By Katie Markheim, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
Is the grass truly greener on the other side of the fence? Well, it may be, but if you’ve been incorporating prairie-like plantings in your landscape, you, my gardening friend, have the ‘greener’ side. Thanks to the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, here are a couple tips to keeping your prairie garden in tip-top shape. 1) Eradicate weeds as best you can prior to planting, then pick your battles. Spend your efforts on the worst problems early on. 2) Once established, water your garden only during periods of extended drought. Guess what! The native plants are built to withstand climate extremes. 3) And think ‘seasons’ when adding or changing the planting pattern of your space. Mother Nature offers several colorful pallets and varied texture options in plant types to suit wet spring weather, dry and hot summers, cooler fall days, and interest in the dead of winter.