The weather is cooling off (finally), and the leaves are starting to change. It’s fall, and t Why clean up your microprairie? After all, aren’t we supposed to keep the dead plant debris on the prairie where it can break down and feed the microbial life while returning the carbon to the soil and keeping […]
It’s fall! Putting your microprairie to bed Read More »
Rethinking the garden after a disaster The drought finally broke in the garden this week, at least for a while, but drought or no drought, the wild bergamot burst into bloom, each blossom like little lavender fireworks, and the bees went wild for it. So while I was pretty down for a couple days about
It’s been quiet in the garden this week. The plants are plugging along, trying to survive these last few days of extreme heat before the weather settles down into more average temps, at least for a while. So, this week, instead of garden news, I’m going to recommend a book. I’ve been reading a lot
Power to the People Read More »
Your standard blanket of green grass has gotten a bad rap over the years, especially as we’ve started to understand the connection between the disappearance of pollinators and the expansion of lawns. There’s been a big movement to get rid of turf grass altogether and replace it with the blooms pollinators need, including prairies. But
Lawns are not evil: 8 tips for making your lawn an ally Read More »
We’ve been covering a lot about getting your garden ready for those native plants you’ve been picking out. But what if you don’t have a garden, or even a yard to put a garden in? Well, there are always containers. Containers are the solution for you if for one reason or another you can’t have
Here’s the scoop: Planting natives in containers for those who can’t plant in the ground Read More »
Before I can plant either of my new gardens, I need to prep each site. “Site prep” may sound intimidating, but it definitely doesn’t have to be. It just comes in varying degrees of difficulty, and how difficult it is will depend on how you answer these questions: How much time do you have? How
Prepping your microprairie site Read More »
I know this blog is called mymicroprairie.com, but it can be about other kinds of gardens, too. With no big trees, my front yard gets tons of hot, direct sunlight, so it’s perfect for a microprairie. My back yard, though, is mostly shady, especially in the summer, when the trees are all leafed out. My
Spring project #2: Backyard woodsy garden Read More »
It’s Earth Day 2021, and whether you believe climate change is real or not, there’s no denying the weather is different from what it was even just a couple decades ago. I’m old enough to notice how much hotter summers are now than they were when I was a kid, and way more humid. Back
Change, one yard at a time. Read More »
Give butterflies a chance I started out pretty small last year, because I wasn’t sure how much work my new microprairie would take, and I didn’t want it to turn out so big that I got overwhelmed and lost interest. Well, that didn’t happen. In fact it went so well, I am planning an expansion.
Spring project #1: Milkweed buffet for butterflies Read More »
