{"id":6985,"date":"2020-07-21T16:38:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T21:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/?p=6985"},"modified":"2020-07-22T16:11:02","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T21:11:02","slug":"lessons-learned-at-the-prairie-year-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/?p=6985","title":{"rendered":"A Quarter Century at the Friends of the Trail Prairie"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the past 25\u00a0 years, a few of us have transformed an abandoned lot into a native prairie.<\/p>\n

The prairie is right beside a bike path and walkers often look at us in disbelief. One of our favorite quotes is: “What are you doing down there, do you know?\u201d<\/em>.\u00a0 When we first started it was one acre of European spurge, Canada thistle, ragweed, and brome grass.<\/p>\n

We have created a booklet about planting a vacant lot:<\/p>\n

One Vacant Lot<\/a><\/p>\n

If you live in the Minneapolis, please visit the prairie. It is across the street from “The Marsh” health club. at 15000 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka 55345<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Native Big Bluestem
In the early going, we planted over a hundred grasses and flowers a year. We used the burlap to control weeds so the plants could get established. We have never used any herbicide or pesticide on the land.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lessons learned at the prairie:
\n“The land knows us and gives so much as we work among the plants.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Garter Snake – Over the years the diversity of life at the prairie has increased.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the prairie:\u00a0
\n” Nature can balance the rough places inside you.”
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Cup Plant
The leaves of the plant form a “cup” that birds and insects drink from.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Lessons\u00a0 learned at the Prairie:
\n“Let the beauty go deep into your bones”.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Pale Coneflower<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie:
\n” Every living thing has a unique vibration. Share your vibration with the plant.”
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mountain Mint
An August favorite of many pollinators.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie:
\n“Be appreciative of the life that is around you”.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Queen of the Prairie
A wetland plant in the rose family with beautifully scented flowers.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie:
\n” Life is so much better when your hands are digging in the Earth.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Rattlesnake Master
A favorite of pollinators in July. The plant is a a northern type of agave .<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie:
\nRespect the weeds, they are teachers too.
\n<\/em>(vetch, thistle, canada anemone, and European Spurge).<\/p>\n

\"\"

wild rose<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the prairie:
\n“Say “good morning” to the plants and to the people walking by on the trail”.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Butterflyweed<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie ( from reader Dale Antonsen)
\nA true guardian is one who finds their encouragement (and benefit) from a simple flower, the flutter of wings and the buzz of happy bees.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ironweed
Blooms in late July to early August<\/p><\/div>\n

Lessons learned at the Prairie:\u00a0 “Work with others whom you care about.”
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Friends of the Prairie
25 years later<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the past 25\u00a0 years, a few of us have transformed an abandoned lot into a native prairie. The prairie is right beside a bike path and walkers often look at us in disbelief. One of our favorite quotes is: … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-guardians","category-photography"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6985"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10298,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985\/revisions\/10298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/oldnaturalist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}