Prairie Gardens

Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-613 -- More Projects »
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Less than a century ago, prairie gardens were a signature of the American West. At the Denver Botanic Gardens, the prairie garden is a means to preserve what nature intended--a composite of several different grass communities found across the great plains.

The short grass prairie is dominated by blue gramma and buffalo grass and is typical of the landscape in Eastern Colorado, especially closer to the foothills. It's soft and easy on the knees for weeding. The snake weed likes disturbed soil or well-drained soils, and often occurs in windswept areas. Its habit is a little like a green bowling ball with bright gold flowers. There are also a few prickly pear cacti that are native to Colorado.

The Rocky Mountain bee plant is the native cleome (spider flower). It produces small purple flowers and attracts many bees. Cleome reseeds freely where the soil is very sandy.

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Blue gramma grass
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Liatris
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Echinacea (coneflower)
Plants like these can be implemented into perennial gardens even outside of the prairie. The blue gamma grass, liatris, prairie coneflowers and Mexican hats are good examples. People who live in a new suburb, or on the fringe of a new community where there is wild landscape, can use native plants to make the transition to landscaped areas.

You can integrate prairie plants with traditional landscaping. You can achieve a layering effect by using buffalo grass in the foreground, and then little white blackfoot daisies, evening primrose, blue flax, blue gramma grass and silver beard grass. Cluster 20 or more prairie plants together to create a cleaner transition between the natural environment and manmade developments.

Guests
Dan Johnson
Curator of Native Plants
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver, CO
Phone: 720-865-3500
Also in this Episode
Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-613
•Prairie Gardens
•Beat the Heat
•African Violets
•Making Your Own Wind Chime
•Carnivorous Plants
•Dried Fruit Wreaths