The Spirited Gardener

The Spirited Gardener Provide eco-functional landscape consultations, design, install, stewardship and project management.

Do talks about living landscapes that serve nature organically and sustainably while managing rain water. Available for landscape consultations, design and project management & to do talks about creating living landscapes that serve nature and ourselves.

Who says shade gardens have to be boring? 🌿💎Spring is the time when the woodland floor truly shines. We’re currently obs...
06/03/2026

Who says shade gardens have to be boring? 🌿💎

Spring is the time when the woodland floor truly shines. We’re currently obsessing over the Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) in this 1-year-old installation. It’s a "short but mighty" native that creates a stunning carpet of violet-blue, even in those dappled-light corners of the yard.

Paired with the soft, bell-shaped flowers of Jacob’s Ladder, it creates a cooling, serene palette that looks like a natural forest floor.

Ready to brighten up your shady spots? 📩 DM us to chat about a design for your yard!

One year after installation, and this garden is hitting all the right notes. Here is the breakdown of what’s blooming ri...
05/26/2026

One year after installation, and this garden is hitting all the right notes. Here is the breakdown of what’s blooming right now:

1️⃣ Jacob’s Ladder: For those architectural, ladder-like leaflets.
2️⃣ Virginia Bluebells: For that iconic pink-to-blue transition.
3️⃣ Dwarf Crested Iris: For a pop of royal color at the ground level.

Which of these three would you want in your "dream garden"? Tell us in the comments! 👇

From tiny seeds to vibrant blooms! 🌸✨ Witnessing a garden we nurtured last year burst into its full glory is a powerful ...
05/18/2026

From tiny seeds to vibrant blooms! 🌸✨
Witnessing a garden we nurtured last year burst into its full glory is a powerful reminder that growth and transformation are always within reach. These young plants have spent the winter laying strong foundations, and now they're thriving! 🌱

Currently stealing the spotlight:
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), showcasing the magic of spring color, and Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans), adding a unique touch to the garden floor with its ladder-like leaves.

It's incredible how a native garden can revitalize a space in just one year, proving that every small step towards positive change can lead to a brighter future! 💚

The "First Responders" of the garden. 🐝🥣Early spring can be a "food desert" for pollinators waking up from hibernation. ...
05/15/2026

The "First Responders" of the garden. 🐝🥣

Early spring can be a "food desert" for pollinators waking up from hibernation. That’s why we love incorporating plants like Virginia Bluebells and Jacob’s Ladder into our designs.

These aren't just pretty faces—they provide high-quality nectar and pollen right when our local bees and butterflies need it most. Watching this garden wake up after its first year is a reminder that when we plant native, we aren't just gardening; we’re stewarding an ecosystem.

Let’s talk about Yarrow! 🌿 This powerhouse native is an incredible groundcover and an absolute rockstar in rain gardens....
04/28/2026

Let’s talk about Yarrow! 🌿 This powerhouse native is an incredible groundcover and an absolute rockstar in rain gardens. It has a fantastic, deep root system that holds soil perfectly in place. It can naturally creep into your grass over time, but the best part? You can just mow right over it without hurting it at all! Low-maintenance and highly functional.

Behind the scenes! 🌼 Did you know we test plants in our own yards before bringing them to your gardens? Right now, we’re...
04/25/2026

Behind the scenes! 🌼 Did you know we test plants in our own yards before bringing them to your gardens? Right now, we’re keeping a close eye on Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea). We are specifically testing its performance as a manageable groundcover, and so far, we are absolutely loving the results! A vibrant, functional addition to the landscape.

Look who is emerging for spring! 🌱 This is Pearly Everlasting, a resilient and gorgeous native addition to any yard. Not...
04/21/2026

Look who is emerging for spring! 🌱 This is Pearly Everlasting, a resilient and gorgeous native addition to any yard. Not only does it provide great texture and interesting foliage, but it’s also a vital host plant for the Painted Lady butterfly! 🦋

With Earth Day officially happening tomorrow - the team at Spirited Gardener wants to remind you how important planting native is for the Earth. The pollinators need our help and we can do it in our own front/backyards 🌍❤️🐝🦋

And we're off! 🪴 Shovels are in the ground, and our first project of the year is officially underway. There is nothing q...
04/18/2026

And we're off! 🪴 Shovels are in the ground, and our first project of the year is officially underway. There is nothing quite like the energy of starting a fresh landscape transformation. Stay tuned for progress updates as this space comes to life! ✨

New season, growing team! 🌱 We are so excited to get our hands in the dirt and bring more beautiful, eco-functional gard...
04/14/2026

New season, growing team! 🌱 We are so excited to get our hands in the dirt and bring more beautiful, eco-functional gardens to life this year. Here is a quick look at the crew ready to make it happen! We can’t wait to work with you all this season. 🌿

Seeing these little blue flowers all over Evanston lately? 🛑 Before you let them take over your yard, here is what you n...
04/08/2026

Seeing these little blue flowers all over Evanston lately? 🛑 Before you let them take over your yard, here is what you need to know!

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is undeniably pretty and one of the very first signs of spring. But unfortunately, it’s an aggressive invasive species in our area. It easily escapes residential garden beds and takes over natural woodland floors, choking out the delicate native spring plants that our early pollinators rely on to survive.

At Spirited Gardener, we are all about creating beautiful spaces that also give back to the environment. Instead of squill, consider planting beautiful native spring bloomers like: ✨ Virginia Bluebells ✨ Bloodroot ✨ Wild Columbine ✨ Spring Beauties

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SiberianSquill EcoFriendlyGardening NativePlants MidwestGardens

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Chicago, IL

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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(773) 520-4226

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