The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards (CEGA) program understands that there are many types of gardens with many different reasons for being. Whether your main goal is to provide pollinator habitat, produce food, teach your children how to interact with nature, or simply create a pleasant context for your home, there are certain criteria that CEGA judges seek when they visit a garden. Obviously, beauty is one. But with climate change posing a real threat to our world, it’s important that gardeners should be kind to their patch of earth, whether you call that concept sustainability or regenerative growing or just doing no harm.
For most of us, sustainability is a work in progress, and our judges understand that. They are not looking for perfection. If you are striving for a more sustainable garden, this page features some resources we hope you will explore. Let’s start with some basic concepts of what constitutes a smart and healthy garden.
- Plants are correct for sun & shade and wet & dry conditions. That might seem like a no-brainer, but as K-State explains, defining sun requirements can be tricky. And Maryland Extension provides a crash course about soils and the roles of air, water and organic matter in their composition.
- Plants have been chosen for proper pH. Don’t know what proper pH is? Here are a couple of links that will help. One from Illinois Extension (scroll down the page to see pH information), and one from Oregon State University. However, pH is just one part of soil care. Illinois Extension and Minnesota Extension take a deeper dive into soils and how to keep them healthy. A soil test is always a great place to start and Lawn to Lake Midwest shows Midwest soil testing lab locations.
- Composting is a key component of good soil care. Illinois Extension provides some composting basics. The Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition and the USEPA also have useful information about how to get started at home.
- Native plants matter. Audubon says that they are “vital to preserving biodiversity.” That’s why we think native plants should be a top priority in most gardens. If you don’t know where to start, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant provide a number of native plant garden guides for many different garden conditions.
- Trees and shrubs should be part of your plan. They provide important food sources for pollinators, according to Iowa-based Trees Forever. Not every yard has room for mature trees, so The Morton Arboretum provides a list of Native Shrubs of the Midwest for the Home Landscape. And the Chicago Region Trees Initiative can help you identify and replace woody invasive plants and replace them with healthy hedges.
- Lawns are one thing the world could do with less of. That said, Lawn to Lake Midwest explains how you can work with nature to make your lawn less of a bio-liability. And Midwest Grows Green works with municipalities, groups and individuals to find alternatives to harmful conventional lawn care practices. It also helps to learn which plants and animals are downright invasive and should be monitored.
- Get to know your insects. Illinois Extension playfully calls them bugs. Cook County Extension has extensive information about how to garden with pollinators and birds in mind. More information about pollinators, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use (which CEGA heartily recommends) comes from The Xerces Society. And this page from Illinois Extension tells you all about Illinois pollinators.
- Plants communities share similar needs of sun, soil and water. Not sure exactly how that works? Check out this article from Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
- Growing edibles is important. We learned that during the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois Extension can help you get the most out of your Vegetable Gardening.
- Good water management is part of good gardening management. Illinois Extension provides insight into dealing with too much or too little water. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) encourages gardeners to make rain barrels part of their water management strategies.
- Put your garden in sync with its environmental challenges. That might mean location (think of a rooftop garden). Or it might mean proximity to natural areas and/or wildlife (The Humane Gardener provides tips on making your garden more critter friendly). Proximity to shade creating buildings and/or heat-absorbing artificial surfaces can create issues, too. When that happens, try not to put a square plant in a round hole, so to speak.
- The goal of good gardening is to help take good care of our planet. You can learn more about the bigger picture on the Environmental Quality and Natural Resources pages from Illinois Extension. Conservation@Home Cook County recognizes and certifies properties that demonstrate environmentally sound landscape practices. They provided a lot of insight for this page.
