We live in middle of large city in 110yr old house so it is very challenging to grow 100% native plants & maintain blooms for wildlife from #FebruaryToFrost since our sun/soil conditions don’t match prairie or wetland or forest. Host plants & avoiding invasives is priority but we need max diversity.

Excellent goals! Biodiversity matters. For all talk of imported honeybees in ag crops, our efforts to have blooming plants from #FebruaryToFrost & #organic-gardening has meant native bees of all kinds are here & majority responsible for making sure our #KitchenGarden plants are well-pollinated. 🌱

We plant *everything* for them & only #organic-gardening. Middle of big city with no other gardens around so aim is blooming flowers #FebruaryToFrost & also adding diversity of #NativePlants, particularly host plants for #butterflies & #moths larvae. So we get new visitors every year. 🌱

Certain some native bees are listed endangered like Rusty Patched. We do get tons of bees of all kinds but we are also the only #KillYourLawn #FebruaryToFrost blooming #organic-gardening oasis within a few city blocks in each direction so I think we get maximum traffic—hums once weather warms up. 🌱

Thank you. Have seen such a dramatic transformation since we started. Being in middle of big city without decent adjacent green corridor, it buzzes nonstop from #FebruaryToFrost &, as a bonus, our native #bees are out here doing hard work in my #KitchenGarden as thanks. #pollinators #NativePlants 🌱

Worth the work & you will never regret it. #Joy of no mow; buzz of life every time you walk by; smiles from neighbors seeing flowers not lawn—all 10/10. We started same process from patchy lawn to mostly #NativePlants with emphasis on #FebruaryToFrost blooms in urban conditions in Chicago in 2020. 🌱

Diversity of #NativePlants = diversity of #wildlife, even in a tiny #UrbsInHorto city garden turned #pollinators paradise. Just a few who stopped by our garden this year and literally kept it buzzing from #FebruaryToFrost. #nature #ecosystem #gardening #Chicago 🌱

Slowly & sorely (🤣), I have created a #nature oasis for #birds, #pollinators, & more in middle of city 1/2 mile from closest green corridor. We have added #NativePlants & non-invasive friends to bloom #FebruaryToFrost, truly productive #KitchenGarden, & solved all of our water issues. #gardening 🌱

This annual Salvia was a rockstar in our 2024 garden. Started seed indoors over winter, planted out early, flowered beautifully, seeded around, & had a 2nd generation make it to flower in same season. Still going today! Non-invasive annuals fill bloom gaps. #pollinators #FebruaryToFrost #gardening 🌱

Nicotiana glutinosa glowing in the sun like an absolute peachy-bronze goddess. 😍 I can’t believe I have such beautiful #flowers clinging on this late in our season! #gardening #joy #FebruaryToFrost #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱

100% can attest that these practices make a difference. We live in a huge concrete jungle, our neighbors have lifeless lawn & sadness, but we’ve built an oasis that buzzes from #FebruaryToFrost with thoughtful design, more #NativePlants, & following this advice. #gardening #ecosystem #pollinators 🌱

The one exception to the rule about not staring directly into the sun. Feel free to bathe in the serene warm light of these Rudbeckia ‘Henry Eilers’ still popping in our front gardens today. #FallColors #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #FebruaryToFrost #ecosystem #gardening 🌱

Super cute twins in my garden today. #FallColors #FebruaryToFrost #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱

Our garden is still showing its #FallColors from #NativePlants must-haves like Asters and Solidagos, plus sporadic late rebloom from Helianthus helianthoides. Even saw a few #pollinators taking advantage of them yesterday! #ecosystem #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #gardening #FebruaryToFrost 🌱

Another rose still trying to push out blooms against the odds. Probably because the tree that overhangs it has lost all its leaves now so it’s getting a bit more light despite the daylight hours shrinking. Love the signs of struggle in coloring. #FallColors #FebruaryToFrost #gardening #UrbsInHorto 🌱

Good morning from the delicate blooms of my variegated Daphne still perfuming the air by the front walk. Not a winter-blooming variety so quite impressive that it is still chugging along. #FallColors #FebruaryToFrost #SundayMorning #gardening 🌱

Spotted and speckled and still blooming today in our #Chicago #UrbsInHorto front beds. Well worth killing our useless high maintenance lawn to make room for all this beauty. #gardening #FebruaryToFrost #FallColors 🌱