Native, climate-resilient plants take the lead in this low-maintenance Midwestern garden.
Landscape designer Kelly Norris and horticulturist David McKinney have some next-level gardening know-how. Together they have created a half-acre home garden that showcases the breadth of their plant knowledge. “Our garden is our home, studio, and laboratory,” says Norris. “It shows how we want to live, garden, and be in the world. It teaches us something every day.”
This ethos can especially be seen in a 2,500-square-foot section of the garden that they’ve named The Romp. It’s made up of 125 species of sand-loving, climate-resilient, and predominantly native plants, including rudbeckia, prairie blazing star, little bluestem, and prairie broomweed. “It’s our mutual love letter to local sand prairies,” McKinney says. Simply put, “it’s a romping good time,” says Norris. Here’s a romp through the space.
Meet the Experts
Kelly Norrisis an award-winning author of two gardening books and the founder of the ecologically minded landscape design firm, The Public Horticultural Company…