About Stonewall Garden

Ecological Landscaping
Rooted in Place

Thoughtful native plant design for Greater Akron, built on ecological principles and a deep respect for the land.

Tim Miller, founder of Stonewall Garden, in his native garden

Who I Am

Hi — I'm Tim Miller,
founder of Stonewall Garden

I started Stonewall Garden in 2022 with a simple conviction: landscapes should work with nature, not against it. Living alongside Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I see every day what healthy, native ecosystems look like — and I believe there's no reason our suburban yards can't be a part of that.

I specialize in native plant landscaping — designing gardens using species that evolved here alongside local insects, birds, and animals. Native plants don't just survive; they belong. They support food webs, build soil, manage stormwater, and create beauty that changes with the seasons.

My approach draws from permaculture design principles, native plant ecology, and real experience working across residential properties throughout the Cuyahoga Valley region. Every project begins with observation — reading your land, understanding its challenges, and designing something that will thrive for decades.

I run Stonewall Garden as a one-person practice — which means deep, personal attention on every project, and the occasional honest waitlist when the season is full.

I believe the work of ecological restoration doesn't have to happen only in wild places. It can start in your backyard.

Certifications & Training

Permaculture Design Course

Permaculture Design Course Professional Certificate

Permaculture Institute of North America

Professional Rain Gardener

Professional Rain Gardener

Chagrin River Watershed Partners

Affiliations

Homegrown National Park

Homegrown National Park

Wild Back Yards

Wild Back Yards

Wild Ones Greater Cleveland

Wild Ones Greater Cleveland

My Roots in Gardening

The Story Behind
the Name

Growing up, I was immersed in the world of gardening. My grandparents maintained an incredible garden in their backyard — a sprawling vegetable garden and orchard that thrived for over 60 years. My grandmother tended to most of those beautiful spaces, and her passion for gardening ignited my own.

My great-grandfather left an equally indelible mark as a noted conservationist. His legacy includes contributing to the creation of several parks in the Kent, Ohio area — there's even a trail along the Cuyahoga River named after him, honoring more than 50 years of conservation work. When I named my business, I looked to his nursery, which operated in Kent from the 1950s through the 1970s: Stonewall Garden Nurseries.

My Mission

Transforming Lawns
into Living Landscapes

Living in such a beautiful area — with Cuyahoga Valley National Park as our neighbor — I feel the importance of reintroducing natural beauty into our suburban landscapes every day. Rather than settling for mundane, chemical-dependent lawns, my passion is helping you transform them into captivating gardens that work with nature.

As stewards of this land, we have the opportunity to create stunning, functional landscapes that benefit both people and nature — and to carry forward the conservation legacy that inspired this work.

How I Work

My Ecological Approach

Native landscaping isn't just a style choice — it's a commitment to a different kind of relationship with land.

100% Native Plants

I work exclusively with species native to Northeast Ohio — no invasives, no ornamental exotics. I also don't design with non-native landscaping plants (exceptions for food-producing plants only).

✦

Chemical-Free by Design

My designs don't call for chemical fertilizers or pesticides — native plants, once established, regulate themselves. I recommend targeted herbicide use only as a last resort for highly aggressive invasives before planting.

∞

Designed for Succession

A native garden isn't static — it evolves. Plants self-sow, communities shift, and the garden becomes richer over time. I design with this dynamism in mind, not against it.

Light on the Soil

My designs are built around a low-impact approach: the less heavy equipment and soil compaction, the better. Where a site allows it, I recommend cutting back weeds and invasives rather than tilling, preparing beds without machinery, and setting plants by hand, because that disturbs the soil less and protects existing root networks. Whoever plants your design chooses their own methods, so these are recommendations, not a promise about how the work is done.

Read My Full Approach

What to Expect

The Native Garden Timeline:
Sleep, Creep, Leap

Native plants take time to establish — but the result is a garden that outperforms conventional landscaping for decades.

01

Sleep

Year One

Plants focus energy underground, building root systems. Above-ground growth appears slow — but the foundation is being laid.

02

Creep

Year Two

Above-ground growth begins in earnest. Plants start filling in; weed pressure decreases as native communities take hold.

03

Leap

Year Three

Your garden takes off. Plants self-sow, spread, and create their own communities — a living ecosystem that tends itself.

Ruby-throated hummingbird visiting a native garden plant

"In some Native languages the term for plants translates to 'those who take care of us.'"

— Robin Wall Kimmerer

Fully Insured

Stonewall Garden carries commercial general liability insurance through Erie Insurance, with $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate coverage.

Let's Work Together

Ready to Start Your
Native Landscape?

Ask about a $225 on-site consultation — a complete service on its own.

Request a Consultation View Services & Pricing