My River Hero (Rental) Home

By Amber Ellis

When looking for my temporary home in Richmond, a garden was a must have! When we moved in two years ago, there was a little bit of grass, a few shrubs, an oak tree, English Ivy along the edges, and…dirt! Over this little bit of time I have transformed our rental home into a River Hero Home oasis. 

My River Hero Flag! With new Chocolate Snakeroot in the foreground and that pesky English Ivy in the background!

The first thing I built was a DIY compost pile. I have 2 piles, one for finished or almost finished compost, and the other for me to add my scraps. Starting this past January I started to take home our compostable items from the JRA office. No, it’s not the most beautiful compost bin, but it was cheap and my little lawn and garden love it!

My DIY 2 Bin Compost Pile

Part of the challenge has been working around existing plants. Not all of them are native, but that’s okay! As long as they aren’t invasive and are in good health, green is good with me. I have added a lot of native plants and it has been an adventure to see what things can survive our unique urban environment.

Our front garden was empty when we moved in except for two shrubs and has now become a sunny meadow with natives such as Switchgrass, Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Phlox, and a few others. I have also saved a little room in the front for my vegetables and a native Blueberry bush. The only challenge there is getting to the blueberries before the birds do!

 Native Blueberry Bush

Black-Eyed Susan and Switchgrass

Native Meadow and Vegetable Garden

Our back garden has some lawn for us to lounge on, but is surrounded with natives like Red Twig Dogwood, a native Flame Azalea, various ferns, Solomon ’s seal, Oakleaf Hydrangea (my favorite!), and Green and Gold. I have enjoyed watching our backyard become a haven for songbirds that now gather around the bird bath in the afternoon.

Oakleaf Hydrangea and Solomon’s seal doing great in their shady corner.   

Green and Gold and the Native Flame Azalea

But it’s not always easy being green! I am in a constant battle with English Ivy. It’s a slow process, but I have slowly removed some of the ivy and replaced it with native plants. But the house to the left has a whole garden of it, so it will always be a challenge. 

It’s going to be tough when I have to leave my little garden. Many people have asked me why I waste my energy and money on a space that I don’t own, but I love to garden and knowing that I left this place greener than I found it makes me happy. Now I admit…I may take a few of my favorites with me, but most will stay.  

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Nelson Henderson