Community of Gardens

Description

I'm an outlier in my neighborhood -- our 1/4 acre lot has less than 1,000' of lawn left on it, and most to of the front yard is a designed prairie garden. I've been careful out front to maintain low plants, carefully mass species, and keep things generally tidy to bridge the gap for neighbors. It's so important to do what we can where we can -- and for me, a small front yard we never used but that required a lot of water, fossil fuels, and fertilizer was wasteful and provided no ecosystem services for the community (or for wildlife). The space is now never watered or fertilized, and sees only a few hours of attention each year. While no one else on the street has joined in, I know from the tussock moth larvae and prairie toads and goldfinches that we're making a difference. And if when we sell out home someone puts lawn back over every last native plant, I'll know we did our best in the time we had. That yes, we made a difference for a passing bee or spider, and that yes, we opened our home to our neighbors.

- Story contributed by Benjamin V.