Garden Refresh
For the Garden Refresh project, we redesigned the native garden beds outside the Clow House office at the McDonald Farm in Naperville. As the new plants grow in, we’re envisioning thriving native flowers, grasses, and shrubs that provide colorful blooms throughout the year as well as important food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
Take inspiration from the plans and resources below to design your own native plant garden:
Garden Plans
Articles
How We Redesigned Our Native Plant Garden
In a project we’re calling “Garden Refresh,” we transformed the native garden beds outside one of our office buildings at the McDonald Farm in Naperville.
Garden Refresh: Collect Rainwater at Home
Meet the newest addition to our Garden Refresh project at the McDonald Farm: a rain barrel! For those of you who are just joining our
How to Clean Up Your Native Garden This Fall
There are two ways of thinking when it comes to preparing your native perennial garden beds for winter: tidy things up or do nothing at
Native Plant Landscaping Guides
Webinars
Designing a Native Garden
In this webinar about the Garden Refresh project, staff members Jan Roehll and Nancy Cinatl, discuss the steps they took to get started, the thinking that went into the native plants they chose, and how the design was laid out.
Garden Refresh Revisited
Join us to see pictures of the plants in the ground and hear about the challenges we encountered as well as some general do’s and don’ts of planting a native garden.
Get Certified Through Conservation@Home
Get Certified Through Conservation@Home
With your help, we can make our region into a vibrant and healthy place for wildlife and people. The Conservation@Home program recognizes homeowners who create native plant habitat and conserve water at home. Conservation@Home certified properties make up a patchwork of landscapes that connect green spaces across the region, supporting wildlife, providing clean water and air, and protecting local biodiversity.
Wherever you are in the process of creating an environmentally-friendly yard, you can join the Conservation@Home program. After you join, we’ll help you take the steps you need to get Conservation@Home certified.
