Ferns and Fireflies Property, Bloomfield Hills | Year Three

This garden started as one of the least promising spots on the property. A ramshackle fenced area ringed by invasive shrubs, mostly Honeysuckle and Buckthorn, it was actively working against the habitat rather than supporting it. Removing those plants was the first step. What came next took a few seasons to find its form.

Now in its third year, this compact full sun border demonstrates what a native garden looks like as it matures and settles in. The planting is drought tolerant and designed around mid to late summer bloom, with species including Wild Bergamot, Western Sunflower, Purple Prairie Clover, Butterfly Weed, Black-eyed Susan, and Sky Blue Aster. Seed heads are left standing through winter, providing food for birds and small mammals and structure in the dormant landscape.

Native gardens take time to reach their potential. There’s a saying in native gardening: the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap. This garden shows what patience and ecological intention look like a few years on.

See the before and after transformation in FERNS AND FIREFLIES RESTORATIONS.