Planting with Purpose: Meet Jacob Macke, Owner of Chapman Lake Nursery

From Monarchs to Milkweed

When Jacob Macke moved with his family to Chapman Lake in 2019, he knew little about gardening and even less about native plants. That fall, seasonal winds and waves battered their shoreline, tearing away soil and landscaping. Jacob learned that native plants, with their deep roots, could help prevent shoreline erosion–a practical, attractive solution. 

Then his kids began an intriguing school project: collecting and raising Monarch caterpillars to maturity. Jacob was curious. “What are Monarch butterflies? How do you get caterpillars? What do they eat? I literally knew nothing.” Alongside his children, he began learning about the butterfly’s life cycle, habitat, and needs, its critical role as a pollinator, and its connection to native plants. 

Monarchs feed exclusively on milkweed, a native flower, so Jacob planted some. Just two weeks later, his son discovered their first Monarch egg–and the family was hooked. “All of a sudden, we were planting more milkweed, rearing more caterpillars, watching them grow, and releasing them into the wild,” Jacob recalls. “It was the best.”

More Than Just “Pretty”

Over the next several years, as the butterfly project developed, Jacob began growing native plants to support his family’s efforts. 

Now he’s an enthusiast and a vocal advocate for native plants. He helped spark a prairie and wetland restoration project, a collaboration between The Watershed Foundation and Zimmer Biomet, where he works as a design engineer. He also partners with local organizations on pollinator gardens and other native plant projects in parks, schools, and trail systems. 

Each project gives him an opportunity to build awareness about the many benefits of native plants: from preventing erosion and protecting water quality to providing food and habitat for pollinators–including the Monarch butterfly, whose numbers are severely declining. “I want more Monarchs,” Jacob says, simply. “How can I get more people to plant milkweed?”

In 2024, Jacob launched Chapman Lake Nursery, a small native plant nursery that he operates from his sunny home patio overlooking the lake. From Black-Eyed Susans and Butterfly Weed to Bottlebrush Sedge and Redbud, Jacob grows many species of flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees that have evolved and adapted to thrive in northern Indiana. He sells these plants at seasonal markets and events around the region and supplies local retailers. Through his home nursery, Jacob helps meet a growing local appreciation and demand for native plants. “There’s a need in the community,” Jacob says. “Native plants aren’t just pretty,” he says. “They have a purpose.”

You can catch Chapman Lake Nursery at a number of local plant sales and events this season! To learn more, visit chapmanlakenursery.com

Curious about native plants? Want to support pollinators on your property? Here are a few ideas!

• Check out clearchoicescleanwater.org and take the pledge to plant natives.
• Visit our blog to discover how native plants, pollinators, and water quality are connected.
• Learn more about our new Beyond Lawns Initiative, and join us for a Beyond Lawns Workshop on June 5.