Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Photos and story by Gail K.

Spring has morphed into summer, and our garden treasures change.We take opportunity to see & learn; especially when invited by our own members.

Good afternoon, Prairie Pete!!!  He & his wife Jill (I promised not to photo)

invited us to come visit their prairie restoration project. Did you say PRAIRIE?

I guess we’re leaving-won’t you come along as we see what “Prairie” gardening is all about?

Turning onto a long drive, we pass the conifers & to our immediate left (east); the gardens open with a mass planting of native Monarda, in full bloom.  A soft sweet smell fills the air………beckoning us in

Scattered among the pale purple Bee Balm are a native favorite,
Black-Eyed-Susans.

Prairies are favored by Pollinators, hence the logic behind restoring & planting such gardens. Native plantings & Native pollinators = the wellbeing of Mother Earth.

Walking beside the densely planted Monarda; the field softly opens, revealing an entirely different arrangement.

To best describe what we saw–imagine someone taking a shaker of different colors and sprinkling them all about.

Do you see the the various plants?  Look closely, use their color to help pick many of them out.

Look left, right. Face forward, turn backwards-the colors, flowers & grasses all mixed about-the view constantly changing.

Some individual close-ups of the more prominent native plants:

Pete is this a Yellow Coneflower? Little Bluestem – a colorful native Grass

Butterflies love the lowly Butterfly Weed (above); compare to the tall Culver’s Root (below).  It’s vibrant color may help them find it along roadside ditches & fields.

Above: the line where prairie meets the yard. Our hosts graciously allowed us to freely explore all their gardens……

Below: you get a feel for the expanse of the property; the Prairie left of the pond & its gazebo

The veggie garden & a good looking crop of squash–way to go farmer Pete!!!

West of the pond and veggie gardens- under the watchful eye of a wise ole owl-sits the Homestead & its various garden areas.

Various garden areas scattered about like the seeds of the prairie; intermixed with colorful & whimsical yard art.

Jill, where do you find all your yard art-how cute?

In contrast to the sunny prairie, “the yard” is under an umbrella of dappled shade, perfect for a wide variety of plantings.

some noteworthy lilies

After a short respite in the cool shade; I walk back to the sunny areas to finish my exploring.

Gardens of all types, just keep popping up-

two of the many daylily varieties

It’s time for us to let Pete & Jill get back to work.  It’s obvious; they are good stewards of the land.

side note: Pete’s mom, an artist- used canvas. Pete & Jill are artists as well-using the colors of nature as their pallet & the earth as their template.  Thank you……