Landscaping With Native Plants

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Landscaping With Native Plants
How to turn your backyard in a prairie paradise
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What is a prairie?

• Prairies are native grasslands
• They extended from the Rocky Mountains to the
  Eastern edges of Illinois
• The vegetation is tall grasses to the east, short
  grasses to the west, with a combination of both
  in the middle
• Often supported up to 350 different species of
  flora

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Extension of the Prairies in U.S.
Picture Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness
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Prairies A historical perspective

• Grasses started developing in the Miocene Epoch,
  about 25 million years ago
• At the time of European Settlement they covered
  large areas of Earth they are known as prairies
  in North America, pampas in South America and
  steppes in Central Asia
• Over time, the soil in which the grasses grew
  became rich in organic material due to their
  extensive root system
• Early settlers found this soil very productive
  and began converting it to agricultural use
• Today only a few areas still have the
  pre-settlement prairies these areas are known as
  prairie remnants

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Root system of the prairie grasses
Picture Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness
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Why choose native plants?

• Prairie plants are well suited to the soils and
  environment of Illinois
• They are perennials that do not require
  replanting every year
• Prairie plants are nearly free of disease
• Drought resistant
• They attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other
  interesting insects
• Spirit of conservation
• Prairie grasses are spectacular during the fall
  when they assume their russet, yellow, bronze,
  and orange colors

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Location

• Start by looking at your site
• Imagine what you want to accomplish
• Think about how much work you want to invest in
  your native garden
• Visualize the colors and layout (keep in mind the
  heights of the plants)
• Make a plan on paper
• Keep in mind measurements and planting
  requirements
• Do not exclude the rest of your property plan
  the native garden as part of a whole

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Make a plan
Courtesy of Minnesota DNR
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Site preparation

• Know your soil and sun/shade pattern
• This is a necessary step in order to decide what
  plants are going to be planted and where
• Eliminate turf
• You can do this with a turf cutter or you can
  smother the grass
• Make sure you remove the turf completely before
  you start planting
• Improve your soil

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Choosing plants

• Since you made a planting design that shows the
  shade patterns in your yard, it will be easy to
  choose the correct prairie plants
• I included a list of prairie nurseries in
  Illinois they can answer the more in-depth
  questions that could arise from such a project
• You can also purchase prairie plants from the
  Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Plant
  Sale

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Plants for full sun
Pictures Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness
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Plants for partial shade
Pictures Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness
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Plants for shady areas
Pictures Courtesy of Chicago Wilderness
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Planting

• Depending on your budget you can purchase live
  plants in containers, bare root plants or seeds
• If you decide to use seeds be weary of vendors
  that claim to sell native seeds and actually give
  exotics or invasive species
• Follow the directions on the seed packet when
  proceeding with the planting
• Planting should be done in spring to allow plants
  to establish their roots

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Planting

• Now that you have the area cleared out, the
  plants and the weed barrier cloth you are ready
  to do the hard work
• First lay down the barrier cloth and secure it in
  place
• Use a knife to cut slits in the cloth where you
  are planting your plants
• Plant your prairie plants one per square foot
  this is necessary for proper root growth
• Cover the area with mulch

Picture Courtesy of HE Sod
Picture Courtesy of FrostProof.com
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Maintenance

• The first year after planting your prairie garden
  is very important in terms of maintenance
• It will determine how well your garden will do in
  the future
• Two key components are watering and weeding
• Second component cannot be emphasized enough
  since the plants and weeds are in powerful
  competition for resources
• Once the garden is established the amount of
  maintenance will reduce considerably

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Eventually your garden will look like this
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Resources

• Gardening with Prairie Plants ISBN
  0-8166-3087-9
• How To Create Beautiful Native Landscapes
• by Sally Wasowski
• http//www.epa.gov/greenacres/nativeplants/factsht
  .html
• http//www.epa.gov/ecopage/springfieldtwp/index.ht
  mlHomeowners20Resources check out the
  homeowners fact sheets
• http//www.plantnative.com/how_intro.htm
• http//www.chicagowilderness.org/wildchi/landscape
  /index.cfm -- check out the plants pictures and
  descriptions
• http//dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritag
  e/prairie/cntnt2.htm

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Questions