Prairie Restoration

[ToddsPoint]

I started a prairie restoration 20 yrs. ago. I started with 1 acre and it has spread to 2 acres plus another small area. Here is the small area. Monarda (Bergamot or Bee Balm) and grey headed cone flowers are blooming like crazy.


This year I decided to take pics of all the plants on my prairie as they bloom. I've taken pics of 30 species so far. Here are just a couple. At the end of the growing season I plan on posting all the pics on here. Here are wild quinine, lead plant, and rosin weed. Gary

 

[mindcrime1988]

Coming along nicely. Looks picturesque and serene.

 

[tamrock]

Thanks for your efforts at returning the land to a natural beauty. The open space behind me was once beautiful tall grass lands and then they introduced some prairie dogs who stripped the fields so fast and gave all these nasty noxious weeds a chance to take hold. There are thistles growing as high as 8 feet tall and morning glories covering the ground completely. The grasses are terrible types, such as fox tail, which has cost me once $800 at the vet to have a seed removed deep from the new puppies eye and then I felt a big lump between the lower jaw bones of that same dog when he got older and first thought it was a swelling gland, but when I took him to the vet, she looked him over and then asked me if I've ever heard of foxtail grass. Apparently a seed got under his tongue and burrowed its way in between his lower jawbone and he had an abscess the size of a golf ball. That cost $1100. The intro of these prairie dogs has also destroyed other wildlife, such as a lizard who lost its cover and were decimated by predators and the field mice couldn't hide and now seem to be gone. The stupid people who felt it necessary, to save these prarie dogs who lived where a new water treatment plant was going in even put up chicken wire baskets up in the trees telling us who were concerned about this relocation that will invite birds of prey to nest and control the prairie dog population. It been over 15 years that ridiculous baskets been up in that tree and never has and bird of prey felt it was to their liking.

 

[mikefromIllinois]

Beautiful. I have lots of flowers (native,pollinators) to attract bees and butterfly's especially monarchs. If everyone would plant a few host plants for the monarchs it would really help them out.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Looks great!

 

[tamrock]

Beautiful. I have lots of flowers (native,pollinators) to attract bees and butterfly's especially monarchs. If everyone would plant a few host plants for the monarchs it would really help them out.

Yeah bee's and butterflies would be better than prarie dogs with their fleas and fly's all over.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I found another new one! Went out yesterday and spotted two Goat's Rue plants. First time I've seen them. About 10 yrs. ago I went seed gathering with a guy that knew his prairie plants. I must have gotten the Goat's Rue seed back then. Took 10 yrs. to germinate. Gary

 

[Colonial Digger]

Great job ,Gary ! love it , you have done a fine job.