These profiles showcase real-world native gardens submitted by Wild Ones members across the country. Each story highlights the ornamental beauty, creativity, and ecological value of native landscaping. Together, they illustrate the full native gardening journey—from first plantings to thriving Certified Native Habitats—offering inspiration and practical ideas for gardeners at every stage.
Slow and steady. Just like the tortoise that won the race with the hare in the children’s story, Katharin Mason-Wolf knows that slow and steady is often the best way to add native landscaping to your yard or gardens. Continue reading "Member Garden: Katharin Mason-Wolf"
Melinda Chamberlain Dietrich says she started planting native plants for a simple reason: They were pretty. Continue reading "Member Garden: Melinda Chamberlain Dietrich"
There are native plant enthusiasts and then there is Theo Witsell, who undoubtedly is one of the few who can sight identify nearly 600 species on Arkansas’ rare native plants list. Continue reading "Member Garden: Theo Witsell"
Sue Leahy admits she knew nothing about native plants, and says she wasn’t even much of a gardener in 2007. Continue reading "Member Garden: Sue Leahy"
Amazing isn’t an overstatement. The backyard features a sunken deck with a chair where Damerow likes to drink coffee in the morning and watch nature around her. Then there are stone and mulch pathways that slowly lead down the hillside, with that Aldo Leopold bench and native plants interspersed. On the bottom is a fence, […] Continue reading "Member Garden: Loris Damerow"
Janis Solomon describes her garden as a perpetual work-in-progress rather than a manicured showpiece. But it’s a work-in-progress that keeps her busy and happy. Continue reading "Member Garden: Janis Solomon"
I grew up in a small town of retired farmers in Freeport, Illinois, west of Rockford. My parents’ yard included many native plants, but we didn’t think of them that way. Continue reading "Member Garden: Kay MacNeil"
Drew Lathin calls it a no-brainer. “I have always been interested in gardening and just started reading about native plants,” he says. So, converting his lot to native plants in 2014 was a simple choice. “I could have beauty and habitat in the same place.” Continue reading "Member Garden: Drew Lathin"
One step at a time. For nine years, Sally Wencel has been incrementally working convert her yard into a paradise for pollinators and other animals. Continue reading "Member Garden: Sally Wencel"
Twenty years ago, Marilynn and Tom Torkelson moved into their new home in the rolling suburb of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, about 20 miles west of Minneapolis. Traditional gardeners, their primary interest was growing veggies and their biggest crop was turf grass. Continue reading "Member Garden: Marilynn and Tom Torkelson"