Our Little Front Yard Prairie

Some years ago I suggested a prairie for our blue grass front lawn. Then, four summers ago, the staff got on their hands and knees and planted hundreds of native prairie plant plugs. We watered it, weeded it and waited… and waited for it to thrive. Unfortunately, the last three summers have been as dry as a Wyoming sage brush flat in July. It’s like that here on the edge of the great North American prairie … dry, wet and then dry again. It’s been that way here since the last glaciers melted back some 14,000 years ago.

But this year, oh the glory, it has rained and rained … and our little prairie has flourished. A hen mallard even pulled off a brood in it this spring and now it is full of flowers, feeding birds and buzzing insects. (There are pheasants about too. We hope they’re next to take up residence.)

Habitat. It is who we are, just a bunch of hunters who like to plant prairie and tramp it a few times in fall to bag dinner … and memories and to leave a habitat legacy for future generations.

PF has been responsible for improving, planting and maintaining millions of acres of upland and other types of wildlife habitat all over this great land, coast to coast, north and south.

Blooming bee balm fronts a stand of 8-foot cup plants. Is this some prairie restoration in the wilds of the Dakota’s? No, it's PF national’s little front yard weed patch and wildlife haven.

But we always keep our eye on what’s local … our own front yards. Actions speak volumes. Sometimes smaller is larger. Symbols matter. And our little prairie speaks volumes about what PF is all about.

I walk among the flowers and buzzing bees of PF’s little prairie and wonder why anyone would want a lawn of blue grass; a farm with only crops; a country with only dollar signs in its eyes?

Have we inspired you to get out the hoe and seed packets; the tractor and drill? We hope so. When you do and the rains fall, take a walk … and a few photos to send me.

Tags: conservation, habitat, pheasants forever

This entry was posted on Monday, July 26th, 2010 and is filed under Conservation, Habitat, Pheasants Forever. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.