HARRINGTON GARDEN
16 S Fairview Ave
Fairview Station Condominiums
Parking in city lot in rear available
We moved to Park Ridge in January 2020. My husband and I came from Elmhurst, where we raised our family in a house with a deep yard. Over the 18 years we lived there, we converted much of it to gardens. We had a kitchen herb garden, a small vegetable garden, a flower garden, and a secret garden. During our time there, I became interested in supporting butterflies, and I created a certified monarch waystation.
When our kids were grown, and it came time for us to downsize and try a new lifestyle, we were excited to move into an urban, mixed-use environment. My concern was maintaining the satisfaction and joy I gained from gardening. I had planned to take advantage of our large balcony and try to satisfy myself with container gardening. It was a happy accident that after moving in, we discovered a large and generically landscaped space behind our building. I spoke with the other owners about converting it to a more thoughtful garden, and they all agreed. Steve Vrablik, another owner who enjoys gardening, joined me in creating this garden four years ago. We have tried to create an urban garden that is beautiful, supports pollinators and birds, and is free from pesticides.
Two years ago, I discovered you could create a Monarch Waystation in an urban area. We committed to planting more native plants in our small space to earn that certification, and it has been successful. We are committed to planting more native plants and have joined Westcookwildones.org to help create a more diverse habitat in our garden.
It has been very rewarding gardening in our small space and seeing people’s reactions and surprise at the space we have created right in downtown Park Ridge!
Enjoy and Happy Gardening,
Tamra Harrington & Steve Vrablik
Fairview Station Condominiums
Parking in city lot in rear available
We moved to Park Ridge in January 2020. My husband and I came from Elmhurst, where we raised our family in a house with a deep yard. Over the 18 years we lived there, we converted much of it to gardens. We had a kitchen herb garden, a small vegetable garden, a flower garden, and a secret garden. During our time there, I became interested in supporting butterflies, and I created a certified monarch waystation.
When our kids were grown, and it came time for us to downsize and try a new lifestyle, we were excited to move into an urban, mixed-use environment. My concern was maintaining the satisfaction and joy I gained from gardening. I had planned to take advantage of our large balcony and try to satisfy myself with container gardening. It was a happy accident that after moving in, we discovered a large and generically landscaped space behind our building. I spoke with the other owners about converting it to a more thoughtful garden, and they all agreed. Steve Vrablik, another owner who enjoys gardening, joined me in creating this garden four years ago. We have tried to create an urban garden that is beautiful, supports pollinators and birds, and is free from pesticides.
Two years ago, I discovered you could create a Monarch Waystation in an urban area. We committed to planting more native plants in our small space to earn that certification, and it has been successful. We are committed to planting more native plants and have joined Westcookwildones.org to help create a more diverse habitat in our garden.
It has been very rewarding gardening in our small space and seeing people’s reactions and surprise at the space we have created right in downtown Park Ridge!
Enjoy and Happy Gardening,
Tamra Harrington & Steve Vrablik
