This year it was my pleasure to be a greeter for the Saskatchewan Perennial Society summer garden tour, which is held each year in July. I was stationed at Pooja’s garden in Lakewood. All the gardeners who showed their yards had been asked to share a couple of things about their gardens so that the volunteer greeters could help in the interpretation of the garden, point out some unique plants, etc., if things got too busy. Pooja shared with us her experience in creating a pollinator garden; here it is with her permission.
My pollinator garden journey
By Pooja Bansal
Four years ago, I made the decision to get rid of my traditional front lawn and replace it with a pollinator garden. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – but it wasn’t easy.
The first year, I worked with a designer to create the overall vision. Then I took on the challenge of bringing it to life myself, searching for hundreds of native plants, substituting where necessary, and planting everything by hand. My neighbours weren’t impressed.
The second year, I expanded the project to the south lawn because there was simply too much space to leave as grass. But establishing a native garden isn’t like planting a conventional landscape. Weeds took over while the plants were getting established, and the neighbours complained again. A city bylaw officer even stopped by. Fortunately, we had a friendly conversation, and I explained what I was trying to achieve.
The third year was a turning point. I hired the wonderful ecologist Elizabeth, whose knowledge of native ecosystems transformed the project. She redesigned part of the garden, introduced a planting strategy that naturally suppresses weeds over time and organized an incredible group of volunteers who patiently removed the remaining grass by hand. Together they planted more than 400 native plugs.
Today, just two growing seasons later, the transformation is remarkable.
As an architect, one aspect that was especially important to me was that the garden should be beautiful from every perspective – not just from the street, but from the front, the back, and the 45-degree views that people naturally experience as they move through the neighbourhood. I wanted it to feel intentional from every angle.
Now one of my greatest joys is simply wandering through the garden. Every week, I discover something new – a native plant spreading naturally, making itself at home.
The wildlife has returned in ways I never imagined. The ants that once gathered around my front entrance now have countless places to live within the landscape. Bees are everywhere, busily moving from flower to flower. Ladybugs, butterflies, birds, worms and countless other beneficial insects are discovering a healthy ecosystem that largely takes care of itself. Watching nature return has been the greatest reward of all.
And my neighbours?
Many of the same people who once questioned the project now stop to admire it, ask questions, and watch it evolve. I hope this garden inspires others to rethink the traditional lawn. Native landscapes don’t just save water – they restore habitat, support pollinators, reduce maintenance over time, and give back to the flora and fauna that depend on them.
This garden has taught me that ecological restoration is a journey, not a sprint. Nature works on its own timeline, and if we’re patient enough, it rewards us with something far more beautiful than we could have imagined.
This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.
