Nature needs us — and our gardens — to grow with wildlife in mind.

We may not have met in person, but our gardens connect us. And I don’t just mean our shared love for spring tulips and seasonal planting rhythms—by the way, it’s time to get those peas in the ground. As an organic vegetable gardener, I’ve always honored the connection between pollinators and food, but it wasn’t until I installed a mason bee shelter in my back garden that my interest blossomed into a year-round fascination with nature’s tiny army of beneficial insects. The more I read about tending a wildlife-friendly garden the more I learn how nature relies on connection.

Here in the city, parking lots, pavement, bare rooftops and expansive landscapes devoid of flowers (think: turf) disrupt and fragment natural habitat. Thankfully, nature doesn’t recognize property lines. Even a solitary window box, a traffic circle, or a weedy crack in the sidewalk helps support our planet’s wild mix.

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GROW in The Seattle Times