A traveler was surprised to stumble upon a beautiful native garden and pond just a five-minute walk from the Chicago airport. While roaming outside their hotel, the Redditor found a pond surrounded by protected native vegetation.
Shocked to find a native garden amid the airport, hotel, and nearby factories, the traveler decided to share images of the peaceful oasis in Reddit's r/NativePlantGardening forum.
"Found this native habitat right outside my hotel," the Redditor who shared the post wrote.
Others were excited to see an area of protected vegetation within the bustling urban sprawl.
"Hype," commented one user. "Let's plant everywhere and we can have better crops, cleaner water, better cooling, cleaner air, and healthier ecosystems."
"We can have native habitats EVERYWHERE!" another Redditor wrote. "Office parks, parking lots, parking pads...all could have some element of native habitat planting somehow!"
Native plants offer more than just visually beautiful outdoor spaces. For example, by growing native plants in your yard, you can significantly reduce the amount of time and money you spend on lawn maintenance.
Compared to grass lawns, native plants use less water, lowering your total water bill. Since native plants have adapted to their environment over the years, they also use less pesticides and fertilizers.
As communities add more native plants to urban spaces and home lawns, they support the health of the local ecosystem. Native plants attract key pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which are essential for protecting our food supply. They also provide shelter and food sources for birds, promoting the survival of local wildlife species.
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🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Redditors continued to point out different native plant areas in Chicago and discuss their beauty.
"There is a taller building in Chicago that has a native prairie on top," wrote one user. "It is so cool to see."
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