Prairie Restorations, Inc. Blog Home
As people are practicing social distancing there’s a terrific activity you can safely engage in: gardening!
While we’ve got about 6 weeks before the official end of the frost-free season (usually April 30th), it’s not quite time to put things into the soil. But it IS the perfect time to get seeds started so once it’s warm enough you can put started plants into your garden and not seeds!
If you’ve been considering converting part of your yard (probably mostly turf...
Often landscaping is at the bottom of the list for owners of commercial properties. But we’d like to encourage property owners to move it a little further up the list and to consider converting at least part of the area surrounding their buildings to native plants, shrubs, and trees. In return, there are some great benefits.
Here are just a things corporate or other commercial property owners can realize when they convert at least part of their property to...
The rusty patched bumblebee, one of the threatened pollinator species targeted for support by a recent Minnesota grant program.
As a Minnesota native landscaping company with a passionate commitment to encourage natural habitat for threatened pollinators like bees, we were thrilled to see that the Minnesota legislature has allocated funds to enable those who own property to convert portions of their turf grass to bee-friendly areas. The program – called ‘Lawns to Legumes’ – took...
PRI Founder Ron Bowen
As a company who more or less pioneered wide-scale native plant restoration work in Minnesota, we’re really excited to announce that founder Ron Bowen will be one of the speakers at an upcoming live seminar presented by Halfmoon Education.
Ron planted his first Minnesota restored prairie in 1970, and it’s still thriving. The Dayton family, who owned the property located near Wayzata at the time, eventually donated it to the Minnesota DNR, and it is now known as...
If you’ve read any of our blog articles, you are probably aware that we talk often about the benefits of restoring a section of Minnesota land to the way it existed before man disturbed it with plows or road construction. Yes, it creates a refuge and needed habitat for wildlife. Yes, it reduces the need for watering, fertilizing, weeding, and other types of maintenance. Yes, it creates a natural environment that fits more with the history of the area. But did you know that having a spot like this can actually benefit your soul?
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It comes as no surprise to us that most of the people we talk to these days are concerned about climate change. It’s been our experience that Minnesotans have for the most part been interested in doing their part to protect the natural resources of our beautiful state. And their proactive interest extends far beyond our borders. But often the most beneficial activities begin on a local level. After all, for most...
With the out-of-control wildfires in Australia, we realize that the topic of fire is a difficult one for most people to even engage. Our hearts go out to the people of Australia, and we’re mourning the loss of life – people, animals, and even plant species. But we thought this might be a good time for an educational post on the benefit of controlled fires – what is known in our landscape industry as prescribed burning.
Fire has its benefits, and even Mother Nature makes use of it from time to time. While it...
Although very little of what we’d call native prairie, savanna (grassland/mixed), or other type of natural, undisturbed land exists around our state, occasionally we hear of – or discover – a small section that has been untouched by human intervention like farming or home building. Those discoveries are like rare treasure for us. Finding a plot of land that is basically the same as it has been for centuries is almost like a prospector stumbling upon a never-worked vein of ore.
For...
Whenever we talk about restoring a section of land with plants, trees, and shrubs that are native to the Minnesota area we’re working with, most people picture wildflowers in full bloom and prairie grasses swaying in the breeze. Or maybe it’s seed heads in the fall. But did you know that even in winter the advantages of native plant species abound?
Mountain Ash (sorbus decora) in winter
One major advantage that you get from landscaping with Minnesota native plant species is their hardy resistance...
If you’ve already decided you want to restore a part of your residential, shoreline, agricultural, or commercial property with plants, shrubs and trees native to the area, congratulations! Chances are you’ve got lots of things you’d like to know about what’s involved. But your first question might be when a good time would be to get the planning process going.
The easiest answer is, Any time is a good time to plan a native landscape restoration project. But more specific to this time of year is our preferred answer –...