Wow ~ that's beautiful. What is a disappearing water fountain? What plants do you have?

VB--The fountain has water flowing down it and it vanished into the ground. Under the ftn is a buried reservoir with a pump. You can see my fountain in the 3rd picture. I even write about installing it in my book. :)

And here's a link to my plant list, lots of native Nebraska prairie perennials and shrubs: http://deepmiddle.blogspot.com/p/gardening.html

Beautiful share love your passion in the garden

That's what I want my yard to be! I can't figure out where to buy native plants though. Everytime I think I got something it turns out to be native to Europe or South Africa.

Sara--try your local public university; mine has an arboretum where they grow natives. It all depends on where you live as far as online ordering (which I did a lot in the past, now I just divide and seed). Lazy S'S nursery is good for general eastern half of U.S., though not all natives--you'd have to research the plants online to find out. Always research plants--right plant for right place = plant lives and needs less maintenance. Never ever trust plant labels.

This is so beautiful. I bet you get a ton of birds and butterflies.

Could anyone suggest strategies for a garden used by two dogs? Would love to plant native flowers like these but can't keep the dogs away.

Sara O., try Prairie Moon Nursery. They sell online. I bought some native Midwestern cactus from them. I keep it in a pot outside year round. It grows slowly and gives beautiful yellow flowers this time of year.

Beautiful Garden! My nephew is so good at this too, he researches every plant. You are SO right, what a difference it makes to put in the time upfront!

@51Desks - great website http://www.pawfriendlylandscapes.com/index.html - She even does online pet-friendly design. She also has a good book. I found the information very helpful to help me quit fighting the way the dogs live, and work with it instead of against it.

However, I bet you could get an hour or two consultation from a local Pet-Friendly landscaper who could give you some great advice on creating paths, etc. that would work with the way your dogs use your yard. Good Luck! A garden and dogs can co-exist, just with some limitations and compromises.

What a beautiful space! Were the plants started from seeds or were they transplanted? It's amazing how well natives take care of themselves.

This is an amazing garden! I'm trying to make my backyard look like this, with some raised veggie beds too.

MrsStack--Most were plugs, very small plants. I'm letting it self sow now, though. In fall I even put out buckets of dirt, toss in seeds, and in spring I have tons of seedlings to transplant or sell. Native bring in more wildlife, and when properly sited, are easier to care for. I hope to share this wildlife with future children!

What a beautiful garden! I am slowly trying to switch over to natives, they are so much easier to care for.... I like your water fountain!
@ sara o.
You can try the Cooperative extensions of many Universities or look for Master Gardener programs in your area. The Master Gardeners usually have hotlines that will help you (free of charge). My state has a wild plant society that does a sale once a year. There are also some nurseries in my area that have sections for native plants (and staff that can actually answer questions).
My personal favorite is UConn's plant database:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/index.html
You can search it by plant attributes (e.g. small shrub, full sun, spring flowers) or name and it will tell you cold hardiness, size when fully grown, potential problems, if the plant has invasive tendencies, etc. It focuses on plants that will grow in the Northeast so it might not work for you and it is not very sleek but it is still a great resource.

BV ~
Thank you so much for your answers!
~ VB

Awesome.

Really wonderful!

Mr V - thank you for your answers. And surely your garden will be enjoyed for many years to come. Great job!

Untamed gardens (like this one) are my favorites.

Looks amazing!
http://www.wildflower.org/explore/ for the people looking for info on what's native to their area.

Very inspiring! It's amazing what can be achieved without chemicals.

If anyone ever wants advice, or if your in Lincoln, feel free to email me. Monarch Gardens, monarchgardATatt.net. Thanks for all your kind words! Grow native, grow organic, save ecosystems! :)