A kitchen garden is essentially any type of garden that provides food for you, whether in pots, raised beds or just a plot of yard space dedicated to growing edibles. These can vary greatly from home to home and even be an option for those in multi unit housing, on a porch or in a sunny window. With a some soil, seeds or starters and a little digging, you can grow many wonderful fruits, vegetables and herbs to enjoy throughout the seasons. Many kitchen gardens also incorporate flowers (there are even some edible ones) to attract pollinators and add beauty. Kitchen gardens offer many opportunities to teach and learn as well, once you try growing your own food, you’ll have greater appreciation for your farmers.

Pollinator and butterfly gardens are becoming more and more popular, which is good news for everyone. These gardens are designed to attract important insects and birds necessary to pollinate plants that produce the food we eat. These include butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, bats, flies, and wasps. Our Habitat HP team is working to increase all pollinator and wildlife habitat locally by helping residents, schools, businesses and houses of worship certify with the National Wildlife Federation. Certify your yard today!

Get inspired by these local NWF certified gardens and check out this pollinator strip planting guide from CBG.

The care of our yards has a big impact on our environment in many ways. Conventional lawn care equipment causes air and noise pollution. Find out how the City of Highland Park has been working with neighboring communities to address the concerns around gas powered leaf blowers. Water is wasted when lawns and gardens are watered inefficiently. Runoff from yards stresses our stormwater management systems and dumps harmful fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides into our waterways. Turf grass and non-native plants offer little food or habitat for native birds and beneficial insects. The disposal of yard waste instead of composting it locally uses a great deal of energy to collect and transport it long distances. Get tips for backyard composting here and DIY lawn care here.