Prairie planting

Loose drifts of tough perennials and ornamental grasses can withstand most weather conditions and help make a garden look more natural and relaxed. Solid blocks of planting cover the soil providing protection against drying winds and sun while weeds fail to get a look in. This planting style also has an afterlife beyond flowering with plant skeletons catching the frost and low Winter sun with flocks of goldfinches animating the sky after feasting on seed heads. Once established they are relatively easy to maintain, needing little to no watering and weeding, and just one annual cut back in March. The hollow stems and seed heads also provide a Winter home for beneficial insects like Ladybirds who leap into action in the Spring and chomp through any pesky aphids and other garden pests.