Experiments in Piedmont Prairies

Webinar Description:
The demand for ecologically productive gardening practices has sparked enormous interest in using perennials and ornamental grasses to cultivate rich grasslands, prairies and meadows in the pursuit of providing resources to pollinating insects and birds. While the desire to support the environment is everywhere, the complexity and intricacy of these dynamic mini-ecosystems can be a major roadblock for the home gardener interested in supporting wildlife by maintaining such a garden space. This class aims to simplify this overwhelming complexity, and provide a practical, actionable approach to designing and installing large herbaceous plantings. Though the presentation focuses on plants and approaches to creating prairies using plants endemic to the Southeastern US, the course is intended to provide insight into large herbaceous plantings in any region.

Learning Objectives:
1. Ecosystem services provided by large scale herbaceous plantings.
2. Definition of a Piedmont Prairie.
3. Different approaches to creating a Piedmont Prairie.