Led by landscape designer, gardener, naturalist, and educator, Dora Berry,
Nature’s Elements works with you to create landscapes
that grow beauty, food, and habitat,
guided by sustainable practices and ecological design.

 
 

Update on Nature’s Elements - 2026

After 20 successful years of sustainable landscape design and consulting, I am closing this chapter of my story.

Please use the Community Page for recommendations on local service providers and suppliers.

Thank you to all the clients that have entrusted me with your landscape and your home!

Continue to be stewards of our landscapes and our Earth,
and take care of each other,
Dora

 

Sustainable Landscapes

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Lush green, flourishing flowers, abundant botanicals, exquisite design… these beautiful landscapes are maintained by Nature! A landscape you long to be in and gaze up. By creating the building blocks for ecological processes in your yard, your gorgeous landscape and its habitat will thrive! 

Edible Growing

Growing food feels so good, and it improves many aspects of our lives. Grow your food in patio containers, in lovely kitchen gardens, expansive no-dig ground beds, or food forests. Food security is more relevant than ever! Your food gardens will be beautiful, delicious, and abundant!

Habitats & Yards

Your yard is a piece of our greater ecosystem, providing habitat to many species of wildlife. Whether you are in an urban pocket yard or a rural acreage, you can enrich the biodiversity of your landscape, conserve water, and protect soils which makes a great difference to Nature! Be the steward of your part of the ecosystem and planet!

 
 

Where’s Dora?
Follow along on her nature adventures!

Dora is always spreading the joy of nature to those in her community!
You can watch her green musings on Instagram sign up for the newsletter - you’ll want to be the first to know what new things Dora is introducing this year.

Instagram @growwithdora

Acreage Owners! Bring back Nature into your landscape! Let's reestablish the forests, meadows, grasslands, ponds, creeks! Let's create trails and destinations (for play or relaxation) for you to enjoy! Let's bring the biodiveristy back so you can see all the birds, frogs, salamanders, deer, rabbits, etc... and also manage it in sugar a way that they aren't eating your gardens or orchard trees! You can have the wilderness, the gardens, the flowers, the food, and the play & relaxation spaces!!! There is a place for everyone in Nature! And I'm here to show you how! I may be mostly know as a landscape designer and gardener... but once a biologist and environmental planner, always a biologist & environmental planner! . #acreagelandscapes #acreageliving #countryliving #ruralliving . #doraberry 👩‍🌾🧝‍♀️🌸🌱 #natureselements #sustainabledesign #landscapedesign #gardendesign #habitatdesign #biologist #gardencoach #sustainability #growwithdora #bringingnatureback #urbanhomestead #rewilding
Are you ACHING too?! I am! I'm ACHING to get back out to the gardens and yard! What are you excited to get back at in your garden and yard? I'm dreaming about seeds and seedlings, installing vine supports, inter plantings and companions, soil amendm
Are you ACHING too?! I am! I'm ACHING to get back out to the gardens and yard! What are you excited to get back at in your garden and yard? I'm dreaming about seeds and seedlings, installing vine supports, inter plantings and companions, soil amendments,... ooooh I can't wait to turn the compost, connect the new rain catchments... Eeek and then there is the greenhouse that I'll started up again in a month or so! And next new moon, I'll start my seeding schedule!!!!! And then there are all the new native plants and edible trees and shrubs to plant!!! 💚💚💚 GET ME OUT THERE!!!!! ... #doraberry 👩‍🌾🧝‍♀️🌸🌱 #natureselements #sustainabledesign #landscapedesign #gardendesign #habitatdesign #biologist #gardencoach #sustainability #growwithdora #bringingnatureback #urbanhomestead #rewilding #gardeners #urbangarden #urbanag #urbanfarm #kitchengarden #ediblelandscape #yeggarden #yeg #shpk #strathco
4 year difference. Thanks to our local realtors who give annual calendars with a pic of our house. The neighbours said the photographer was at it for a while to get the shot over the plants! It's not for sale. From a monoculture grass scape... to a l
4 year difference. Thanks to our local realtors who give annual calendars with a pic of our house. The neighbours said the photographer was at it for a while to get the shot over the plants! It's not for sale. From a monoculture grass scape... to a lush, botanical, beautiful, welcoming, gathering, food producing, pollinator-happy, sustainable, biodiverse landscape... all in a small urban front yard. Check out my website (link in bio) to book your coaching or design session this Spring! #frontyardgarden #frontyarddesign #doraberry 👩‍🌾🧝‍♀️🌸🌱 #natureselements #sustainabledesign #landscapedesign #gardendesign #habitatdesign #biologist #gardencoach #sustainability #growwithdora #bringingnatureback #urbanhomestead #rewilding #yeg #shpk #strathco
Yo Birches! I have an official office again after 2 years! These home and office renovations kicked our Ash and felt like we were waist-deep in Monarda! Lettuce celebrate!!!! Lots of exciting initiatives are being started... But first, 2 acreages &am
Yo Birches! I have an official office again after 2 years! These home and office renovations kicked our Ash and felt like we were waist-deep in Monarda! Lettuce celebrate!!!! Lots of exciting initiatives are being started... But first, 2 acreages & 1 mature neighbourhood yard to finalize landscape designs for... I am so thankful for the patience of my clients as we all navigated this last year, as well as the year before with my flooded office/basement, and the year before that with my concussion. I'm back!
More than just food... This sweet little greenhouse has added even more joy and peace to my garden and life. From spring through fall, I could be found in there tending plants or finding some refuge. I grew so many tomatoes, basil, peppers, cucumbers
More than just food... This sweet little greenhouse has added even more joy and peace to my garden and life. From spring through fall, I could be found in there tending plants or finding some refuge. I grew so many tomatoes, basil, peppers, cucumbers, and cucamelons last summer in this 8x6' cold frame. Just a few more months until outdoor planting begins... so hard to wait! #coldframe #greenhouse #urbangarden #coldclimategardening #loveiseverywhere #gardendreaming #zone3garden #zone4garden #albertagarden
"Spring is just around the corner 😁🙏" words and image from my friend Dave Sproule, co owner of Salisbury Greenhouses! I can just smell the air and feel the space on my skin!!! How I loved working in all departments of the greenhouse! Many
"Spring is just around the corner 😁🙏" words and image from my friend Dave Sproule, co owner of Salisbury Greenhouses! I can just smell the air and feel the space on my skin!!! How I loved working in all departments of the greenhouse! Many (many!) years ago, I worked at this time of year on the propagation line and also filled in for the line head. At 5am, deciphering the planting list written in Bob's penmanship was a great way to learn plants! Bob, who is Dave's dad, was the owner of the greenhouse and mentored me in heading the plant propagation, and also encouraged me to learn from the head growers and horticulturalists. Years later when I decided to leave the greenhouse to pursue my career as a conservation biologist, Bob sent me off with the look in his eyes of a proud father. I will never forget that. And lo and behold, I came back to the industry in my very own way. This picture makes my heart sing, my lungs expand, and my body feel alive and supple! #localgrower #localgreenhouse #supportlocal #familyowned #strathco #yeg
These twigs came bare. In a package with other beautiful gifts of flowers, stems, and other delights. At first glance one may think, these twigs are merely functional... to prop up the wrapping so that the other beautiful items can be seen. With a tr
These twigs came bare. In a package with other beautiful gifts of flowers, stems, and other delights. At first glance one may think, these twigs are merely functional... to prop up the wrapping so that the other beautiful items can be seen. With a trained eye and an open heart, I knew they were more than just barren wood. With a little water and a warm home, slowly the bare twigs drank it in and created the nourishment they needed to emerge.... Forsythia!!!!!! 💛💛💛 By far one of thee most special plants to me! It is my plant that symbolizes hope. It symbolizes strength, and most especially, in symbolizes the warriors I know. If we all just saw ourselves and each other for the life that is within us, it would be a kinder, healthier World. We may not always shine our light. But, when given a safe place, we can flourish. Thank you to my dear friend @julescstirling for the gift that continues to give. And thank you @tickled_floral for always knowing what my Soul resonates with.
Which is your favourite pyramid (biome)? Tropical (the humid jungle biome) Arid (beautiful, desert-like biome) Temporate (like a stroll in Victoria biome) Feature (showcasing calendar events & holidays in horticultural artistry!). Having relished
Which is your favourite pyramid (biome)? Tropical (the humid jungle biome) Arid (beautiful, desert-like biome) Temporate (like a stroll in Victoria biome) Feature (showcasing calendar events & holidays in horticultural artistry!). Having relished in working at the Muttart, I have a fine appreciation for each pyramid, and am excited about their upgrades, as well as to the other amenities! The Muttart is done renos!!! But, of course due to Covid, the glorious botanical garden will be waiting to open until it is safe to do so! BTW, the "u" is pronounced as written, as a soft vowel, like in the word "up": Not M"eow"ttart or M"oo"tart. ... #Repost @yegmuttart (@get_repost) ・・・ Thanks @a_bhamber for such an incredible drone shot! #yeg #ExploreEdmonton #yegparks #Muttart #yegmuttart #botany #flowers #plants #greenhouse #MuttartConservatory
What are your favourite gardening, landscaping, and native plants books? The topics are wide ranging: From design to construction. From veggiess & herbs to fruits & berries. From native plant ID to foraging. From bespoke spaces to edible landscapes. From grandeous landscape architecture to eloquent pocket yards. Urban planning to parks design to acreage renaturalization to community gardens to permaculture to urban homesteads to indoor plants to herbalism to Indigenous connection to Mother Earth. I may not have all the answers off hand, but I have the resources! #themoreyouknow #alwayslearning #toolsofthetrade #gardeningbooks #herbalism #educateyourself #doraberry 👩‍🌾🧝‍♀️🌸🌱 #natureselements #sustainabledesign #landscapedesign #gardendesign #habitatdesign #biologist #gardencoach #sustainability #growwithdora #bringingnatureback #urbanhomestead #rewilding
Acreage Owners! Bring back Nature into your landscape! Let's reestablish the forests, meadows, grasslands, ponds, creeks! Let's create trails and destinations (for play or relaxation) for you to enjoy! Let's bring the biodiveristy back so you can see
Are you ACHING too?! I am! I'm ACHING to get back out to the gardens and yard! What are you excited to get back at in your garden and yard? I'm dreaming about seeds and seedlings, installing vine supports, inter plantings and companions, soil amendm 4 year difference. Thanks to our local realtors who give annual calendars with a pic of our house. The neighbours said the photographer was at it for a while to get the shot over the plants! It's not for sale. From a monoculture grass scape... to a l Yo Birches! I have an official office again after 2 years! These home and office renovations kicked our Ash and felt like we were waist-deep in Monarda! Lettuce celebrate!!!! Lots of exciting initiatives are being started... But first, 2 acreages &am More than just food... This sweet little greenhouse has added even more joy and peace to my garden and life. From spring through fall, I could be found in there tending plants or finding some refuge. I grew so many tomatoes, basil, peppers, cucumbers "Spring is just around the corner 😁🙏" words and image from my friend Dave Sproule, co owner of Salisbury Greenhouses! I can just smell the air and feel the space on my skin!!! How I loved working in all departments of the greenhouse! Many These twigs came bare. In a package with other beautiful gifts of flowers, stems, and other delights. At first glance one may think, these twigs are merely functional... to prop up the wrapping so that the other beautiful items can be seen. With a tr Which is your favourite pyramid (biome)? Tropical (the humid jungle biome) Arid (beautiful, desert-like biome) Temporate (like a stroll in Victoria biome) Feature (showcasing calendar events & holidays in horticultural artistry!). Having relished
What are your favourite gardening, landscaping, and native plants books? The topics are wide ranging: From design to construction. From veggiess & herbs to fruits & berries. From native plant ID to foraging. From bespoke spaces to edible land

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