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for Establishing Your Own Prairie.
Prairie
Restorations Inc.
Princeton Headquarters P.O. Box 327
Princeton, MN 55371
Ph: 763-389-4342
email: info@prairieresto.com
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PRI BLOG -Explore our News & Events, Projects and Frequently Asked Customer Questions...
An ecologically sound landscape plan incorporating native vegetation can contribute to the overall soil, water, and air quality of your corporate property. PRI was one of the first companies, nationally, to promote the concept of landscaping with native plants.
Over the past 33 years, PRI has had the privilege of working with many corporate clients to design, install and maintain beautiful, evolving native landscapes. Historically authentic plantings using indigenous species result in a diverse and seasonally-changing landscape that, once established, requires far less maintenance than traditional landscapes. Native plant landscapes generally do not require irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides – as do traditional turf landscapes. And best yet, weekly mowing is a thing of the past.
 Princeton Greenhouse The plant production department has had a great spring. This year we have transplanted over 159,000 cubes, 6,600 4” pots, and over 4,000 sod flats. We still have 1,120 more sod flats to seed in the next week. Most of the sod flats we seeded are being grown for orders. We grew 450 custom fescue sod flats for a very interesting green roof which was installed the first week of June. The finished project had a pond, waterfall and many of Prairie Restoration’s native plants.
The prairie around the greenhouses is beautiful right now. The Prairie larkspur, Showy penstemon and Western spiderwort are all in full
 Showy penstemon bloom. The Prairie phlox is also bloomingin our new production plots. Last year we installed a few new production plots and enhanced several existing plots. It looks like our efforts have been successful.
Seed collecting for many of the woodland species has gone well and we are just getting into the collection of prairie species. The spring has been very productive and we are looking forward to a wonderful summer.
 An early spring is producing distinct results at the Princeton farm. Cool season species like June grass (Koeleria macrantha) are ahead of schedule in their average development for this time of year in our production fields. The early spring enabled them to don full seed heads that gently nod approvingly to us as we pass by despite the dry, summer heat. Soon the combine will roll!
Warm season species, including Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), emerged rapidly in the early warmth only to be bitten by freezing temperatures in early May. As a result, warm season development was slowed considerably for some time. However, just as we expect from our hardy natives, they are now thriving in the wake of late spring rains. As I write this we are getting some much needed precipitation. The Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) bloom is right around the corner and the warm season grasses are preparing to boot. Our Princeton farm offers an opportunity to observe varying species with fascinating perseverance.
Forb production fields currently in full bloom include Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis), Showy penstemon (Penstemon grandiflorus) and Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea). As we stay busy attending to all the production plots it is always uplifting to look in any direction for a flood of color – whether it be a yellow block of Golden alexander or a lush stand of Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi).
Truly we enjoy our work under the warm sky on our farm. We’re not the only ones having a good time. It seems the bee population has enjoyed the early spring as well. The on-site honeybees are more prolific this year than any other year in the recent past. Bumblebees, vital pollinators to prairie seed production, have been very conspicuous as well.
Until next time…
This summer, our Boreal Natives crew is completing the next step of a shoreline restoration project on Rock Pond, part of UMD’s 55-acre Bagley Nature Area. The project entails management of invasive species and the utilization of plants native to the Duluth area to create a diverse, natural buffer that will help protect the water quality of the pond.
The pond welcomes visitors entering the Nature Area and also serves as the central ‘hub’ of its popular trail system. And now, Rock Pond is overlooked by the new Classroom Pavilion, an “energy positive” building designed by Duluth’s award-winning architect, David Salmela.
Having also worked on the landscape of the new LEED-certified Civil Engineering building, Boreal Natives is proud to contribute to UMD’s commitment to the environment and a sustainable future.
In the winter of 2008 and summer of 2009, Prairie Restorations, Inc. was involved with an important and unique restoration project for Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, MN. The Minnehaha Creek, where it runs through the hospital grounds, was re-meandered in order to more closely resemble its original course.
Many years ago, streams were often straightened in order to more efficiently drain water from the land for farming and development purposes. By adding the curves back in (re-meandering), the water flow is slowed, naturally allowing pollutants and sediment to settle out. Equally as important, the natural ecology of the stream is restored.
Prairie Restorations, Inc. teamed with Knutson Construction and Rachel Contracting on the project, where the majority of the work was completed on the frozen ground. Our involvement included building and vegetating the new streambanks, seeding roughly 3 acres of wetlands, installing thousands of wetland plants, planting native trees and shrubs, and maintaining the overall site vegetation for 3 years.
Above all else, Park Nicollet is interested in creating this natural environment for the benefit of their patients, as well as the local community. Research has shown that interaction with the natural world can help patients heal more quickly and with fewer complications. As part of the project, an extensive boardwalk was built that allows patients and visitors to walk through and experience the natural landscape. Check out the MN Bound story about the project that recently aired on Kare 11.
PRI crews have been extremely busy this spring trying to complete several hundred prescribed burns for clients all across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Recently, Scott Wasserman from FOX 9 news caught up with one of our crews implementing a prescribed burn in Wayzata, Minnesota. Check out this news clip.
Prescribed burning is an excellent tool for managing native landscapes. Burning not only helps to control many invasive species and deter woody plant encroachment, but also stimulates the growth of many native grasses and wildflowers. Additionally, the prescribed burn functions to remove thatch, recycle nutrients, and even extend the length of the growing season which will lead to more robust growth. Many people are surprised to learn that prescribed burning is not limited to just prairie plant communities. Wetland and certain woodland plant communities are also substantially benefitted via a properly timed prescribed burn.
Prairie Restorations, Inc. has over 33 years of experience in the arena of prescribed burning management throughout Minnesota and neighboring states. We have professional crews with the expertise necessary to accomplish these burns safely and successfully. We work with local fire officials and the DNR to obtain necessary permits and variances. If you are interested in learning more about prescribed burning and how it might benefit your property, please contact one of our staff ecologists.
The growing season is soon upon us and once again it impresses me with the beauty and diversity of native plants. Our deciduous woods north of Princeton will soon be an absolute carpet of wildflowers, the Marsh marigolds blooming in our wetlands and the spring prairie flowers will be just the beginning of what will be a long parade of prairie color. It’s easy to make the case for natives.
Along with summer comes the busy season at PRI. In spite of the economy we have many projects lined up and expect to have a good year. The interest in restoration remains high and the green initiative that is so prevalent in society helps to stimulate projects. Much of our work will be what it has always been – prairie landscapes, large scale prairie plantings, lakeshore and stream bank stabilization, wetland and woodland restorations and management. This is good work that we get better at with each passing year.
So off we go on another year of doing our part to make things better. As always, we can feel your energy and appreciate your support. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at one of our stores or perhaps at your site soon.
With the growing need for valuable native tree and shrub materials on restoration projects across the state, PRI made the decision to ramp up production in this area. The main production center is located at our Boreal Natives site near Duluth. In order to accommodate this new “growth,” we have expanded our facilities and assigned PRI specialist Gene Schmidt the important task of guiding and further developing the production efforts. “We have gone from 40 species to 70 species in two short years, and have increased our overall inventory by roughly 30%.” Gene hopes to continue to increase those numbers but reminds us, as always, “Our main goal is to provide the high quality materials that our customers have come to expect.”
And for all of our retail customers, excellent specimens are also available at each of our 3 retail locations in Princeton, Scandia and Duluth. Please call to learn more about species, sizes and availability or check out our website for a general list of species and plant descriptions.
Visit our retail locations to learn more about Minnesota native tree and shrubs.
Just a reminder that it’s a great time to visit our retail operations in Princeton (763-631-9458) and Scandia (651-433-1437). It’s a perfect time to purchase and plant wonderful perennial natives, our retail stores still have a great selection from which to choose. And while you’re checking out seed, plants and shrubs, don’t forget to cruise inside for shelves loaded with all kinds of unusual books, bird paraphernalia, pottery, nature games for children, artwork, soaps, candles. Great one-of-a-kind gifts for weddings, graduations, birthdays
Here are a few key words and phrases used commonly as we talk with customers about their projects:
Timed Overspray – A method of applying herbicide to eradicate weeds when the native, desirable plants are not actively growing. Timed oversprays most often occur in the spring and fall months.
Warm Season Plant – This term is given to a classification of plants that are actively growing only during the “warm” months of the year – typically late May through early September. Many of the common prairie grasses such as Big bluestem and Indian grass are warm season plants and are dormant during the cooler fall and spring months.
Wicking – A method of applying herbicide to weeds using a sponge-like applicator. The herbicide is “wiped” directly onto the weedy plant; therefore there is minimal risk to non-target plants.
Pure Live Seed – A unit of measure used to determine the amount of viable seed in a seed lot. A PLS pound of grass seed may often have an actual bulk weight of 1.5 lbs or more because of non-viable components of the individual seed lot (stems, chaff, immature seeds, etc.).
Riparian Zone – This is a term that refers to the margin of land immediately adjacent to rivers and streams. The diverse, moisture-loving plant communities that occur in the riparian zone are integral to the overall health of the waterway.
Spring Ephemeral – This term generally refers to perennial woodland herbaceous (non-woody) plants that grow quickly and flower early in the spring when substantial sunlight is available. As the forest canopy develops and the available sunlight wanes, the spring ephemerals transition into a state of dormancy where they will remain for the rest of the year.
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