An Illinois couple replaced their ordinary grass lawn with a native garden; five years later, more than 130 native plant species and a parade of animals have transformed their backyard

• Image: The GuardianWhen Crystal Fritz and James Reed McGuire moved from a Chicago condominium to Highland Park, Illinois, in late 2020, they had little experience with outdoor gardening.
• Rather than maintain a conventional suburban lawn, the couple decided to create a native garden that could provide food and shelter for birds, bees and other wildlife.
• Over the next five years, they gradually replaced most of the grass across their quarter-acre property, learning through trial and error which plants belonged in the region.