A piece of prairie
in my own yard

By Barbara Vrchota

May 17, 2005. I was fed up with the hideous bushes in my sunny front yard. I used a shovel, a sledgehammer and my bare hands and pulled out each one of those nasty shrubs. They had been part of the landscaping for too many years. Birds did not like them, butterflies fluttered away from them; they were not contributing to a healthy environment.

With the old shrubs removed, I moved on to the next step on my impromptu plan. I researched native plants. I had many questions. Which ones attract birds? Which ones attract butterflies and other



insects? Most importantly, which ones are drought tolerant? I wanted plants that could withstand the heat and dry conditions so familiar to our area.

After to talking to representatives from the Growing Place in Aurora and staff at the Morton Arboretum, I found that native prairie plants were the best choice. All handle drought extremely well.

Over time, prairie plants have adapted to our Midwestern climate: hot and dry summers and cold winters. Their root structures are fibrous, which means the roots go deep into the soil and spread out wide. This sort of root system prevents erosion and also withstands wildfires.

With plenty of information, I made a list of native prairie plants I thought were best suited for my project. My choices included milkweed, cup plant, purple coneflower, compass plant, butterfly weed and butterfly bush. I also chose the native grasses prairie drop seed and big bluestem.

List in hand, I made my way from garden centers to garden clubs and back to the garden centers again. I was able to locate all the plants on my list. They made it to the ground by early June. Every week I pulled weeds around my “babies,” as I affectionately called them. I watered them frequently until they were established. I watched them grow and flourish over the long hot summer.

Just recently I was happy to see monarch butterflies laying eggs on the milkweed. I am constantly in awe at the ever changing look of my prairie garden. Something is always in bloom and the birds and insects flock to my garden like crazy.

With a little hard work and a vision you can create something beautiful and much appreciated by nature. Even though my prairie garden is still flourishing, I can’t wait to see it bloom again next year.

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