Your Garden
Welcome to my native garden! I actually have at least a dozen native gardens around my yard varying in size from 500 sq. ft. to as small as 10 sq. ft. In total, I have over 3,300 sq. ft. of native plant habitat. As of 2026, I have 100+ native species occurring in my yard! This was a huge milestone for me and I'm thrilled that I can offer such a large variety of plants to pollinators and other wildlife that rely on it.
I began creating my native garden in 2014 after realizing just how badly wildlife needs our help and just how significant the damage to native ecosystems has been over the past few hundred years. You can take a drive almost anywhere in the midwest and you'll either see structures or farmland. Quality habitat has been decimated without most of us even realizing what has been done. So, I wanted to give a little piece of habitat back and make a difference, even if only a small difference. I can't control what others have done, but I can be the change I want to see.
It initially began as just a 64 square foot garden, but after adding on every year since, I now have over 3,300 square feet of native garden space! My gardens are micro habitat restorations filled with plants that are native to North America. I have a mix of native prairie plants, native woodland plants, and native wetland plants depending on the garden. While a true prairie can have up to 80% grasses, I currently only have a small amount of native grasses. In this photo, you can see plenty of spiderwort, which was one of the first native plants I added to my garden. This species originally came from my late grandma's garden when she allowed me to divide some for myself. Now it's made a home across my native garden and puts on an incredible show every June.
As previously mentioned, this project is all about helping wildlife. Tallgrass prairie habitat is nearly extinct. Less than 3% of original tallgrass prairie remains, some calculate it's around 1%, and it's almost entirely in small fragments that are degrading with each passing year. While my garden does not make up for that lost habitat, it does provide wildlife a miniature sanctuary where they can find food, shelter, nesting material, and nesting cavities in stems and soil. If enough people create native gardens in their backyard, it will create a chain of habitats that can help wildlife move from one larger habitat to another without struggling to find food and shelter. I've seen life increase in my native garden every year, and it's been extremely rewarding. Here are a few species that have made use of my garden.
The rusty-patched bumble bee. This bee made national headlines in 2017 when it became the first bumble bee to be placed on the endangered species list. Its population has declined by 87% in the last 20 years. Luckily, I am in its native range and I have a population in my area that shows up to my garden each year!
Giant Swallowtail. The largest butterfly in the United States. Not common in Wisconsin, but I see one or two in my garden each year.
Monarch Butterfly, which has been proposed to be an endangered species, is in my garden each year. Some years not nearly as much as others.
Wild turkeys have made a big comeback in Wisconsin since they were reintroduced 50 years ago (1976). In 2025, a family of 12 wandered through my yard and around my gardens.
I also had the goal of attracting very specific wildlife. I wanted to help Monarchs, so I planted multiple milkweed species as well as some of their favorite nectar sources (meadow blazing star). I wanted to help Fritillary butterflies, so I planted Common Blue Violet. I wanted to help Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, so I planted a few of their favorite plants, including Cardinal flower. Every time I planted something with the goal of attracting specific species, it worked!
There have been other ways that I've made my garden even more beneficial to wildlife.
- I don't cut my plants down to the ground after they die off for the year. The seed heads provide food for birds in autumn and winter. After that, I cut the stems down to about one to two feet tall. Those stems will then become shelters for insects, and small, harmless bees will lay eggs in them. The stems will be hidden before summer by new growth, and will continue to benefit insects for the remainder of the year.
- I place a few logs randomly throughout the garden. They provide shelter for wildlife such as American Toads. Quite often, I'll lift a log to see what's under it and I'll find a toad or two. I also have a wood pile next to the garden. Wood piles and brush piles are fantastic places for wildlife. I often find chipmunks running around the pile and searching for food.
- I've added nesting boxes for birds in my garden. Originally, I designed the boxes for tree swallows, but non-native house sparrows kept taking over all the boxes. In 2024, I changed the hole size on all the houses to allow for only small birds like house wrens and chickadees. Almost immediately, house wrens moved in to three of my boxes!
I also have an 800 gallon pond that I also installed in 2014. The original goal was simply to attract frogs to my yard, but it also ultimately became so much more. Damselflies are often seen flying around the pond and laying their eggs in the pond. Birds come to bathe and drink in my bog filter. Chipmunks and squirrels also always stop by the bog filter to grab a drink. I've planted many native wetland plants in my bog filter and pond, and other native species around the outer edges.
Here's a complete list (as of May 31, 2026) of all plant species in my yard. I've also included symbols that show which species are native to my county, within 100 miles of my county, and beyond. As indicated, some species listed are not yet occurring, but I do have seed and am in the process of establishing them. This list will be updated as things change.
Currently, 100 species are actively occurring in my gardens of the 115 total listed. The rest are either seedlings in containers, not yet growing, or not yet identified in my gardens. I expect at least a few to eventually fall off the list, but the goal is to have at least 100 species actively occurring.
Please consider adding your own colorful and beneficial native plant garden! It's extremely important to the future of our world that we all start restoring some habitat, even if it begins with something as simple as native gardening. Anything from 10 square feet to 10 square acres can make a difference. The important thing is just to start! I cannot stress this enough: I didn't know a single thing about native plants before I started this. I didn't know a single thing about gardening before I started this. I was just motivated to do the right thing and give a bit of necessary habitat back. If I can do this, anyone can. You can be the next person to create a mini wildlife sanctuary in your backyard!
I began creating my native garden in 2014 after realizing just how badly wildlife needs our help and just how significant the damage to native ecosystems has been over the past few hundred years. You can take a drive almost anywhere in the midwest and you'll either see structures or farmland. Quality habitat has been decimated without most of us even realizing what has been done. So, I wanted to give a little piece of habitat back and make a difference, even if only a small difference. I can't control what others have done, but I can be the change I want to see.
It initially began as just a 64 square foot garden, but after adding on every year since, I now have over 3,300 square feet of native garden space! My gardens are micro habitat restorations filled with plants that are native to North America. I have a mix of native prairie plants, native woodland plants, and native wetland plants depending on the garden. While a true prairie can have up to 80% grasses, I currently only have a small amount of native grasses. In this photo, you can see plenty of spiderwort, which was one of the first native plants I added to my garden. This species originally came from my late grandma's garden when she allowed me to divide some for myself. Now it's made a home across my native garden and puts on an incredible show every June.
As previously mentioned, this project is all about helping wildlife. Tallgrass prairie habitat is nearly extinct. Less than 3% of original tallgrass prairie remains, some calculate it's around 1%, and it's almost entirely in small fragments that are degrading with each passing year. While my garden does not make up for that lost habitat, it does provide wildlife a miniature sanctuary where they can find food, shelter, nesting material, and nesting cavities in stems and soil. If enough people create native gardens in their backyard, it will create a chain of habitats that can help wildlife move from one larger habitat to another without struggling to find food and shelter. I've seen life increase in my native garden every year, and it's been extremely rewarding. Here are a few species that have made use of my garden.
The rusty-patched bumble bee. This bee made national headlines in 2017 when it became the first bumble bee to be placed on the endangered species list. Its population has declined by 87% in the last 20 years. Luckily, I am in its native range and I have a population in my area that shows up to my garden each year!
Giant Swallowtail. The largest butterfly in the United States. Not common in Wisconsin, but I see one or two in my garden each year.
Monarch Butterfly, which has been proposed to be an endangered species, is in my garden each year. Some years not nearly as much as others.
Wild turkeys have made a big comeback in Wisconsin since they were reintroduced 50 years ago (1976). In 2025, a family of 12 wandered through my yard and around my gardens.
I also had the goal of attracting very specific wildlife. I wanted to help Monarchs, so I planted multiple milkweed species as well as some of their favorite nectar sources (meadow blazing star). I wanted to help Fritillary butterflies, so I planted Common Blue Violet. I wanted to help Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, so I planted a few of their favorite plants, including Cardinal flower. Every time I planted something with the goal of attracting specific species, it worked!
There have been other ways that I've made my garden even more beneficial to wildlife.
- I don't cut my plants down to the ground after they die off for the year. The seed heads provide food for birds in autumn and winter. After that, I cut the stems down to about one to two feet tall. Those stems will then become shelters for insects, and small, harmless bees will lay eggs in them. The stems will be hidden before summer by new growth, and will continue to benefit insects for the remainder of the year.
- I place a few logs randomly throughout the garden. They provide shelter for wildlife such as American Toads. Quite often, I'll lift a log to see what's under it and I'll find a toad or two. I also have a wood pile next to the garden. Wood piles and brush piles are fantastic places for wildlife. I often find chipmunks running around the pile and searching for food.
- I've added nesting boxes for birds in my garden. Originally, I designed the boxes for tree swallows, but non-native house sparrows kept taking over all the boxes. In 2024, I changed the hole size on all the houses to allow for only small birds like house wrens and chickadees. Almost immediately, house wrens moved in to three of my boxes!
I also have an 800 gallon pond that I also installed in 2014. The original goal was simply to attract frogs to my yard, but it also ultimately became so much more. Damselflies are often seen flying around the pond and laying their eggs in the pond. Birds come to bathe and drink in my bog filter. Chipmunks and squirrels also always stop by the bog filter to grab a drink. I've planted many native wetland plants in my bog filter and pond, and other native species around the outer edges.
Here's a complete list (as of May 31, 2026) of all plant species in my yard. I've also included symbols that show which species are native to my county, within 100 miles of my county, and beyond. As indicated, some species listed are not yet occurring, but I do have seed and am in the process of establishing them. This list will be updated as things change.
Currently, 100 species are actively occurring in my gardens of the 115 total listed. The rest are either seedlings in containers, not yet growing, or not yet identified in my gardens. I expect at least a few to eventually fall off the list, but the goal is to have at least 100 species actively occurring.
Please consider adding your own colorful and beneficial native plant garden! It's extremely important to the future of our world that we all start restoring some habitat, even if it begins with something as simple as native gardening. Anything from 10 square feet to 10 square acres can make a difference. The important thing is just to start! I cannot stress this enough: I didn't know a single thing about native plants before I started this. I didn't know a single thing about gardening before I started this. I was just motivated to do the right thing and give a bit of necessary habitat back. If I can do this, anyone can. You can be the next person to create a mini wildlife sanctuary in your backyard!
