My first gardens were inspired by my time in the woods. The plants I saw along the woodland trails of Northern Wisconsin were fascinating to me. I was drawn to recreating what I saw in the woods and in prairies in my own landscape. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my earliest gardens were planted with nature in mind.

When I see a landscape, a new planting opportunity, I see how we can balance our beloved cultivated plants with pollinator-friendly and native plants. I’m not one to tell homeowners they must. Rather, I like to say, imagine if … Imagine if we added Asclepias tuberosa to support the Monarch butterflies. Imagine if we added a generous stand of Echinacea which we then left standing through winter to feed the native songbirds.

Gardening with nature reminds us that we’re a part of nature. Our garden, our landscape, is not something that is separate from us. We’re not turning our yards over to nature. Rather we are creating landscapes and gardens that are as inviting to wildlife, such as our native pollinators, bees, and birds as it is to us. Nature, as well the homeowner, can find peace, balance, and beauty in a garden that’s planted with nature.