The Prairie Junction in Mariestad

The Prairie in Mariestad will be growing on all four sides of a four-way junction when it becomes ready on a number of years. The first part was planted two years ago and is now beginning to gradually get established. We also sowed some seeds of certain species to get more dense vegetation. The pictures are from last weekend.

Echinacea, Agastache and Parthenium  

Aster pilosus, the Frost Aster

The Yellow Coneflower rules in Laholm

Yellow Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, at the savanna in Laholm

Last weekend I first visited the plantings in the city park of Laholm and then continued to the Prairie Junction in Mariestad. That is a prairie planting we are making together with the garden students at the DaCapo School belonging to the University of Gothenburg. Today it is 1 500 sqm in size, but already next month we'll plant another additional 500 sqm.

Here are some pictures from the savanna in Laholm to start with. This time of the year there are many different species in bloom, but the dominating plants now are the Yellow Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, and Coreopsis lanceolata.

Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis and Ratibida

Schulenberg Prairie

The Mallow poppy, Callirhoe involucrata, is a perennial plant with trailing branches covered by a cascade of glowing magenta pink cup shaped flowers. It prefer dry sites, and can be found along roadsides, on hill prairies, dry sand prairies and gravel prairies. Here it is planted at the entrance to Morton Arboretum in Chicago. 

We went for at three weeks long trip to the prairies in Illinois and Wisconsin and Morton Arboretum was one of our first stops. Unfortunately that particular day was the hottest on the entire journey with a temperature around 100° Fahrenheit (37-38° C). But still the famous Schulenberg Prairie just had to be visited. It was for sure worth the effort and the loss of 10 bottles of water.

Schulenberg Prairie is known to be one of the oldest planted prairies in the tallgrass prairie region. It is situated on west side of the arboretum and occur after a drive along some nice woodlands and and short walk through a small open savanna.    

Savanna landscape on the way to the Schulenberg Prairie

The Oak savanna with a understory of Eupatorium

White Prairie Clover, Dalea candida, and Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum

The tall and very beautiful Pale Indian Plantain, Arnoglossum atriplicifolium

One among few still flowering specimen of Baptisia alba var macrophylla

 

Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa

Rhus glabra close to the entrence to the Prairie Visitor Center

Oak leaf hydragea, Hydrangea quercifolia inside the park at Morton arboretum