From Selling Stems to Saving Bees-

Hillary Harper
May 7
2 min read

The front yard pivot I never planned—but now absolutely love.

There’s something about dreaming up a garden that feels a little like planning magic.

When I first started growing flowers for Bell’s Blooms, I had this vision of my front yard bursting with color—rows of cheerful stems swaying in the breeze, ready to be cut and turned into bouquets for others to enjoy.

The front yard is also the only place that gets four to six hours of full sun a day. Most of the blooms I grow need this much sun to flourish.

So in March, my dear hippie farmer friend Taylor came and put in a second no dig garden in my front yard. This new garden included five 30 foot beds. Oh the flowers I would grow!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/0ae535_1f8c61c4b37f4dae9425883900816dac/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Taylor installing my second "no dig" garden in my front yard.

But then came the reality check:

My HOA had other plans.

And just like that, my idea of a front yard flower farm… was a no.

Apparently farming (of any kind) is prohibited in my neighborhood.

The Pause That Turned Into Possibility

At first, I’ll be honest—I was frustrated.

If you’re someone who loves to grow, create, and build something meaningful, being told “you can’t” doesn’t exactly feel great. But after sitting with it for a bit, I started asking a different question:

What can I do with this space?

That shift changed everything. I would not return this garden into a lawn per HOA request.

Instead of trying to work around the restriction, I started exploring how I could work with it—and even create something more beautiful, more intentional, and more aligned with nature.

Discovering the Idea of a Native Pollinator Garden

That’s when I landed on the idea of a native pollinator garden.

If you’re not familiar, a pollinator garden is designed to support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects by planting flowers they rely on for food and habitat. And when you use native plants—the ones naturally adapted to Ohio—you’re creating something that thrives with less effort and gives back to the environment in a meaningful way.

And I would have it certified through the National Wildlife Federation- who can say no to that?

Suddenly, this wasn’t just about what I couldn’t grow.

It became about what I could create: