Thank you to everyone who came to our 2024 Native Garden Tour. It was wonderful to meet so many neighbors and folks from surrounding communities who are building habitats across our area.

 In order to respect the privacy of our generous hosts, we have taken down our map and address page. If you missed the tour, you can still see the gardens below. Ready to certify your outdoor space with the National Wildlife Federation? Habitat HP will pay your registration fee! Email us at gghpinfo@gmail.com for details.

Keep scrolling to take a look at this year’s gardens and meet the hosts!💚

In his 13 years working with The Nature Conservancy, one of our nation’s premiere environmental stewardship organizations, Bruce gained a strong appreciation of the importance (and beauty) of native trees and plants, which are critical to the health of our ecosystem and all the insects, animals and people that inhabit it. In his home garden “we wanted to set a new landscaping aesthetic and help people see the beauty of a native landscape, as opposed to the lawn monoculture that dominates just about every yard.”

Once he committed to developing a native plant garden, he discovered there is a learning curve about which plants will thrive in what environment. Like their cultivar cousins, native plants are moisture, sunlight and soil dependent. By experimenting with a variety of plants in different locations, Bruce and his wife learned which native plants would thrive in one part of their yard, while others simply disappeared. What has thrived and where has sometimes been a surprise.

Some of their favorite native plants include cardinal flower, prairie dropseed, woodland phlox, bottlebrush grass, blue lobelia, Jacob’s ladder, and so many more.

His advice to new native plant gardeners? Start small! “It’s easy to get going. Get tips from friends and community members. Buy a handful of plants at a native plant sale. Nurture and enjoy them and add them to your garden over time. We started all at once, which is another option if you have the time and energy to give to your yard.”

Every two-three years, Bruce and his wife obtain an open burning permit to do a controlled burn of their yard. Because native plants have deep root systems, fire does not bother them – they are adapted to fire, which was a part of the ecosystem prior to European settlement. Nonnative plants, on the other hand, are often not resistant to fire and a fire will help to eliminate them. Fire also returns nutrients to the soil. In the spring, they also tap their maple trees and make maple syrup! For every gallon of syrup 35-40 gallons of sap are needed, so lots of boiling around a wood fire is required – a very pleasant activity on a sunny March day. “We call our syrup Hawthorne Gold (named after our street).”

When Kelly began working at Moms Clean Air Force, she gained a clear understanding of the connection between climate change, air pollution, and toxic chemicals. And she realized that gardening offers everyone an opportunity to make a positive contribution to our local climate.

Native plant gardening, with its avoidance of chemicals and pesticides and its minimal water requirements, was a natural option for smart gardening in the age of climate change. The fact that native plants also play a huge role in supporting the health of pollinating insects and birds sealed her commitment to experiment with a pocket garden.

A representative of Open Lands visited her home and suggested several native plant options. While the recommended plants flourished initially, some did not reappear after the first winter. The reasons were hard to nail down. So Kelly tried some other native options, which have flourished in the last few years. Kelly suggests that fellow gardeners should be patient and experiment with a variety of plant choices.

Kelly reads about interesting native options, thinks about their varying heights and works with their light requirements. She also is learning more about when various natives bloom so that blossoms continue all summer and into fall. And when neighbors learn more about the reduced watering and low maintenance of natives, their interest increases immediately. One of her favorite natives is false Indigo, with stalks of brilliant purple flowers that please our local bee populations.

Kelly’s family joined the “No Mow May” movement because of its positive impact on pollinator support. The start of the growing season is an especially critical time for hungry, newly emerging native bees, so allowing grass to grow without mowing in early spring can provide nectar and pollen to help them thrive.

Kelly’s advice to native newbies? Start small and experiment! See how your first choices react to the environment you can offer. And watch for local seed and plant exchanges around our area. After three or four years, you will want to thin your collections and share your extras with friends. While watering is required in the first year, normal weather conditions after the first year provide the water needed for your natives.

When James and Fritz moved to Highland Park in 2020, they knew right away that they wanted to create landscaping that is more interesting, colorful, and environmentally sustainable than that afforded by traditional lawns with a few cultivars. An avid birder since his college days, James also saw their new parcel of green as an ideal opportunity to create a native habitat that would attract not only birds, but pollinators and other wildlife as well.

They were determined to show how a residential native landscape could have countless environmental benefits while adding to the curb appeal of their home. So they focused on “rewilding” their property through an intentional, well-designed process. They drew some of their initial inspiration from renowned native landscape designers like Piet Oudolf, whose award-winning projects, such as the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park and the High Line in New York City, feature dazzling drifts of perennial forbs (wildflowers), accented by sedges, vines, shrubs, and trees. The wild variety of plants come together to form breathtaking natural artworks.

Adopting a new aesthetic as an alternative to the traditional lawn is a challenge in itself. But they’ve been delightfully surprised at how receptive and encouraging their neighbors have been. Many of them make a point to walk by regularly to check out what’s new. Some even ask if their property is a small public park! The garden is ever-changing and offers visual interest and surprises year-round, with blossoming wildflowers from May to October and natural, attractive brush cover for wildlife through fall and winter.

When asked what advice they might share with fellow Highland Park neighbors who want to know how to get started, James and Fritz share a mutual suggestion: Experiment! Start with a small “pocket” garden with 5-10 plants, they say. “You’ll be surprised at how much, and how quickly, you’ll learn. Hopefully you’ll be encouraged to expand your pocket garden over time and turn your lawn into a stunningly beautiful and sustainable native landscape.”

And by the way, why have they named their garden Pig’s Prairie? After their adorable dog, Pig, of course! That’s Pig peeking out of one of the photos.

After living at the same residence for more than 30 years and caring for a large lawn and many  beautiful cultivars, Barbara and Steve decided to consider a new direction — exploring the  world of native plant gardens, developing a less formal garden, and removing some of their  lawn at the same time. By replacing their lawn with a large garden of native plants, they have  reduced watering requirements significantly and eliminated the need to treat their former lawn  with chemicals. And natives are more resistant to local pests and diseases and they promote  healthy soil through natural processes. 

Barbara and Steve’s new native plant installation complements their original cultivars and  demonstrates that experimenting with natives does not mean abandoning an intentional, well  ordered look to their garden. They are learning that they probably will want to thin their new  native garden in 4-5 years since the new plants will reproduce and expand on their own.  

As she thought back over her years of gardening at her current residence, Barbara reflected  upon her decades of landscaping designs and plant selections. She and Steve did not want to  abandon their favorites. But lacking an extensive background in native plant gardening, they  reached out to a local native plant landscaping firm, which listened to Barbara and Steve’s  priorities and then drafted a design. Barbara and Steve requested some revisions; and they wound up with a design incorporating new curved sections that they really love. 

As they consider their decision, they’ve found that it’s much easier to go in this new direction  than you might think! They advise others who are considering native plant gardening to just make a mental commitment, start small, and experiment. Even if you start with converting a  small pocket of your yard, you’ll find yourself less dependent on maintaining the watering and  chemical treatments required by turf. Barbara asks: does anyone actually need all the grass we  see growing in Highland Park?

Jessica and Devin moved from Seattle to Illinois in August 2023 after purchasing the home of  Jessica’s best friend’s mom. They had been living in apartments or condos on the West Coast,  so finding a home with a large yard that had already been planted with native installations was  an unexpected bonus. 

The previous owner had wanted to retire for a couple of years, but she didn’t want to sell to  ‘just anyone’ since she considered the home and its gardens part of her legacy. This made their mission to care for the gardens quite personal, and they’ve learned a great deal about caring  for native plants in a very short time. 

One unexpected challenge? Grass! Jessica never thought she could find herself personally  disliking a plant, but this year, she and Devin have focused on restricting grass to pathways and  borders for their gardens. Taming the persistence of grass has been center stage in their  campaign. 

In their new gardening project, Jessica tries not to get too attached to specific plants until she  learns which ones will fail to thrive, but the plants that blossom early in the spring are easy to  love. 

As for advice to other would-be native gardeners, everyone can start somewhere. Jessica  suggests swapping out a cultivar like hosta for jacob’s ladder and see where it takes you. And  connect with native plant gardeners through organizations like Go Green Highland Park, Facebook gardening groups, and garden clubs. In Highland Park there are many local  opportunities to participate in plant giveaways and trades. 

“I NEVER could have imagined being so personally involved in my garden. Having the  knowledge, support and experience of the community is a huge reason I get to celebrate as  many successful moments as I do!”