Pollinators’ Paradise

About

In a city grappling with teardowns and speculative development, few have responded as creatively as longtime Barton Hills residents Jo Clifton and Roger Duncan. When they learned that the 1960s ranch home next door was on the market in 2022, they made an unconventional decision: to buy it, demolish it, and transform the lot into a wildlife garden. This bold move, driven by their passion for conservation, led to the creation of Pollinators’ Paradise - a neighborhood haven for wildlife where passers-by are welcome to stop in and explore. Before the house was removed, they enlisted their gardener, Leah Churner of Delta Dawn Gardens, to design and manage the project. Once demolition was complete, they brought in Seedlings Landscape Design Build to craft the hardscape, which is dominated by limestone terraces and a central stair to mitigate the significant slope of the former home’s footprint. Leah approached the planting design with a focus on enhancing biodiversity and maximizing wildlife benefits. Drawing inspiration from entomologist and ecologist Douglas Tallamy’s work, she prioritized planting species that serve as larval hosts for insects, laying the foundation for a robust food web. Today, the former front yard is a flourishing pocket prairie filled with native grasses and wildflowers, while the backyard has been transformed into a mini-woodland with over fifteen species of native trees. Where the house once stood, tiered beds now feature approximately 1,800 square feet of pollinator plantings including fall aster, mealy blue sage, woolly stemodia, and autumn sage. Just a year into the project, the garden is alive with activity—bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds abound, while armadillos, raccoons, and foxes make nightly visits.

This garden’s estimated size is 1/2 acre.

A photographer will be present at this Open Day event. By purchasing this ticket, attendees are providing consent for their likeness to be used for promotional and marketing purposes.

2025 Open Day: Saturday, November 8

Hours: 10-12, 12-2, 2-4