Hi Cameron, Not a stupid question. Within my lifetime, due to changing farming practices, largely due to factors which caused the smaller family farms to be purchased and farmed by the large (corporate?)farmers, the native prairies have virtually disappeared. There are a couple of small exceptions in Iowa.
Many people are trying to re-establish prairies. This is a prairie ground that my husband has seeded, burned (a good thing), and managed for the past 15 years. There continue to be areas in transition, as it is difficult to rid non-desirable, non-native plants. He's done a great job and I'm proud of him.
(He doesn't own a tractor, etc. of his own. He hires that type of work done.) In this prairie, he also maintains a "food plot" with the intention of feeding birds, etc. during the winter months. He's planted/planting a variety of shrubs that offer both berries and shelter.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Your husband's work to restore a prairie is wonderful! It is amazing the years and efforts that he has put into the restoration. He deserves an award!
Controlled burns are used here to emulate the natural forest fires so that the native flowers can return from the seeds and roots have a chance to emerge without competition. Our NC Botanical Garden, based on native species, does the same thing within sections of their gardens.
Hi Shady, In my usual catch up mode I have just enjoyed a wonderful tour of your gardens! What a lot of hard work you must put in to get such lovely results. I'm so glad the weather eventually stayed fine for you and it was lovely to see Hazel and Harry 'meeting and greeting' :)
Great photos of the acrobatic squirrel!
I have just read in one of your replies how Mr Shady recreated the prairie. What an incredible job he has done and how wonderful that someone should care enough about the environment to go to such trouble. Modern farming methods have destroyed so much of our beautiful countryside also but thankfully there are some enlightened people here too who, like your husband, are working to rectify this.
It all looks beautiful and how lovely to see the Monarch? Butterfly. How I wish we had them here, we have somehow inherited their food plant, the Milkweed so all we need now is for you to send the butterflies fluttering over :)
Hi Shy SB! I've enjoyed your visit and comments. Thank you! I am hopeful that when we no longer can care for either (or both) our home and prairie, some like-minded persons will be interested enough to purchase the properties.
Monarchs are beautiful. From our house they fly to Mexico for the Winter. Amazing, isn't it? :-)
Isn't it lovely to have a non-shady place to escape to and get some light in your eyes. We find the contrast between our two plots, (also approx 30 mins' drive away) a revelation every time.
My "prairie" flowers and butterflies are very different. No echinacea of course.
12 comments:
Beautiful, Shady! Is this part of your property? I've always wanted to turn part of our yard into a mini-prairie.
I love big bumblebees. We are always amazed that they can even fly.
What a lovely prairie!
Such a beautiful prairie Shady!! Always a pleasure to see pictures of it. :)
Hi Rose, It is our property, but it's not where we live. It's about a 1/2 hour drive from home.
Hi Rosey, Yes, those bumblebees are quite amazing. Thank you - it's really pretty out there right now.
Rebecca, Thanks! This was my first trip out this Spring. :-)
Those pictures remind me of the fields you see in the movies, with someone walking through lightly touching the flowers. Very peaceful
Hi Chad and Brandy! It was a beautiful day. :-) Thanks for your visit!
What a wonderful habitat for bees, butterflies and other critters.
Now, I've never been to Iowa, so please excuse my stupid question....is that a natural prairie, or did you help it along by sowing seeds?
Cameron
Hi Cameron, Not a stupid question. Within my lifetime, due to changing farming practices, largely due to factors which caused the smaller family farms to be purchased and farmed by the large (corporate?)farmers, the native prairies have virtually disappeared. There are a couple of small exceptions in Iowa.
Many people are trying to re-establish prairies. This is a prairie ground that my husband has seeded, burned (a good thing), and managed for the past 15 years. There continue to be areas in transition, as it is difficult to rid non-desirable, non-native plants. He's done a great job and I'm proud of him.
(He doesn't own a tractor, etc. of his own. He hires that type of work done.) In this prairie, he also maintains a "food plot" with the intention of feeding birds, etc. during the winter months. He's planted/planting a variety of shrubs that offer both berries and shelter.
Pretty interesting.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Your husband's work to restore a prairie is wonderful! It is amazing the years and efforts that he has put into the restoration. He deserves an award!
Controlled burns are used here to emulate the natural forest fires so that the native flowers can return from the seeds and roots have a chance to emerge without competition. Our NC Botanical Garden, based on native species, does the same thing within sections of their gardens.
Hi Shady, In my usual catch up mode I have just enjoyed a wonderful tour of your gardens! What a lot of hard work you must put in to get such lovely results. I'm so glad the weather eventually stayed fine for you and it was lovely to see Hazel and Harry 'meeting and greeting' :)
Great photos of the acrobatic squirrel!
I have just read in one of your replies how Mr Shady recreated the prairie. What an incredible job he has done and how wonderful that someone should care enough about the environment to go to such trouble. Modern farming methods have destroyed so much of our beautiful countryside also but thankfully there are some enlightened people here too who, like your husband, are working to rectify this.
It all looks beautiful and how lovely to see the Monarch? Butterfly. How I wish we had them here, we have somehow inherited their food plant, the Milkweed so all we need now is for you to send the butterflies fluttering over :)
Hi Shy SB! I've enjoyed your visit and comments. Thank you! I am hopeful that when we no longer can care for either (or both) our home and prairie, some like-minded persons will be interested enough to purchase the properties.
Monarchs are beautiful. From our house they fly to Mexico for the Winter. Amazing, isn't it? :-)
Isn't it lovely to have a non-shady place to escape to and get some light in your eyes. We find the contrast between our two plots, (also approx 30 mins' drive away) a revelation every time.
My "prairie" flowers and butterflies are very different. No echinacea of course.
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