My Prairie | Accent on Natural Landscaping

The overall dryness of my prairie has dealt a blow to the most brilliance I have ever seen. The uprooted and removed trees have done wonders for my prairie. I have never seen it so high before!

The big Bur Oak tree on the backside of my house gives the perfect setting of my prairie.

Explore the prairie. Click a single photo. Then click the photo again to enlarge it.

Years ago, I rescued a Tall Ironweed, and it has been a statement plant in my rain garden. Flanked by Joe Pye Weed, Prairie Cordgrass and Carex comosa, it is — and the seedlings — the beginning of the western edge of the prairie.

Compass Plant, Cupplant, Rosinweed and Yellow Coneflower. The Plums were planted over thirty years or more. The last two years have been the only ones with any plums.

All around the perimeter is Branched Coneflower or Browneyed Susan. My rain garden consists of my drain tile from the house foundation system and the septic drain tile.

Joe Pye Weed and Boneset surrounding Carex comosa. Note the Gray Dogwood berries in the background.

Joe Pye Weed and Wild Senna. Note the Gray Dogwood forms an ideal backdrop from the leaves and the red of the pedicels.

A Monarch rests on the Gray Dogwood which is a perfect color contrast between the leaves and the red of the pedicels.

The are oodles of insects around the prairie.

Surrounded by Bluestem grass, there are Cupplant and Sweet Blackeyed Susan. My eastern prairie is tallgrass prairie.

The Sweet Blackeyed Susan with my house in the background. Note the length of the Blackeyed Susan in right foreground.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, a frequent visitor to my prairie, is getting nectar from a Purple Coneflower.

The Royal Catchfly has a floral tube that is long enough for most butterflies, while the flared petals provide a colorful landing platform for their legs.

Sweet Blackeyed Susan, Purple Coneflower and Royal Catchfly. Note the Swallowtail at right of the Purple Coneflower.

I have never seen this variant in white Tall JoePye Weed before – with Woodland Sunflower.

Nodding Pink Onion with Yellow Coneflower. The Wild Senna leaves near the back end are the compound leaves. Their leaves are medium green and evenly pinnate, with each leaflet elliptic-oblong and a short petiolule.

Comments

Sharon Lamers says

September 5, 2020 at 7:29 am

Beautiful photos and fabulous prairie. You did a wonderful job, Donna. I hope you continue to do well. From Sharon Lamers (Helen’s sister)

- Donna VanBuecken says
  
  September 7, 2020 at 3:42 pm
  
  You like our prairie, Sharon. How good of you to say that. I will continue to do my best effort — Donna

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