Rewilding Suburbia in the American Plains

Abstract

In a time of mass extinction and climate change, every plant in a design urban garden matters. For me, as a garden designer, that means using native plant in sync with local wildlife. The hope is that using plants wildlife recognize will, in some cases, help both fauna and flora adapt to changes. My designs are meant to bridge the wild prairie, most now gone, and the traditional aesthetic concerns of urban dwellers. As wildness is brought back into our lives through all five senses, we gain appreciation for other species and, in turn, may begin to advocate for them and their wellbeing -- as our wellbeing is tied to plants, birds, insects, spiders, and more.