This might be helpful...

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Prairie Moon - Establishing a Native Plant Community

I did basically the same thing, with more variety (not that all that variety took), but a smaller area. My area is something like 25' by 20'. That's my best guess. We removed all the sod, my hubby and I, and lightly tossed/turned the dirt with a gardening fork. I planted all the plugs, I don't know how close they were, I just stuck 'em in. No mulch, then each plant was individually watered. They all grew fast and you couldn't see the dirt. Now they've reseeded all over, still bare earth, I've only had to water that first season. I do have to go in and weed and thin out the plants that reseed more. Mostly, I leave it alone. Mine is in an area where I absolutely cannot burn, so we cut it down by hand every spring.

If anyone's interested, here's the progression of my project:

Summer 2008:

May 2011:

June 2011:

Left - confelower, black eyed susan, milkweed, raydon's favorite aster, spicebush; Swale - coneflower, sedge, liatris, black eyed susan; Right - snow flurry aster;

Wondering if I should remove that old spirea bush to the left so the flowers get more sun, or replace it with something native...

Let the spirea stay at least for the summer. A little cover from a hot sun for tiny plants is ok. Look for sales starting mid to late summer at your local nurseries if you do decide to replace the spirea. Late summer and early fall is a great time for terrific sale prices plus fall is a great time for planting plants. There are many beautiful native shrubs, trees, and plants if that is what you decide.

FataMorgana

Any suggestions for some good native shrubs for that area? I have a couple small ninebarks started in the back corner of the shrubs. I would eventually like to replace the spirea though. Wondering what would fit well with the flowers when they're full grown. Thanks

Where are you? Other than zone 6, I mean. For the most part, what's your soil like? Before you amended it.

Philadelphia. The soil is very "clay-y". I spread a few bags of humus over the whole planting area, then amended the individual holes with more humus and bumper crop. Most of the plugs have been in the ground about a week and they are looking very healthy as of tonight. Just got some rain, too.

Wow! c2g! I love what you have done and I am definitely interested. I always like seeing other peoples "no lawn" look and surf the web for them. I did the same thing, only in a different flavor. We added a lot of sand river rock and brought in top soil after removing lawn and all existing shrubs and perennials. I went for a SW Dry Mesic prairie starting with cold hardy cactus and have been adding native shrubs and plants and am now adding grasses. It started about 5 years ago. Mine is more informal than yours with very good drainage because I am on a difficult to water slope in many places.

So here is mine in case anyone is interested. Before, during and after. I don't have my "before's" loaded into Photobucket. It was your typical green lawn with shrubs perennials, trees etc.

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Simply breathtaking cactusgarden!

Update: Here's my yard nearly a full year after planting the plugs. Left everything go to seed and stay up over the winter, and about a month ago cut everything to the ground.

Spring has been somewhat dry and I haven't watered at all. Hardly any weeds whatsoever. Might have spent a half hour total pulling out the few that have shown up so far.