Firefly Hill Native Gardens

05/31/2026

WARNING!! Native plants in your yard may cause distractions and can be a detriment to your to-do-list!!

We've been trying so hard to get the last of our species potted up but we keep getting pulled away to document all the cool stuff happening in the yard. Might just have to listen to the universe and take it easy today.

Let us help you get distracted in your yard! Late summer/fall plantings are still available.

05/23/2026

Right on time.

05/21/2026

OUR PLANTS ARE GETTING MUNCHED :) !!!

It takes a different mindset when you garden for more than just beauty. Ecological function should also be considered when planting.

Pearly Everlasting is an example of a native plant that is not only beautiful, but also a larval host plant to the American Lady and Painted Lady butterfly.

What a great feeling to see our young plants being occupied by over a hundred caterpillars. They have the plant looking rough at the moment, but the Pearly Everlasting is sure to rebound and bloom later this summer. Some caterpillars will go on to become butterflies and some will turn into bird food. Our new bluebird family is looking pretty excited.

Just another reminder to plant something more than just pretty!

05/17/2026

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) sure is looking purty today! We always aim to make room for them in our designs since they are a early season food source for queen bumblebees. You can't beat those seed heads.

Other early season bloomers include Golden Alexander and Wild Geranium which compliment each other nicely when grouped together with sedges. Looking forward to the Golden Alexander being covered in Black Swallowtail catapillars very soon!

05/13/2026

Check out this great project that Johnson's Nursery is taking on. We are HUGE fans of Johnson's and the things they do for our community. Such a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and hang out with like minded native plant folks! We'll be there for sure!

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day to all the hard working ladies out there! I don't say it enough, but thank you especially to Jean Fero and Lisa Lee Fero on your special day. To my mom, who instilled a love of nature and an appreciation of the outdoors. Also, to my wife, who has supports me through everything thing I do and tolerates me pointing out every native plant on our hikes. We hope you enjoy your day!

Honorable mention Happy Mother's Day to the expecting Eastern Bluebird in our backyard 😀.

04/30/2026

Dedicating a small piece of your yard can help support so much life. Today we checked in on a turf lawn conversion project from last season to see how the garden was progressing. We were pleased to find that even through the past winters frigid cold spells and torrential rains this spring, the plants are still looking wonderful. We're excited to watch this garden grow!

04/29/2026

Friends of North Prairie Native Gardens are having their annual native plant sale next Friday and Saturday! Come support a great organization and grab some high quality, locally grown, native plants.

We're getting excited and hope you are too! Our native plant sale is fast approaching (May 8-9)! We are pleased to announce we have reserved several additional hard-to-find species from two other Wisconsin native nurseries! Availability is grower/weather dependent. We expect to confirm availability with these growers as the sale gets closer. We will post updates as we get them!