Prairie Godmothers out to save the world, one garden at a time
No magic wands for the Prairie Godmothers.
Pruning shears and trowels are the tools of their trade. Their mission: Protecting the planet, one garden at a time.
If you want Versailles-style grounds, hire a fancy landscaper. The Godmothers, in green work aprons and coveralls, gravitate to native plant and wildflowers gardens like hummingbirds to trumpet vines. They specialize in transforming tired yards into "open-air murals" abloom with bee- and butterfly-friendly perennials.
They prefer small gardens, founding Godmother Jackie Riffice said. "What we say to hotels and banks, is, `Our philosophy is to work with plants that are good for the soil and environment. While we love annuals -- they give us great colors -- our plant selections are three-quarters native and perennial, one-quarter annuals. We just don't do full palettes of annuals.' There are plenty of people to do that."
"We really kind of stay away from ultra formality," agreed Godmother Gina Reis. "We're not total purists, not planting anything that's not native, but we don't go for that sculpted look."
The budding entrepreneurs met in the Master Gardener program through the University of Illinois Extension. Riffice was a newly downsized Home Depot distribution manager, Reis, looking for a change to a 35-year career as assistant to the likes of White Sox vice chairman Eddie Einhorn and ex-Harpo chief Jeff Jacobs. The two clicked over their mutual love of "dirt manicures" and sustainable gardening.
Their friendship blossomed into a partnership after Riffice founded Prairie Godmothers in 2007. Reis signed on in 2008. In two years, the Flossmoor, Ill.-based service has grown a reputation for their lush, low-key, green spaces."Personally, I like a very organic, wild look," said Reis, 53. "I like things that grow together, almost forming a tapestry, the way things grow in nature."
They had two clients their first year, said Riffice, 50, laughing. Bookings proliferated thanks to word-of-mouth referrals and a growing demand for re-greened gardens. These days the Godmothers are so busy weeding, transplanting and plucking Japanese beetles off roses that they're expanding their numbers. They currently have eight Godmothers "on the bench, and one potential Godfather," Riffice said. Surrogate Godmothers mastermind jobs, with paid teens and college students serving as "junior gardeners."
Getting down and dirty is all in a day's work. The teams do old-school manual labor, digging up weeds, spading up soil, and raking up debris for compost. Pesticides, they preach, are largely unnecessary; helpful bugs like the praying mantis and ladybugs are happy to gobble up pests. So are insect-eating songbirds. As for self-seeding wildflowers and perennials, they come back year after year, eliminating the need to purchase annuals every spring.
Trouble-shooting comes with the territory. One client hired the Godmothers after an expensive landscaping firm installed a native plants garden teeming with invasive species. Her Cinderella yard was soon choked with clover, Creeping Charlie and Ranunculus repens (creeping buttercup) "and all sorts of prairie grasses that were really weeds," Riffice said. "Weeds that went to seed."
She yanked out the troublemakers and planted more compatible plants and shrubs. It took time, but the makeover worked. "Three years later, the garden is a showplace," she said.
Bob and Lynn Makely, of Schererville, consulted the Godmothers on a sun-baked plot behind their garage where annuals wilted and died. "I've been a gardener all my life and I was a little bit stumped," resident green thumb Lynn said.
She followed their advice, planting sun-loving, low-maintenance perennials like Echinacea (coneflowers), Monarda (bee balm), Agastache (Hummingbird Mint) and Liatris (gay feather). She also liked their idea of a themed herb plot and planted a salsa garden.
"The results" are "fantastic," the kindergarten teacher said. "It's a haven for bees and butterflies."
Her husband likes the new look "and all the good smells" of the herb garden, Bob Makely said. His wife's fresh garden-to-table salsa is a major perk. Their four grown children "are always taking cilantro, basil and tomatoes, whatever. Everyone comes and enjoys our garden."
When a Godmother is summoned, a free "walkabout" (garden inspection) and 30-minute consultation follow. Garden plans start at $150, hands-on gardening services at $40 per hour. "If your budget is $200, I can say to you, `I can send in a Godmother and two junior gardeners and they'll do it in this many hours," Riffice said. Her dream is to expand the network of Godmothers statewide, then nationwide, so Godmothers can rely on local suppliers and stay close at home to reduce the carbon footprint "between our gardens and yours."
The Prairie Godmothers are branching into workshops and eco-friendly gifts. For more information, call (708) 205-5126 or visit www.prairiegodmothers.com
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