The Backyard Buffet

Nourishing – Balanced – Biodiverse

As a vegetable gardener, this homeowner was no stranger to the crop tax paid to overpopulating insects. Fed up with the plant loss but reluctant to use chemicals, our garden host incorporated native plants in his yard to support biodiversity. He planted seeds and plugs of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and more, hoping these would balance his backyard ecosystem. Spoiler alert: it worked! Come visit a yard that nourishes wasps, chickens, frogs, and humans alike. Learn how the many elements of this garden work together to maintain a balanced habitat.

Beauty and the Bees

Small – Delightful – Everchanging
The intentional design of this charming, fully native front yard in Waldo deserves every “ooo” and “ahhh” a person has to offer. With the goal of beautifying their yard, these residential gardeners teamed up with native landscape design experts to curate a garden that provides an oasis for both people and insects. What began with a few Serviceberries (Amelanchier arborea) grew into an array of bunched native perennials. Herbaceous plants like Golden Groundsel (Packera obovata) and Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) have gifted our gardeners and their community a booming habitat to enjoy and learn from. Looking to expand this impact, our hosts have added new natives to their backyard that are in the early stages of growth.

A Bloom Is More Than a Bloom

Naturalistic – Evolving – Enriching
After time spent assisting in the restoration efforts of Roanoke Park, this gardener decided it was time to bring this stewardship to his own yard. From the Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) and soft landing in the front of the house to the one-year-old rain garden that frames the backyard, discover natives with a variety of blooms and environmental requirements. Lush with plants like Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) and Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis), the new rain garden is already buzzing with life. For this gardener, the true beauty of a garden is not its blooms but the lives those blooms support and the activity they encourage. Come visit this garden to experience the life between the leaves for yourself!