We installed an approximately 125 square foot native prairie as part of a project a few years ago. We tore out an old set of stairs, had new stairs poured 8 feet to the left, and installed this garden where the old stairs used to be, adding about 8 inches of mostly clean fill dirt to the space.
Looking back at pictures it’s crazy how much the space has changed since planting and thought it would be worth sharing some of the before and after.
Pictures:
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Fall 2022, Just installed plugs. Plant list below. Given the construction work site prep was very easy, and weed pressure very low (mostly hand pulling or cutting annuals). Not much of a weed seed bank to contend with.
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Since the area is a steep hill, I seeded annual oats as a “cover crop” to help with erosion control. This worked pretty well to help stabilize the area and maybe keep a little weed pressure down.
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Density of cover crop, along with purple prairie clover and new jersey tea.
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March 2023. Looking… great.
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April 2023, a fair amount of oats came back, those right next to the concrete, my theory is that area stayed too warm (south facing concrete) over the winter to kill the plants, either way I was happy to have them back to help with erosion. I cut them before they could go to seed. Along woth Columbine and Shooting Star blooms.
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August 2023, some nice blooms but looks very sparse still!
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October 2023
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October 2024… I don’t know why i don’t have any other pictures from last summer. Sorry.
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May 2025. Finally looking like a full bed with a huge amount of growth the last month! Especially the False Blue Indigo and Common Spiderwort, both of which are blooming for the first time this spring.
Species include: Prairie Smoke, Red Columbine, Jacob’s Ladder, Cream Gentian, Wild Strawberry, Butterfly Milkweed, Prairie Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Foxglove Beardtongue, New England Aster, Blue Indigo, Cream Indigo, Purple Coneflower, Common Spiderwort, Nodding Onion, Little Bluestem less
by Krazyfranco
2 Comments
Beautiful! Thank you. Every bit counts. 💜
So much good stuff in here, great job! And I wouldn’t call this small at all!