Today we’re back in the Forest Park, Illinois, garden of Enrique Zuniga and Christian Altman, a space they transformed from a blank piece of turfgrass into a beautiful garden that attracts pollinators and is enjoyed by them, their three dogs, and their friends alike. We saw some of the garden yesterday and are back to enjoy more of it today.
This is a very urban area, not far from downtown Chicago, but Enrique and Christian have transformed their piece of this space into something that is beautiful and inviting to pollinators and other wildlife.
A bee has stopped by these coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8) for a meal.
Ornamental grasses can be beautiful for the way you can look through them like a veil to the rest of the plants behind.
The narrow space between two houses is often just a forgotten strip of grass—but not here! Flowers and grasses fill the area with beauty and habitat for native insects.
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata, Zones 3–6) is a beautiful native perennial with fragrant pink flowers in midsummer. Like all milkweeds, it is a host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Adult monarchs, like this one, visit as well for a hit of nectar.
A narrow pine (Pinus sp.) provides a dramatic contrast to lower-growing perennials.
An essential part of any garden is a spot to sit and enjoy it all.
Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia, annual) is a large, fast-growing annual with flowers in glowing orange or red. This bee loves it just as much as people do.
One last view of this beautiful garden is a reminder of what you can create even in a small, urban garden space.
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