# @ahs_gardening on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVBhBmgDoxg
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/57091506-ahs-gardening-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/06f89befbf.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-21T14:42:11.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Horticultural Society | American Gardener Magazine (@ahs_gardening) — https://gondola.cc/ahs_gardening

## Caption

When the house next door to Lisa Negri’s Denver bungalow went up for sale, she had one fear: losing her southern sun to a hulking white McMansion. So she bought it.⁠
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After discovering major structural issues, Lisa demolished the house and briefly enjoyed the open space — until a bigger idea took root.⁠
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While volunteering at Denver Botanic Gardens with horticulturist Kevin Philip Williams, she asked him, “Will you build me a garden?” Together they created SummerHome — a privately owned, publicly accessible garden showcasing waterwise, pollinator-friendly plants from the dry plains and desert Southwest.⁠
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In May 2020, two months into the pandemic, dozens of neighbors showed up to plant. People were hungry for connection. SummerHome became a way to gather safely, get their hands in the soil, and build something hopeful.⁠
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Today it’s a shifting mosaic of bulbs, perennials, art, and wildlife habitat — a demonstration garden for climate-appropriate plants and a beloved neighborhood oasis.⁠
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“It doesn’t matter if you plant two square feet or two million,” Lisa says. “If it’s done right, we can address climate change just through the use of plants.”⁠
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What would you plant if you had the lot next door? 🌱⁠
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For the full story on the creation of Lisa Negri’s SummerHome, visit our January/February issue of American Gardener at ahsgardening.org. ⁠
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American Gardener magazine is a benefit of membership.  Join the AHS at ahsgardening.org/join. ⁠
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Writer: Pam Penick (pamdigging) ⁠
Photographer: Pam Penick (pamdigging) ⁠
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#sustainablegardens #waterwisegardens #americanhorticulturalsociety #ahsgardening #gardentips #americangardener #opensourcegarden #communitygarden #colorado #denvergarden #summerhome #lisanegri #kevinphilipwilliams #horticulture #climatechange #pollinators

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## Tags

lisanegri, ahsgardening, opensourcegarden, colorado, sustainablegardens, horticulture, americanhorticulturalsociety, pollinators, gardentips, denvergarden, climatechange, waterwisegardens, communitygarden, summerhome, kevinphilipwilliams, americangardener

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