You don't have to have a huge yard to grow a blooming garden that will provide many benefits to you and the wildlife in your neighborhood. Some gardeners have had success growing flowers on the sidewalk outside their homes.
A homeowner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recently shared photos of the blooming garden outside her city home on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit. The poster was open about what was blooming in her garden and asked others who grow native plants to share their garden's progress.
“What's blooming where you are right now?” the poster asked. “The Golden Alexander is nearing the end of its blooms, but Penstemon digitalis and Coreopsis lanceolata have joined in.”
Photo credit: Reddit
Photo credit: Reddit
The gardener shared several photos of the plants growing tall next to a concrete walkway. Though the backyard isn't particularly large, the garden is a boon to local pollinators and wildlife.
The gardeners revealed that their plants are already home to buzzing bees. “Lots of happy bees,” they wrote.
No matter where you live, growing native plants on your property can benefit you, your family and your neighbors. Saving money and time on lawn care is just one benefit of having a native lawn. You can also reap the benefits by simply replacing parts of your yard with drought-tolerant plants like clover.
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According to the National Recreation and Park Association, small spaces dedicated to nature, such as native plant gardens, can help improve an individual's mood and attitude, reduce stress levels, boost mental health, and increase mindfulness and creativity.
Research has also shown that growing small gardens in urban areas has many environmental benefits, including cleaning and cooling the air. These plants help natural pollinators such as bees and help protect other native plants and natural food supplies in community gardens and farms.
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Many other gardeners said they are also seeing native plants and flowers flourish across the country.
“I have the same blooms as you in Michigan. I'm really excited because my coreopsis has spread so much since I first planted it. I can't wait for the yellow flowers to bloom,” one Reddit user wrote.
“In central Ohio, Golden Alexanders are nearing the end, Blue Flag Iris are nearing the end and Coral Honeysuckle is in the middle of bloom,” said another.
“Meanwhile, our hydrangeas (smooth and oakleaf varieties) are starting to bloom, the calicopenstemon has been in full bloom and has been a favorite resting spot for local bumblebees for about a week, and the periwinkles finally bloomed a few days ago.”
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