on Indigenous issues, and skills in project management, community outreach and development, human resources, marketing and communications, event coordination, fundraising, administration, and strategic planning. Paula has provided training, supervision and peer support to a wide range of staff and volunteers from diverse and vulnerable communities. Paula is well-positioned to lead the social outcomes of this enterprise.

Helen Mills, Program Advisor

Helen has been involved with TGC since its inception, most specifically as a former board member, co-
developer of the Green Garden Visit, founding partner of Green Gardeners Community Collaborative

(GGCC), key player in the establishment of Eglinton Park Heritage Community Garden, and founder of Lost
Rivers, a project that connects people with the lost watersheds and water infrastructure of the city through
walking tours, storytelling, eco-interventions and online maps and information. Helen is an independent
landscape design consultant and garden educator who has been researching and building residential rain
gardens since 2008. Helen has been and will continue to consult on the ongoing development of
RAINscapeTO which was launched as a pilot program by TGC in 2016.

GreenForceTO

GreenForceTO is a green workforce development project initiated in 2021. The project, led by Transportation Services’ Green Streets program, in partnership with the Energy and Environment Division, looks to bridge the gap of maintenance of green infrastructure and horticulture in the right-of-way and build a landscape-skilled workforce. City of Toronto Transportation Services’ (TS) Green Streets, Operations and Management (O&M), Neighbourhood Projects, and Live Green Toronto collaborated with RAINscapeTO and Building Up and comprised the project management team (PMT).

INITIATIVES

Rainwater Harvesting

A new pilot program started in fall 2023, with a vision to create a network of rain cisterns in the community near horticulture sites.

Lawn Alternative

This initiative launched in spring 2023, is to test the feasibility of seeding a ground cover that would be mowed less, be more resilient during droughts, and provide more ecological benefits.

Community Ambassadors

The ambition of this program is for ambassadors to steward or advocate for green infrastructures within their neighborhoods, involving community members.

Thorncliffe Pollinator Garden

For more information about the GreenForceTO program and the progress of our new initiatives, please refer to our annual report

Testimonials
Hear from our customers (home owners and organizations), partners, as well as some of the Indigenous staff who are a part of our project about the impact we’ve had.
“We love that RAINscapeTO is a social enterprise, and that the RAINscapers are so friendly, knowledgeable and very hardworking. Thanks so much for helping create our beautiful rain garden that is capturing water that was running right into our basement before.”
Adrienne and Myra

The Annex

“Having RAINscapeTO create and work on our very large (and previously empty) garden was a wonderful experience. They were a pleasure to deal with and were absolutely accommodating, skilled and enthusiastic; they treated our garden as if it were their own. They worked extremely well together.”
Ellen

Port Credit

“Working at Toronto Green Community has been an amazing experience so far. I have come to care about the environment and all the creatures that live in it… When I first joined Toronto Green Community, as a Rivers Rising ambassador, I learned about the condition of our water and how it affects us and our planet.”
Reno King

RAINscaper

“We truly have a wonderful group of dedicated and passionate people in RAINscapeTO who take the time to design not just a garden, but a masterpiece. This social enterprise gives Torontonians an opportunity to adapt to the changing climate with a sustainable and useful solution.”
Daniel Hsia

Chair, Toronto Green Community

Let US Start Planting
Get in touch!

If you have any questions about our services or for community involvement opportunities send us an email to [email protected].

 To book a consultation please fill the form by clicking on the button below  

Made Possible THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF

Land Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge Toronto as a sacred gathering place for many people of Turtle Island. We recognize the long history of First Nations people in Ontario and show respect to the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, and the Mississaugas of the Credit.The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. This territory is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.Today, Toronto is a home and meeting place for Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We are grateful to be here.– Chi Miigwetch