Front Yard Habitat Garden

This space blends intentional design with ecological purpose. Working from our original garden layout, Red Oak Permaculture helped us replace the grass in the curbside “hell strip” with native perennials, expand the front porch beds, and add an island planting to create a layered, wildlife-friendly entrance. From spring through fall, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, Joe Pye weed, and other blooms keep the garden alive with color and movement. Native grasses and foliage plants provide texture and shelter for pollinators, while herbs tucked among the flowers add fragrance and attract beneficial insects. This is a garden designed for both neighbors and nature to enjoy.

Note on Plant Names
I’ve identified these plants using the PictureThis app and my own observations. While I’ve tried to be as accurate as possible, I’m not a botanist — so there may be the occasional mix-up. If you spot something I’ve mislabeled or know a better ID, I’d love to hear from you!

A close-up view of a small green shrub with narrow, fern-like leaves growing in soil with some dry leaves and small twigs around.

Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis

A cluster of small purple and white flowers with green grass leaves growing from the ground.

Prairie Onion

Allium stellatum

Close-up of green shrubbery with small leaves, with a yard and parked red car in the background.

Sweet Pepperbush

Clethra alnifolia

Close-up of pink and purple coneflowers with dark centers and green leaves.

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Close-up of green pine tree branches with needle-like leaves in a park or garden setting with trees and a sidewalk in the background.

Threadleaf Bluestar

Amsonia hubrichtii

Green leafy plants with some purple-speckled leaves growing among rocks and soil.

Eastern Bluestar

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Close-up of a plant with green and red variegated leaves against a blurred background.

Sourwood

Oxydendrum arboreum

Close-up of pink flowering plant with green leaves.

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium maculatum

Close-up of green shrubbery with small, dense leaves, including some ivy and other plants underneath.

Japanese Garden Juniper

Juniperus procumbens

A young green shrub with numerous bright green leaves in a garden, with a house in the background.

Kousa Dogwood

Cornus kousa

Close-up of yellow, purple, and brown wildflowers among green foliage and grass.

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Close-up of pink hibiscus flowers and green leaves in a garden.

Swamp Rose Mallow

Hibiscus moscheutos

Close-up of green plants with dried brown leaves and spider webs in a garden, with house and other plants in the blurred background.

Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

A young tree with green leaves in a garden in front of a yellow house with white trim, a porch, and a chimney, surrounded by flowering plants and bushes.

Downy Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea

Small tree with green leaves growing in a front yard near a concrete walkway, with a house and garden in the background.

Fringe Tree

Chionanthus virginicus

Close-up of green grass and small leafy plants in a garden or natural setting.

Aromatic Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Small yellow flowers with dark centers growing among green grass and rocks.

Thread Leaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis verticillata

Green leafy herbs and small purple flowers in a garden.

English Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Green leafy plants and foliage in a garden bed.

Longleaf Groundcherry

Physalis longifolia

Green leafy plant with small white flowers growing in soil.

Hairy Alumroot

Huechera villosa

A backyard scene with a large tree with green, heart-shaped leaves, and buildings with siding in the background.

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

Close-up of green fern leaves growing in soil with small purple flowers in the background.

Log Fern

Dryopteris celsa

A cluster of white and yellow flowers with green centers, surrounded by green leaves.

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

A lush green shrub in front of a house with a hanging flower pot and windows.

Inkberry

Ilex glabra

A plant with white flowers and green leaves growing among grass, rocks, and pebbles.

Spotted Beebalm

Monarda punctata

Close-up of green leafy plants growing among rocks.

Common Blue Violet

Viola sororia