Customer FAQ
Placing Orders
You have a few different options to place orders with Prairie Restorations. Below is an outline of the different methods you can use to place orders.
- Order online: Our e-commerce store is fairly robust and offers many different plant species, seed species, and seed mixes. Sizes and availability are limited, however, and you may not find what you are looking for.
- Order in person: We have three garden centers open to the public where you can browse a full selection of seed, plants, books, and other gift items. This is perfect for customers who want to get their product the same day and don't need any custom orders.
- Order via email: For large orders of seed or plants, we encourage customers to place their order with us via email at order@prairieresto.com. This is a more involved ordering process, but ensures you get exactly what you want, even if we need to grow something specific just for you.
Retail Credit Card Charges
If you are purchasing in person at one of our garden centers or on our e-commerce store, you will be charged immediately at the time of purchase. We utilize the latest security technology to provide the most secure checkout process available, so you can be sure your information is safe.
If you are placing a custom order, you will be sent a retainer invoice for 25% of the total order immediately upon placing the order. When the order is available for pick up or upon shipping, the remaining 50% balance will be charged.
Bulk Order Discounts
We do offer discounts for individuals placing larger bulk orders. Below is the discount structure:
- Orders of $500 - $999: 5% discount
- Orders greater than $1000: 10% discount
- Contractor Pricing: 15% discount (note that you need to register and be approved to qualify for this pricing)
Tax Exemption
Tax exempt purchases can currently only be processed in person at one of our garden centers OR via email when placing a bulk order at order@prairieresto.com. Unfortunately, our e-commerce store cannot process tax exempt orders at this time. Additionally, once an order is placed via our e-commerce store, we are unable to provide a refund of the tax collected. Thank you for understanding.
Order Lead Times
Please allow 1 - 2 weeks for plants or seed to be ready for pick up. If you need plants sooner, please visit one of our garden centers in Princeton or Scandia.
Online plant orders made outside of growing season will be shipped in the Spring.
What is an APB?
APB is a specific pot size that allows for more room and depth for roots to grow. We often use these in tree and shrub species as well as herbaceous plants that require deeper roots.
The APB pot size is approximately 2"x2"x6"
Trees that come in APB pots are typically around 18" in height.
Road salt tolerant plants
Planting native species along road sides can be a great way to enhance the beauty and ecology of the area. Road salt, which is often used to melt ice on roads during the winter, can have detrimental effects on plants, including burning foliage and damaging roots. However, some native plants are more tolerant of road salt than others. Here are some that you might consider:
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
- Gray Dogwood** (Cornus racemosa)
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
- Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Plants for under pine trees
the following list, while not exhaustive, includes various species that tend to do well in the acidic, shady, and needle-littered conditions typically found under pine trees in Minnesota.
- Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
- Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
- Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
- Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
- Twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Zig zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
- Woodland sunflower (Helianthus stromosus)
Deer resistant plants
- Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
- Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
- New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
- Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
- Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
- Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis)
- Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans)
- Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
- Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
- Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
- Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
- Pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens)
- Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya)
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Seed Species Availability
Many species that we carry in live plants, we don't offer in seed. This is because of several factors from difficulty of harvesting seed, difficulties in germination for customers, and various other impediments that make it difficult to produce seed at a production level.
This means that in addition to the seeding you do, you will need to supplement the diversity of your restoration project with live plants.
A true remnant prairie may have 150-200 plus species present, and many seed mixes are limited to 10-20 species, which is a rather low bio-diversity. With time and energy, you can add live plants and increase the natural diversity of the site by 3-4 times the number of species.
We also encourage customers to utilize live plants from the initial planting as it helps mitigate some weeds, provides visual appeal in year 1, and overall helps to create much better restoration in the long run.
Native plants and birds
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) - Attracts various birds such as robins and bluebirds with its berries.
- Dogwood (Cornus spp.) - Birds like cardinals and waxwings are attracted to dogwood berries.
- Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - Loved by a variety of birds including orioles and grosbeaks.
- High Bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) - Attracts a variety of birds including robins and cedar waxwings.
- Sumac (Rhus spp.) - Chickadees, robins, and other birds are attracted to sumac berries, especially in the winter.
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) - The berries are eaten by various birds including robins and cedar waxwings.
- Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) - The seeds are popular with goldfinches.
- Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) - Seeds are favored by a variety of birds including finches and chickadees.
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) - Seeds attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) - Seeds attract a variety of birds including sparrows and finches.
- Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) - Attracts insects which in turn attract insectivorous birds.
- Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) - Attracts insects, providing a food source for insectivorous birds.
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) - The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) - Berries are a food source for various bird species including sparrows and thrushes.
- Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) - Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) - Provides shelter and seeds for birds like sparrows and finches.
Still not finding an answer?
Please allow 1 - 2 weeks for plants or seed to be ready for pick up. If you need plants sooner, please visit one of our garden centers in Princeton or Scandia.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please feel to ask us directly. You can simply chat with us via the chat box on our website (during business hours) or by sending us an email using the form below.