15,000 square foot lawn to Native Garden project

Following are key points, methods and practices Green Guerrilla used in this transformation of a 15,000 sq. ft. lawn into a native plant garden that will promote biodiversity, help control erosion, make the ground more permeable and become habitat for hundreds of local and migratory species. https://youtu.be/DVZCS9JwPK4

  • Over 5,000 native plants of 50 different species were introduced
  • No herbicide was used in turf, invasive and weed tree removals
  • Strategic native plant placement and selection with proper application
  • Riverbank restoration and waterway clean-up
  • Soil was amended with an all-natural fertilizer called #compost
  • Planning plantings with season-long bloom times and maintenance in mind
  • Home Owners were involved in every part of the process, learning and experiencing all the benefits of their garden from the very first stages

Soon after we decided to convert half of our backyard lawn, that includes an area adjacent to the Fox River, to a native prairie plant garden, we realized that we needed help, both in expertise and labor. We met with two recommended contractors and decided to use Green Guerilla.

They respected our wish to not use herbicides to remove the lawn and impressed us with their knowledge of horticulture, native plants, and riverbank habitat restoration. They devised an exciting, practical, and reasonably priced work plan.

The Green Guerilla team was great to work with, and we know because we worked alongside them. They remove the sod, removed weeds along the riverbank, applied compost, remove garbage found in the river, and planted over 5000 plant plugs. They have a great work ethic and didn’t mind all the questions they got from us and people who passed by. Their work was well organized and completed in a timely manner. It was actually enjoyable and we learned a lot.

One thing we learned is they cared as much for the success of the project as we did. Though the project had a great start, it is not done yet. It will take a couple years before the prairie garden becomes established. We will continue to rely on the labor and expertise of Green Guerilla to identify and remove the inevitable weeds, perform other maintenance chores, to respond to any unexpected problems. We look forward to it. –—Maureen and Larry Huey