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What's safe to plant? (long, newbie, sorry)
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Posted by mollyavalon 6 Kansas (My Page) on Mon, Sep 5, 05 at 11:57
| Hi folks,
We are building a house on 79 acres of mixed pasture and woodland in NE Kansas. Next year we want to start returning the old pastures to prairie. We are just learning what to do - this is all new to us - and we'll have help from the state and the county extension.
Right now, we're trying to get foundation plantings in around the house. My MIL was a landscape designer most of her working life, and she has drawn up a planting plan for us. She is quite unhappy that I asked her to choose as many native plant materials as possible, because that is not how she has ever worked before. In fact, she was always looking for the interesting and exotic.
I have two questions to the forum:
1. Can you recommend any sites/books that can help me identify what NOT to plant? I've got quite a few books that tell what to plant, and some mention possible invasives in passing, but I could use more information.
2. Are there any plants on this list that you would consider an absolute no-no if you are trying to keep a very conservative garden by the prairie?
viburnum opulis or mariesi, shasta viburnum, cotoneaster horizontalis, sedum, sumac, liriope, fountain grass, boxwood, whitebud, potentilla, creeping thyme, creeping dianthus, cutleaf sumac, sergeants crab, white pine, blue spruce, catalpa. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What's safe to plant? (long, newbie, sorry)
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| Natural Landscaping by Diekelman is an excellent book. Also the Wild One's Handbook is available on line. Is a good tool. http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/wildones/ the only thing I think would be an absolute no-no would be something that is considered invasive. The Nature Conservancy keeps a pretty good web site about invasives and controls. |
RE: What's safe to plant? (long, newbie, sorry)
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| I would recommend checking out Prairie Moon Nursery, www.prairiemoon.com, or Prairie Nursery, www.Prairienursery.com. They have excellent cultivation advice, and they also have seed mixes that contain only grasses and forbs native to your area. Don't apologise for being new or asking questions! Good Luck. April |
RE: What's safe to plant? (long, newbie, sorry)
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| if the area is already prairie and woodland, and has not had significant disturbance, you may be able to incorporate some land management techniques that promote the growth of existing natives that are dormant in the soil. YOu may not have to plant anything... |
RE: What's safe to plant? (long, newbie, sorry)
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| Of your plant list, the one species that gives me the willies is the fountain grass. In some areas, this stuff can seed itself widely across the landscape. I wouldn't get your hopes up about natives popping up from your pasture lands. Even if some natives are present, it's very likely that your pastures have been seeded into a non-native pasture grass such as tall fescue. Your extension folks will be able to tell you what is present in your pastures and whether it will be a problem. There's a wealth of information about invasive plant species available on the web. This web link is a good starting point, with lots of links to more detailed information. |
Here is a link that might be useful: invasive plants (USDA)
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