When we think of the wide open prairie we often picture vast expanses of land, covering thousands of acres of the Midwest. Rolling plains of waving grasses and beautiful wild flowers brimming with summer color. Although these spaces are part of our 
countries natural beauty, we probably couldn’t imagine anything close to this in our landscapes.
Believe it or not, utilizing this concept and scaling the prairie down to a size that would fit in our landscape is easier than one might think. Many of the native grasses and wildflowers lend themselves nicely to creating small prairie like spaces within our landscapes. This is a perfect way to reduce the amount of turf we mow, or brighten up that trouble spot where nothing seems to grow.
Prairies can be implemented in spaces as small as 10’x 10′ and can add quite a big bang for the buck. Adding a mass grouping of mixed native grasses and wildflowers to a lawn area in front of a large shrub border can offer a low maintenance and aesthetic view to a backyard space. Adding native woody ornamentals will help to add a habitat for birds and small animals. Natives adapt quite well to our soils and are more forgiving when rainfall becomes less frequent.
Installation of prairie spaces can be done by applying herbicide to the defined area and allowing ample time for the vegetation to die. Then dormant seeding in late winter or early March. If you want your prairie to establish sooner, 2-3″ plugs can be installed between March and September. These plants will double in size during the first growing season and often show flowers. Seeding is a two to three year mature cycle, with flowering in the second season.
These spaces are not only aesthetically pleasing, they provide valuable grassland habitat, help infiltrate storm water, and conserve topsoil. Once established, these plantings will reduce weed competition and only need to be mowed off in the early spring. Leaving the seed heads and spent flower blooms throughout the winter will provide a wonderful food source for many beautiful birds.
Next time you are ready to add to your landscape, consider how you might be able to add a small prairie space as a low maintenance solution.