North Grenville in Bloom

North Grenville in Bloom (NGiB) is a volunteer-driven committee initiative that proudly partners with the Municipality of North Grenville, local organizations, and residents to celebrate, enhance, and beautify our community through environmental stewardship and creative placemaking.

Since joining the Communities in Bloom Ontario program in 2023, North Grenville has blossomed—earning 3 Blooms in our inaugural year and advancing to 4 Blooms in 2024. These achievements reflect the incredible dedication of our volunteers and the inspiring efforts of residents, businesses, and community groups across the municipality.

As we enter our third year, we are thrilled to continue building a greener, more vibrant North Grenville. The 2025 Communities in Bloom theme—Edible Gardens—invites us to grow together through local food, pollinator support, and community sharing.

Whether you’re planting a single pot of herbs, transforming your storefront with flowers, or joining one of our community-led projects, there’s a place for everyone to bloom with us.

Previous Media Releases

North Grenville in Bloom 2024: Celebrating Our Community Through Photography

North Grenville Earns Four Blooms in Communities in Bloom Competition Special Recognition for Exceptional Landscaping

Communities in Bloom (CiB) is a provincial and national program that inspires communities to enhance their natural and built environments through beautification, sustainability, and civic pride. Municipalities of all sizes are evaluated annually on their efforts to improve the quality of life for residents through environmental stewardship, heritage conservation, and landscape enhancement.

Participating communities are evaluated by trained judges on six core criteria:

Community Appearance
Environmental Action
Heritage Conservation
Urban Forestry
Landscape
Floral Displays

Each category is scored based on community involvement, municipal leadership, and innovative approaches to local challenges. Communities are awarded a “Bloom Rating” (1 to 5 Blooms) based on their performance, with opportunities for special recognitions and national-level advancement.

The program’s goals include:

Encouraging collaboration between residents, businesses, and local government
Inspiring environmental and cultural initiatives
Enhancing civic pride and volunteerism
Supporting tourism and economic development
Celebrating community strengths and sharing best practices across the country

Why It Matters:
Taking part in Communities in Bloom provides tangible and lasting benefits. Communities experience stronger volunteer engagement, greener public spaces, revitalized downtowns, and a stronger sense of identity. It's about more than flowers—it's about connection, pride, and sustainable growth.

North Grenville in Bloom is excited to launch the Fruit Tree Map & Pollination Initiative which is a community-driven project that helps residents understand one simple but powerful fact: pollination is local.

Most fruit trees (like apples, pears, plums, and cherries) need a pollination partner within 50–100 metres to produce fruit. That means what your neighbours grow directly affects your harvest and vice versa!

🌸 What Makes This Map Special: The Pollination Radius

The heart of this project is our interactive pollination radius map.

When you register your fruit tree, it will appear on the map with a visible pollination radius circle (50–100 metres) around it. This lets everyone see who has trees close enough to be potential pollination partners.

With this map you can:

✔️ See if your tree has nearby pollination partners
✔️ Help neighbours pollinate their trees by planting the right species
✔️ Decide what type of tree to plant next, based on what’s already growing nearby
✔️ Build stronger local ecosystems and better fruit yields across the community

How It Works

Register your tree (apple, pear, cherry, plum, serviceberry, etc.)
Choose what you’re comfortable with:
✅ Pollination partner only
✅ Seed sharing
✅ Fruit picking (by request)
Your tree (and its pollination radius) appears on the community map
Optional: Get a small “Pollination Partner” yard sign to identify your tree

Why This Matters

Increases natural pollination and biodiversity
Helps local food systems thrive
Connects gardeners, growers, and curious new tree planters
Supports environmental stewardship and community resilience

Pollination Quick Tips

Most apples, pears, plums, and cherries need a different, compatible tree nearby for pollination
Tree distance matters: The closer, the better—within 50–100 metres
Encourage pollinators: Plant wildflowers, avoid pesticides, and provide habitat for bees and beneficial insects
Not all trees can pollinate each other: Some varieties require very specific partners (e.g., Japanese vs. European plums)

Get on the Map📍

Help us grow North Grenville’s pollinator-friendly, fruit-filled future!

View the map and see your neighbourhood’s pollination network: Fruit Tree Map

Together, let’s make every tree count.

North Grenville in Bloom is proud to promote an environmental initiative that uses bat houses to provide natural mosquito control in our community. Bats are amazing night-time insect hunters – a single little brown bat can catch up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in one hour! By attracting bats to our yards, we can reduce mosquito populations naturally. Supporting local bat populations with bat houses not only gives us a free pest control service, it also helps an endangered species (the little brown bat) recover from threats like white-nose syndrome. In short, installing a bat house is a win-win for both residents and the environment.

Community Partnership: Bat Houses Built Locally

This project is a collaborative effort between North Grenville in Bloom and the North Grenville Men’s Shed. The Men’s Shed – a local volunteer woodworking group – has generously crafted quality bat houses for our community. These bat houses follow proven designs (multi-chambered, rough interior, vented for airflow) to ensure they are attractive and safe roosts for bats. Through this partnership, we’re not only encouraging natural mosquito control, but also fostering community involvement. We thank the Men’s Shed volunteers for building these houses and contributing to local conservation.

Request a Bat House: North Grenville residents are invited to request a bat house for their property. If you’re interested in having a bat house installed at your home, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Supplies may be limited, so requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Our team will provide you with a bat house and guidance on installation and care (outlined below). By participating, you’ll be helping to expand bat habitat in our community – and enjoying a more comfortable, mosquito-reduced backyard!

Environmental Benefits of Bats for Mosquito Control

Bats play a vital role in our ecosystem. All of our local bat species are insectivores, meaning their diet is made up entirely of insects – including mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and flies. An individual bat can eat 50% or more of its body weight in insects each night (pregnant mothers may eat 100% of their weight!). This voracious appetite makes bats one of nature’s best mosquito controllers. In fact, fewer bats lead to more mosquitoes, which can increase the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile virus. By encouraging bats to live nearby, homeowners can enjoy fewer bites in the evening without relying as much on chemical repellents.

Beyond backyard comfort, bats provide broader environmental and economic benefits. By devouring night-flying insects, bats reduce the number of pests that damage crops and gardens. Scientists estimate that bats save farmers billions of dollars in pest control every year. Bats are truly our natural partners in balancing the ecosystem. Installing a bat house is an easy way to support these beneficial creatures. It provides them with a safe place to roost and raise their young, at a time when many bat populations are struggling due to habitat loss and diseases like white-nose syndrome (which has killed millions of bats in the past decade). By hosting a bat house, you are directly aiding in bat conservation while also reaping the benefits of natural mosquito control.

Bat House Installation Guidelines

Proper installation of your bat house is key to attracting a bat colony. Bats are particular about their roosting sites – factors like height, sunlight, and surrounding habitat all matter. Below are guidelines for mounting and caring for your new bat house, so you can create the most welcoming environment for our winged mosquito-eaters:

Height & Placement: Install the bat house at least 12 to 20 feet above the ground. Higher is generally better for bats’ safety and flight. Bat houses can be mounted on the side of a building (such as a house, barn, or shed) or on a sturdy pole. A building mount often works best because walls retain daytime heat and provide a stable temperature for the bats. If using a pole, ensure it’s secure and tall enough. Do not mount bat houses in trees if possible – tree branches can shade the house too much and obstruct the bats’ flight path.
Sunlight & Orientation: Bats love warmth. Position the bat house in an area that gets at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. In Ontario’s climate, a south or southeast facing orientation is ideal to catch morning and midday sun. A dark-colored house (or a coat of dark, non-toxic paint) can help absorb heat if needed. However, if the site is very exposed and summers are hot, partial sun can prevent overheating. (Tip: If you have two bat houses, you can mount one in full sun and one in more shade, to offer bats a choice of temperatures.)

Location & Surroundings: Install the bat house in a quiet spot with open space around it. Bats swoop when they exit, so they need a clear flight path. Aim for a location that is at least 20 feet from obstacles like tree branches, wires, or poles. Avoid bright lights nearby; bats prefer a darker area (they will hunt near lights where insects congregate, but they roost in darkness). It’s also beneficial if the bat house is relatively close to a water source such as a pond, stream, or wetland (bats often feed on insects near water). Keep the immediate area below the bat house clear or use landscaping (like a flowerbed) where a little bat guano won’t be a nuisance. Try not to place the house directly above doors, windows, or decks where people frequent – while bat droppings are not harmful and make great fertilizer, you probably don’t want them on your front step!
Installation Timing: You can put up a bat house at any time of year, but the optimal time is late winter or early spring. This way it’s ready for bats returning from hibernation in spring, giving them a chance to discover it as they seek summer roosts. If you install later in summer, you might not see visitors until the next year. Bats are loyal to established roosts, so it may take a little patience to attract a new colony. It’s not uncommon for a bat house to remain empty for a year or two before bats move in. Don’t be discouraged – keep the bat house up through multiple seasons. Once a maternity colony finds your bat house and raises young there, those bats are likely to return year after year around the same time.
Maintenance & Care: Bat houses are low-maintenance but not “set and forget.” Plan to check your bat house once or twice a year (during the off-season when bats are not present). Maintenance tasks include: ensuring all seams and crevices are sealed (caulk any cracks or splits to keep the interior dry and warm), and removing any wasp or insect nests that might appear inside. (Wasp nests can discourage bats from moving in – if you find one, wait until winter when wasps are dormant and bats have left, then safely clear it out.) Also brush out any debris if needed. Never disturb the bat house when it’s occupied – avoid opening it or banging on it while bats are roosting. There is generally no need to clean out bat guano from inside the house because well-designed bat houses have open bottoms that let droppings fall out. If guano accumulates on the ground and you want to collect it for garden use, you can do so with a small shovel (it makes an excellent fertilizer!). Otherwise, simply leave it to enrich the soil. Finally, if years pass with no bat occupancy, consider relocating the bat house to a new spot, or try painting it a slightly different color to adjust the temperature, or add a water feature nearby to attract more insects. Small adjustments can make a big difference in making the bats feel at home.
Safety Note: Bats are wild animals and generally avoid people. You will likely never have a close encounter – at most you’ll notice them fluttering out at dusk to hunt. Do not handle bats if you find one grounded or in your house. If you discover an injured or sick bat, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. Remember, bats are protected species. It is illegal to harm or kill bats in Ontario, and there is no reason to – they will not be a nuisance if left alone. In fact, you’ll rarely see them except at night on the wing. Enjoy their presence knowing they are hard at work keeping your yard bug-free!

What to Expect After Installation

Once your bat house is installed according to the guidelines above, it becomes a waiting game. When will bats arrive? It could be within the first summer, or it might take a couple of summers for bats to find the house. Bats have a strong sense of site fidelity – mother bats often return to the same roost each year. So if a colony adopts your bat house, you can look forward to yearly residents each warm season. You might first notice signs of bats such as a few droppings (guano) on the ground or staining on the bat house entrance. You may even hear quiet chittering noises at dusk. Typically, midsummer is when a new bat house is most likely to become active, as that’s when maternity colonies are settled in. By watching at twilight on warm nights, you might see your new “tenants” exiting to hunt. An occupied bat house can host anywhere from a dozen up to hundreds of bats, especially if it’s a multi-chamber design. Don’t worry – even a few bats can dramatically cut down the insect population in your area, and you won’t end up with “too many” bats; their numbers are limited by how much the house can hold and the available food supply.

If after two summers you still have no bats, consider the troubleshooting tips mentioned above (try a different spot, height, or orientation). Patience is often rewarded when it comes to bat houses. Even if it takes a while, by maintaining the bat house you are providing a potential home for bats that may desperately need new roosting sites as old trees and attic spaces disappear.

In the meantime, knowing you’ve set up a welcoming habitat for bats is something to be proud of. You’re contributing to North Grenville’s environmental health and enjoying natural mosquito control. With each new bat house installed, our community blooms a little brighter – and a little less buggy!

Additional Resources

For those interested in learning more, here are some helpful resources on bats and bat houses:

Bat Conservation International – Bat Houses: Designs, research, and tips from a leading bat conservation organization njaes.rutgers.edu merlintuttle.org.
Canadian Wildlife Federation – HelpTheBats Program: Information on helping bats in Canada, including the latest bat box research specific to our climate cwf-fcf.org cwf-fcf.org.
Ontario Bat Working Group: Local insight on bat species in Ontario and conservation efforts.
North Grenville in Bloom Team: Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any questions about this bat house initiative.

Together, let’s support our bat neighbors and enjoy a summer with fewer mosquitoes. Thank you for being a part of North Grenville in Bloom’s effort to build a greener, healthier community!

Protecting North Grenville’s natural beauty starts with knowing what doesn’t belong.

Invasive plant species are one of the biggest threats to North Grenville’s ecosystems. They grow aggressively, outcompete native species, disrupt biodiversity, and can even damage infrastructure and property. Through our Invasive Species Awareness Campaign, North Grenville in Bloom is helping residents learn to identify, report, and responsibly manage invasive plants in their own backyards and public spaces.

Why Invasive Species Are a Problem

They spread quickly and dominate local plant life, choking out native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees.
They reduce biodiversity, which harms pollinators, birds, and wildlife that rely on native plants for food and shelter.
They can be harmful to people and pets—some cause skin irritation, are toxic if ingested, or increase fire risk.
They are costly to control—municipalities and landowners spend thousands annually to manage them.

Not all weeds are invasive, and not all invasive species can be removed in the same way. That’s why proper identification and informed removal techniques are critical—cutting or disturbing certain species can actually cause them to spread further!

Helpful Tools to Identify Invasive Plants

Use these free apps to identify and report invasive species right from your phone:

iNaturalist – Upload plant photos to get community-sourced identification help.
Seek by iNaturalist – Kid-friendly and doesn’t require creating an account. Great for quick scans.
EDDMapS – A mapping tool for reporting invasive species sightings across North America.
PlantNet – Offers plant ID through photos and links to botanic data worldwide.

Once you’ve identified a plant, check local resources to confirm whether it's invasive and learn the best way to remove it.

Weed Control in Leeds and Grenville

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville has a designated Weed Inspector responsible for enforcing the Weed Control Act and addressing complaints about nuisance weeds that may affect human health, safety, or well-being. More information about the Weed Inspector’s role and weed control procedures is available on the Counties’ website: www.leedsgrenville.com/en/government/weed-control.aspx

Common Invasive Species in Ontario

According to the Ontario Invasive Plant Council, here are just a few of the invasive plants currently found in our province:

Garlic Mustard
Dog-Strangling Vine
Phragmites (European Common Reed)
Japanese Knotweed
Goutweed
Norway Maple
Wild Parsnip
Buckthorn (Common & Glossy)
Periwinkle
Himalayan Balsam
Purple Loosestrife

View the full list and profiles of these plants at: Ontario Invasive Plant Council Species List

What You Can Do

Learn to identify invasive species in your garden and neighbourhood
Avoid planting known invasives—check before you buy!
Use proper techniques for removal—some require digging, others chemical treatment, and some should be left to professionals
Share what you learn and help others spot invasive plants
Support native plantings and restore disturbed areas with species that belong

Have questions or want to share a photo of a suspicious plant?
Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tag us on Facebook at @NorthGrenvilleInBloom.

Together, we can protect North Grenville’s environment, one plant at a time.