Prairie State Vintage & Garden

Hello, Neighbor

Hi, I’m Laurie Casey–a writer, gardener, Oak Park resident and mother of two adult children. Like you, I am trying to find some joy amid the crazy of our world.

Having worked in the environmental nonprofit arena for the past 18 years, I see the enormous strides the world is making on climate change…. and all the work we still need to do. While much of the necessary action rests on large corporations and governments, there are things individuals can do to reduce our impact on the environment — and even heal it!

Native gardening is one of those healing tools for the earth as well as people. Thinkers like Douglas W. Tallamy, author of the book Bringing Nature Home, and Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, and organizations like our local West Cook Wild Ones, have taught me so much about how to joyfully move forward. Every time I see a swallowtail butterfly float through my yard, I know that local nature is responding to my efforts.

In addition to my love for native plants, I also enjoy thrifting. This past spring I decided to combine those interests and have been on a treasure hunt to find beautiful objects that feature native plants. It was definitely a challenge — our cultural imagery often derives from European and Asian plants or features generic “five petaled flowers.”

Our North American native plants are beautiful and deserve to be not only in our yards but on the objects in our homes as well. So I’m also upcycling small furniture and clothing with original art created by my talented son, Eden, and me. This piece is a work in progress: I’ll have some of those objects at my Native Garden Party Pop Up on July 18. And when we’re ready, I’ll put them up on this website and social media accounts (also to come!)

For now, subscribe to my blog, and come along and learn with me the joys and pleasures of native plant gardening. The visual language and history of these gorgeous plants will delight you!