Welcome to the

Middle Garden

The Middle Garden is a patch of earth nestled in Evanston, IL. Here, the gardener (Ellen) chronicles the lives of seedlings, garden experiments, the ways plants thrive, and making the most of a garden. Settle in for the love of plants, bugs, birds, soil, and every small discovery waiting in our backyard ecosystems.

7 Garden Bugs I Loved Last Summer
In The Garden Ellen Kilmer In The Garden Ellen Kilmer

7 Garden Bugs I Loved Last Summer

It’s not that I’m a bug person. I’m just proud of my garden for being the place these critters wanna hang.

It’s also super chill that many of them are important native pollinators and help regulate the garden ecosystem. 

To the bugs that didn’t make it onto this list: you can’t read, so you shouldn’t be offended. I only included the ones that genuinely made me excited when I spotted them.

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A Gardener’s Odyssey Through Winter
In The Garden Ellen Kilmer In The Garden Ellen Kilmer

A Gardener’s Odyssey Through Winter

Every year around late September, I think, It’ll be so nice in winter to regroup, get cozy, and plan the garden for next year. When the first frost hits, I take off my bra, put on my wool Darn Tough socks, stow away the cold brew tea, pull out the Earl Grey, and curl up under a blanket with my dog at my feet.

And then five minutes later, my nerves get bad and I start to itch…Is it still winter?

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Hardscaping for Fantasy Fiction Lovers
In The Garden Ellen Kilmer In The Garden Ellen Kilmer

Hardscaping for Fantasy Fiction Lovers

So when I sized up the Privet, I felt like I was staring down a hedgerow of Orcs. But I was well-hydrated, well-booted, and Lady Galadriel had just handed me some dry bread. Axe (loppers) in one hand, shield (shovel) in the other, I blew the horn of Gondor and charged.

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