The once-sterile lawn has given way to flower and vegetable gardens, a wet meadow and a pond. More than 300 trees and shrubs now cover the property, with roughly 80 per cent of the vegetation made up of native species. What began as an ordinary suburban backyard in Quebec has, over the course of decades, become something far less conventional and far more alive. When Chris and Danielle Adam bought their property in Carignan in 1987, the yard was dominated by a pesticide-treated lawn, an above-ground swimming pool and a scattering of trees. Fifteen years of patient restoration later, the same space had ponds, gardens, wetlands and hundreds of native plants, creating a miniature ecosystem in the middle of suburbia. Today, the family’s backyard covers just under half a hectare and has become a refuge for wildlife, as well as a long-running family project involving their two sons, Stewart and Wilson, states an online report by the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Letting nature reclaim the yard
According to the report, the transformation was gradual rather than dramatic. Instead of maintaining the property as a conventional manicured garden, the Adams allowed parts of it to develop more naturally, while deliberately introducing native vegetation and features that could support wildlife.The once-sterile lawn has given way to flower and vegetable gardens, a wet meadow and a pond. More than 300 trees and shrubs now cover the property, with roughly 80 per cent of the vegetation made up of native species, adds the online report.If we go by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, that diversity has changed the backyard’s inhabitants as much as its appearance. Insects, leopard frogs and toads are drawn to the flowering areas and meadow, while evergreens provide shelter for birds and small mammals throughout the year. The pond has become another centre of activity, attracting aquatic insects and amphibians and creating a food source for birds.
A backyard built for wildlife
In an interview with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Adams said that they have designed much of the property around the needs of local species. Fruit-bearing shrubs and vines, including dogwood, cranberry and Virginia creeper, provide nesting cover during spring and food later in the year, the report states.The results are visible in the birdlife. Seven species nested on the property in a recent year, including cardinals, grackles, house wrens, catbirds, song sparrows, tree swallows and great crested flycatchers. The wider animal population is just as varied. Foxes, deer, rabbits, moles and even coyotes have found their way into the landscape, alongside the frogs, insects and smaller creatures that form the foundation of the backyard ecosystem.
Why native plants matter
According to the report, native vegetation has been central to the project. Plants that evolved in the region are generally better adapted to local soil, weather and wildlife, making them more resilient while providing food and shelter suited to species that have evolved alongside them. The approach also challenges the idea that a healthy suburban yard needs to be perfectly trimmed. Dead trees, fallen branches and patches of uncut grass can all provide valuable habitat, even if they appear untidy by conventional landscaping standards. For the Adams, those elements have become opportunities to show neighbours how a less manicured garden can serve a much larger purpose.Imagec Courtesy: Canadian Wildlife Federation
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