Saturday, July 31, 2010

A Small Backyard Prairie Garden

A small backyard in Wisconsin is a combination of woodland and prairie plants. Near the back door, in the shade of an adjacent building, woodland plants and heirloom perennials from previous owners share space around small patios for dining and relaxing. A path from the backdoor winds the length of the garden and ends in stairs along stone terraces that transition down to the parking level below. This newest section of the garden is in full sun and has very poor sandy soil, but tallgrass prairie forbs thrive there, including prairie dock, fragrant mountain mint, pale purple coneflower, and swamp milkweed.