I’VE never been the to the US or Canada, never mind seen a real prairie but I did on many occasions in the 1970s watch the television show about the early life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and family, who lived some 100 years previous in their eponymous little house.
A bit like my childhood, the sun always was always shining on Little House on the Prairie, or in the opening titles at least – a summer breeze gently rocking the tall grasses and wild flowers that typically carpeted the gently undulating landscape around Walnut Grove.
The word prairie is French for meadow and is what these flora-rich grasslands were called by the first Europeans who saw them. Formed relatively recently in geological terms – unless you’re a creationist – during the last ice age, the North American prairies had been inhabited by man for eons before Columbus and his cohorts arrived in the 15th century.
These were the Native American tribes who lived on the lands whose names still reflect this ancient association – North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota…
Along with the huge herds of buffalo that roamed and grazed in the continent’s temperate zones, the native people helped shape this landscape where only a few select trees and shrubs can prosper.
Fire too – both manmade and naturally combusted – plays a central role in sustaining the prairie habitat.
The grasses, sedges (grass-like plants) and flowering plants which populate the prairies can quickly and easily replenish themselves from a scorched earth scenario.
The classic Mid-Western prairie vista has inspired many a garden designer. It was the basis for Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden's New American Garden movement in the 1970s and more recently Dutchman Piet Oudolf's multi-gold medal winning, naturalistic planting style.
The appeal of prairie planting isn't just in its aesthetic, it's a style that also lends itself to minimum maintenance. Essentially, all you need is an expansive site planted with a combination of grasses, sedges and daisy-type perennials.
Members of the pennisetum family work well in a naturalistic context. Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ is compact, with bottle-brush flowerheads and dark green leaves that turn golden-yellow in autumn.
The leaves of Pennisetum villosum can reach up to 60cm in length and take on a purple hue when fully grown. Pennisetum orientale is a mound forming grass with dark green leaves and bears beautiful flowerheads up to 14cm long.
These are hardy to between -5C and -10C and benefit from a covering of dry mulch in winter in frost prone areas. Other grasses worth considering are grasses are zebra grass (miscanthus) or reed grass (calamagrostis).
Arguably the perfect partner for flowering grasses is echinacea or coneflower. As the name suggests, the flowers resemble upward-pointing cones. These add glorious colour through the summer months and are great in borders or even in open woodland settings.
Echinacea purpurea is an absolute winner, flowering from August through to October (depending on location). Colour options include purple-red, in the case of ‘Bright Star’ through the deep purple of ‘Magnus’ to the pure white of ‘White Lustre’ and ‘White Swan’.
Echinacea purpurea reaches 1.5m in height and a spread of 50cm. They are fully hardy and thrive on well-drained chalk, loam or sand.
Once established, grasses will look after themselves to a large extent. Perennials like echinacea are also easy-care. Cut back stems after flowering, which will encourage more flower production. In autumn, it’s good to cut stems down to the base and in spring the new shoots will come strongly.
