Jodi

I live in a suburb of Chicago and 10 years ago I started removing non-native plants and replaced them with natives.  Every year I add and expand the gardens and native plants and shrubs in my yard. Every year I find a new species of birds or insects visiting the yard. Over 30 species of birds; orioles, cardinals, blue jays, gold & house finches, chipping & tree sparrows, downy/hairy/red-bellied woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatch, doves, juncos, grackles, black birds, coopers hawk, redpolls & pine siskens during eruption years, indigo bunting & some warblers (including nesting wrens, chickadees, robins), 15 species of butterflies/moths/caterpillars, toads/frogs (leopard/green/tree, dragonflies (4 species), praying mantis, numerous insects, spiders ( including golden garden and yellow crab ), adult & larvae of green lacewing, ladybug & milkweed beetles, polyphemus moth cocoon? waiting to see), bees & wasps (including braconid wasp, bald faced hornet, cicada killer), chipmunks, vole and squirrels nesting in neighbors' tree (actually saw her move 4 babies to another nest).  I love to be outside listening to and watching the birds and insects. I never would have thought that by planting native plants (and stop using pesticides/herbicides) that I could attract such beautiful living creatures to my yard. I look forward to what each season may bring.