From Fire to Flowers

We are helping people plant pollinator gardens, full of native plants, to bring back the pollinators after the Almeda Fire, September 8, 2020.

Read our blog articles about this program, "Restoring Community and Ecology" by Erin Keller:

Read the local and state-wide media coverage this program has received on our In the News! page!

We recognize that many community members displaced by the Almeda Fire of 2020 are not in a financial position to replant their front yard as a pollinator garden in their new home.

Are you, or someone you know, interested in installing a native pollinator garden as you rebuild after the fire? We can help!

Visit our Resources page for information about plants, pollinators, and more!

Download a copy of our brochure

Kristina Lefever, Vanessa Henson, Ben Ey, and Teresa Fernandez

Restoring the Earth One Native Drought Tolerant Pollinator Garden at a Time

Since 2021:

• 17 gardens installed in Ashland & Phoenix (a few failures)
• 465 plants (trees, shrubs, flowering plants, grasses) • 71 species

• 52 non-duplicative volunteers + gardeners • 26 students (2 Southern Oregon University classes)

We hope this program will inspire the plantings of more pollinator gardens throughout the valley and help rebuild the Rogue Buzzway!

Your contributions help us continue to expand and develop our gardens and educational teachings about native pollinators for our local ecology.

Volunteer!

Bee a Pollinator Garden Partner

Click on a photo to enter the photo album

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for Jacie Gray & Kurt Simerman installed May 22, 2025

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Ben Ey, Teresa Fernandez, Margie Nash, and Joe Donaldson, with Jacie Gray and Kurt Simerman

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The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for Cathy Stone installed April 24, 2025

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Ben Ey, Teresa Fernandez, and Kristina Lefever, with Cathy Stone, Sandra Schaefer, and Josh Kastler

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for Christy Sloan installed December 19, 2024

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Ben Ey, Teresa Fernandez, Mike Skinner, Louise Parker, Vicky Francesco, and Kristina Lefever, with Christy Sloan

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for
the Skaffs installed December 19, 2024

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Ben Ey, Teresa Fernandez, Randy Stevenson, Nicole Hartsough, Cindy Harper, and Kristina Lefever, with Fred, Korina, and Bamba Skaff

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for Kristi Heatherstone installed May 16, 2024

Our team: Tiina Beaver, Vanessa Henson, Bamba Skaff, LorrieAnne Miller, Sharon Bryson, and Kristina Lefever, with Kristi Heatherstone

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for the Bear Creek Mobile Home Park Office installed April 4, 2024

Our team: Tiina Beaver, Vanessa Henson, Kristina Lefever, with Mike Skinner

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden
for Rob & Louise Enghorn, installed March 2024

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Tiina Beaver, Cindy Harper, Lisa & Steve Bergum, and Kristina Lefever, with Rob & Louise Enghorn

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden for
Kim and Chris Anglin, installed November 3, 2023

Our team: SOU's Dr. Chhaya Werner's EcoAdventure class, Tiina Beaver, Vanessa Henson, Sue Fthenakis, Deb Vroman, and Kristina Lefever

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden
for Lisa and Steve Bergum, installed May 2023

Our team: Tiina Beaver, Vanessa Henson, Louise Parker, Sharon Bryson, Deb Vroman, Ellen Barry, Karen Brown, Sue Fthenakis, and Kristina Lefever, with Lisa and Steve Bergum

The From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Garden
for Stella Cruz Kennedy, installed May 2022

Our team: Vanessa Henson, Sharon Bryson, Randy Stevenson, Nicole Hartsough, LorrieAnne Miller, Arti Kirch, Christine Freidel, Deb Vroman, and Kristina Lefever

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Watch the transformation of Stella's yard in this wonderful video by our friend Wanda Borland.

View more gardens

We are grateful!

We couldn't do this work without the work of so many!
Gratitude to our From Fire to Flowers Pollinator Gardens Funders and Partners!

Thank you, Plant Oregon, for your amazing support, and to all of our program Partners!

Gratitude to Ben Ey and Teresa Fernandez of Ey Garden Design and Vanessa Henson of C3 Enterprise, for all you do to make these gardens a success! Learn more about Ben, Teresa, and Vanessa on our Team page!

Special thanks to Tiina Beaver of Constant Gardener for her work to create the program, and to Karin Onkka of Karin Onkka Design for our From Fire to Flowers logo and sign!

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Many, many thanks to our Pollinteers

who make these gardens happen!

I had a wonderful time working with PPRV as we installed a garden in Maureen’s front yard. it was really rewarding to be part of a team working together to accomplish such a good project. There was a well prepared plan, the materials and tools were all all on-site, and everyone cooperated beautifully. By the end of the day, the yard was transformed from a flat, weedy, unappealing space to a contoured, interesting landscape, populated with pollinator friendly plants ready to blossom into a beautiful space as the things get established. I came home in a really good mood that day.

~ Sue Fthenakis

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Why are pollinators important?

Ensuring a diversity of pollinator species in the Rogue Valley is crucial for our diverse ecosystems and food systems. From tiny to large, native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, flies, and hummingbirds pollinate our native trees and shrubs and the many food crops we eat every day, all while providing the perfect nourishment for birds, fish, and other wildlife.

In addition to pollinating the apples, carrots, squash, berries, lettuce, and more in our gardens, orchards, and farms, most of our native trees, shrubs, and flowering plants depend on these essential, hardworking pollinators to set seed and reproduce, thus insuring our Valley remains full of beautiful and diverse flora and fauna!

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Did you know?

Caterpillars are high-protein food for baby birds! Like the monarch, the caterpillars of many moth and butterfly species eat only specific native plants.

Why are native plants important?

Great Spangled Fritallary David Lee Meye

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Native plants local to our area serve the pollinators best -- from bumblebees looking for pollen and nectar in lupine and phacelia flowers to the Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) looking for various violet species. Like milkweed for monarchs, violets are the only host plant on which this beautiful butterfly will lay its eggs. Every butterfly (and moth) needs host plants for the hungry caterpillars to eat!

Douglas Violet

(Viola Douglasii)

Native trees, shrubs, grasses and annual and perennial flowering plants bring diversity and beauty to the landscape and usually require little in the way of care. Many species are adapted to the native soil already in our landscape, with little need for soil amend-ments. Many require very little water once estab-lished. Others are perfect for riparian areas along creeks and streams, providing much needed habitat and food sources for insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Find more information about native pollinators and plants