“Native home” by Katie Brown

Plant(s): Milk weed, Wild bergamot, Ferns, Swamp milkweed, Butterfly weed
Photo Story: Katie Brown
Equipment: Phone camera
Photo ID: 32418

“Hummingbird Haven 3” by Mimi Sorkin

Plant(s): Red Buckeye-Aesculus pavia, Squaw-weed-Packera senecio, Columbine-Aquilegia canadensis, Wild Hydrangea-Hydrangea arborescens, Ostrich Fern-Matteuccia struthiopteris, Black Cohosh-Cimifuga racemosa, Pawpaw tree-Asimina triloba, Ohio Spiderwort-Tradescantia ohiensis
Photo Story: This shady understory garden at our yard’s edge is a soothing escape destination, quiet enough to hear an approaching Hummingbird on her way to sample the Columbine.
Equipment: Apple iPhone SE camera
Photo ID: 32495

“Hummingbird Haven 2” by Mimi Sorkin

Plant(s): Red Buckeye-Aesculus pavia, Squaw-weed-Packera senecio, Columbine-Aquilegia canadensis, Wild Hydrangea-Hydrangea arborescens, Ostrich Fern-Matteuccia struthiopteris, Black Cohosh-Cimifuga racemosa, Pawpaw tree-Asimina triloba, Ohio Spiderwort-Tradescantia ohiensis
Photo Story: This shady understory garden at our yard’s edge is a soothing escape destination, quiet enough to hear an approaching Hummingbird on her way to sample the Columbine.
Equipment: Apple iPhone SE camera
Photo ID: 32496

“Hummingbird Haven” by Mimi Sorkin

Plant(s): Red Buckeye-Aesculus pavia, Squaw-weed-Packera senecio, Columbine-Aquilegia canadensis, Wild Hydrangea-Hydrangea arborescens, Ostrich Fern-Matteuccia struthiopteris, Black Cohosh-Cimifuga racemosa, Pawpaw tree-Asimina triloba, Ohio Spiderwort-Tradescantia ohiensis
Photo Story: This shady understory garden at our yard’s edge is a soothing escape destination, quiet enough to hear an approaching Hummingbird on her way to sample the Columbine.
Equipment: Apple iPhone SE camera.
Photo ID: 32497

“Hummingbird Haven 4” by Mimi Sorkin

Plant(s): Red Buckeye-Aesculus pavia, Squaw-weed-Packera senecio, Columbine-Aquilegia canadensis, Wild Hydrangea-Hydrangea arborescens, Ostrich Fern-Matteuccia struthiopteris, Black Cohosh-Cimifuga racemosa, Pawpaw tree-Asimina triloba, Ohio Spiderwort-Tradescantia ohiensis
Photo Story: This shady understory garden at our yard’s edge is a soothing escape destination, quiet enough to hear an approaching Hummingbird on her way to sample the Columbine.
Equipment: Apple iPhone SE camera
Photo ID: 32498

“Labor of Love” by Rebecca Unger

Plant(s): Whorled Mountain Mint, Wild Ginger, Wild geranium, Bee Balm, Columbine, Elm Leaf Goldenrod, May Apple, Joe Pyeweed, American Spikenard and a Crabapple tree
Photo Story: My son is putting the finishing touches on the planting of our native garden by hammering in the edging hoops to offer just enough protection and definition of the space. My family gathered together in June, 2023 to plant this garden that was designed by my horticulturist son. Underneath the shade of an existing crabapple tree and along a sunnier spot near a freshly planted Staghorn Sumac, we gave our parkway a much needed new garden with 19 different species of flowers, grasses and trees. From the beginning conversations and planning, to the resourcing plants through native plant sales, to the actual planting, this has been a true labor of love.
Equipment: Photo – IPhone
Photo ID: 32525

“Mailbox” by Renee Benage

Plant(s): Purple coneflower – Echinacea purpurea; rose verbena – Verbena canadensis; Liatris pycnostachya; butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa; royal catchfly – Silene regia
Photo Story: My two year old native planting at my mailbox.
Equipment: Canon Power Shot SX70 HS
Photo ID: 32550

“Michigan Backyard Summer Day” by Erich Jensen

Plant(s): Blazing Star Liatris and Purple Coneflower with Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Photo Story: Erich Jensen
Equipment: iPhone 13 Mini
Photo ID: 32574

“The Beginning of a Native Garden” by Jill Trochlell Ziehr

Plant(s): Marsh Milkweed, Butterflyweed, Joe Pye Weed, Purple Coneflower
Photo Story: My daughter now has the gardening bug, but for natives!! It’s so rewarding to see young people becoming interested and planting native plants in their yards.
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR
Photo ID: 32624

“Little House on the Prairie” by Patty Strunk

Plant(s): Blazing Star, Missouri Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, Rattlesnake Master, Cup Plant
Photo Story: I started a two acre prairie field in 2019 to help bring more pollinators and bees to the area, also to cut back on the mowing I was doing. There was a family cabin built in the 1850’s near my property that was in need of some attention I then had it taken down and restored on my property. Now family and friends can sit on the front porch and enjoy the beauty of the flowers, butterflies, birds and deer.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 32628

“Linda’s garden” by Besa Schweitzer

Plant(s): Purple coneflower, black eyed Susan, and red whiskers
Photo Story: Linda has been slowly replacing her cookie cutter landscape with natives.
Equipment: phone camera
Photo ID: 32634

“May Morning” by Bec Hodgin

Plant(s): Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima), Little-leaf buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus), Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
Photo Story: I removed a very large non-native honeysuckle at the edge of the woods and the native plants were so happy they invited the wild geraniums to move in. The tortoise was my idea.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 32641

“Native Meadow” by Barbara Beck

Plant(s): Rudbeckia Hirta, Monarda Fistulosa, Heliopsis helianthoides
Photo Story: I planted a native meadow on my property and this was the first summer it bloomed after the meadow was seeded.
Equipment: Canon EOS Mark VII
Photo ID: 32695

“Sunset in the Garden” by Barbara Beck

Plant(s): Monarda and Coneflowers in bloom as well as the pollinator garden which contain 17 species of native species
Photo Story: A beautiful sunset together with the gardens in full bloom was irresistible
Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S21 phone
Photo ID: 32702

“What a Parkway Can Be” by Lee Hardy

Plant(s): Lots: Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, Coneflowers, Spiderwort, Globe Thistle, Bee Balm, etc, etc, etc.
Photo Story: Several years ago we decided to join our next-door neighbor, pull up the grass, and plant our parkway with native plants. The space now is alive with bees, butterflies, and birds. Neighbors on their walks often pause to take in the joy. Others have been inspired to do the same.
Equipment: iPhone.
Photo ID: 32766

“Urban Landscape” by Chris Kosin

Plant(s): Yarrow, echinacea, monarda
Photo Story: Urban perennial garden in Pittsburgh PA, full front yard with perennials, trees, and shrubs
Equipment: Pixel 7 phone
Photo ID: 32814

“Monarch Munching Butterfly Weed” by Cindy Adams-Kornmeyer

Plant(s): Monarch caterpillar and butterfly weed
Photo Story: This happy caterpillar munched its way through several leaves of my butterfly weed alongside several milkweed bugs before moving on.

– Cindy Adams-Kornmeyer
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 32834

“joanne-desjardins-coralberry-symphoricarpos-orbiculatus-by-deck-2023” by Joanne Desjardins

Plant(s): Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
Photo Story: I planted this coralberry by the steps of my back deck about five years ago. Now it provides berries to red squirrels in the wintertime.
Equipment: Canon SX150IS camera
Photo ID: 32856

“White Ash Trees and a Red Pine Behind the Barn” by Joanne Desjardins

Plant(s): White Ash (fraximus americana) and Red Pine (pinus resinosa)
Photo Story: Nearly four decades ago I planted two sapling white ash trees and a red pine behind the barn at our home. They have given us shade and beauty for many years.
Equipment: Canon SX150IS camera
Photo ID: 32860

“Bluebell Exuberance” by Laurie Martin

Plant(s): Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Photo Story: Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) happily seed themselves among the pavers of the walkway.
Equipment: Google Pixel 3a XL
ƒ/1.8
1/443
4.44mm
ISO46
Photo ID: 32883

“Native Border Second Year” by Laurie Martin

Plant(s): Spiderwort (unknown Tradescantia cultivar), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), Brown Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), Grey Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Photo Story: Second season for a native plant border that includes Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, Brown Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), and Gray Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata).
Equipment: Google Pixel 3a XL
Photo ID: 32889

“Milkweed Sunset” by Barbara DeGraves

Plant(s): Butterfly-Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Viburnum Shrub, Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Photo Story: One of our Butterfly-weed plants was at its peak in June and I knew I had to try to capture the beauty of the glowing orange blossoms at sunset. Using my wide-angle lens, I sat on the ground close to the plant and angled my camera toward the setting sun at the back of our yard. Smoke had been blowing down to our area all week from the fires in Canada, so the western horizon was an unusual hazy mauve color. No filters or special effects were used in editing this image.
Equipment: Canon 90D, 1/320 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 1250, Canon Lens EF-S 10-22 mm
Adobe Lightroom
Photo ID: 32891

“Trumpet Honeysuckle with Hummer” by Barbara DeGraves

Plant(s): Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) & Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
Photo Story: A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been a regular visitor to our yard all summer. Several mornings, I sat patiently and still with my camera ready to photograph the tiny bird in action nectaring from the tubular honeysuckle flowers. When I am out gardening in our yard, the inquisitive hummingbird often swooshes by making sure I don’t get too close to her nectar sources.
Equipment: Canon 90D, 1/1250 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 1600, Sigma Lens 100-400 mm
Adobe Lightroom
Photo ID: 32892

“Prepare for Landing” by Laura Stellmacher

Plant(s): Coneflower
Photo Story: Taken in backyard
Equipment: iphone
Photo ID: 32895

“Native garden at Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House” by Deborah Rees

Plant(s): Parkway planting of Prairie dropseed, Liatris aspera and Monarda bradburnia
Photo Story: I visited this site on a garden walk hosted by the Greater Kane County Wild Ones. They collaborated with the museum to establish this native garden that preserves sight lines on a busy street.
Equipment: Nikon D3100
Photo ID: 32911

“Backyard Prairie” by Ruth Hilfiker

Plant(s): Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata); Bee Balm (Monarda didyma); Anis Hyssop
Photo Story: My husband and I planted a 3/4 acre native prairie in our backyard 3 years ago which has now matured and is a wonderful, colorful alternative to a grass lawn.
Equipment: Apple 14 Pro Phone Camera
Photo ID: 32934

“Front Yard Pretty” by Deborah Rees

Plant(s): Purple Poppy Mallow, Rudbeckia fulgida, serviceberry tree, little bluestem grass, aromatic aster (not in bloom) and wild nodding onion.
Photo Story: We installed a new front yard bed featuring native wildflowers, grasses and a tree. This is a photo I took of the side of the raised bed, looking toward the street.
Equipment: Nikon D3100
Photo ID: 32939

“Native Garden Entrance” by Deborah Rees

Plant(s): Rudbeckia Fulgida on left and Serviceberry. In middle, Prairie dropseed, wild nodding onions, little bluestem and on right Black-eye susan
Photo Story: This is the entrance to our native raised bed from our front walkway. The bed was designed with shorter natives and this is the second year for the bed. A stone walkway was installed to aid in the design and a serviceberry was planted as a focal point.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 32942

“Front Yard Native Border” by Deborah Rees

Plant(s): Nodding wild onion, Aromatic aster, prairie dropseed, little bluestem, purple poppy mallow, monarda bradburnia, serviceberry and rudbeckia fulgida
Photo Story: Last year we replaced the lawn in our raised area with native wildflowers and the serviceberry. This is the view our neighbors have when walking in front. We intentionally chose shorter natives and strong design elements like the stone walkway and serviceberry focal point so that it would look similar to a traditional borders.
Equipment: Nikon D3100
Photo ID: 32945

“Sunrise at Home” by Ed Buchs

Plant(s): Tall Anemone/Anemone virginiana, Pennsylvania Sedge/Carex pensylvanica, Solomons Plume/Maianthemum racemosum, Anise Root/ Osmorhiza longistylis, Virginia Creeper/Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Jump-Seed/Persicaria Virginians, Solomons Seal/Polygonatum biflorum, Solomons Seal – Giant/Polygonatum commutatum, Blue Heart Leaved Aster/Symphyotrichum cordifolium, Burr Oak/Quercus macrocarpa, American Basswood/Tilia americana, Shag Bark Hickory/Carya ovata, Hackberry/Celtis occidentalis,Red Cedar/Juniperus virginiana
Photo Story: While taking an early nature walk at home I watched the sun come through my trees and took this photo. Our forest around the house is made up of Bur Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Basswood, Hackberry and Eastern Red Cedar. Woodland floor plants include Solomon Seal, Solomon Plume, Pennsylvania Sedge, Anise Root, Tall Anemone, Woodland Aster and Virginia Creeper among others.
Equipment: Canon 80D
Tamron 18-400 Telephoto Lens
Capture One Software
Photo ID: 32963