Kathleen Brokke and Steve Schadler (GF Park District Horticultural Department discuss which plants from the Columbia and Demers transplants would be best for Soaring Eagle Prairie.
The late Marcia Melberg loved the vigorous and stately Common Mullein. Plant source came from her collection. As she would say: "Oh, wow."
Kathleen Brokke and Steve Schadler (GF Park District Horticultural Department) discuss which plants from the Columbia and Demers transplants would be best for Soaring Eagle Prairie installation in 2001. The late Marcia Melberg loved the vigorous and stately Common Mullein. Plant source came from her collection. As she would say: "Oh, wow." Prairie Habitats owners Carol and John Morgan share the beauty and collective wisdom of their greenhouse with Dorreen Yellow Bird. Prairie Habitats (Argyle, Manitoba) specializes in regional tallgrass prairie plants.
Plant Sources
In prairie restoration, plants and seeds should come from within a 50 mile radius of the site. These are plants most suited to soil, water, and specific climate of the region. We expanded a bit and welcomed plants indigenous to the Red River Valley watershed.

Obtaining plants was no easy task. We did not want to dig from the wild. While this seems "easy" assuming you can find plants, it is an absolute "no-no". Such practice takes the "mother plants" and removes plants from already deteriorating prairie. If we have less than 1% of prairie remaining, why would we even consider damaging the precious little that is left? Plus, chances of successful transplanting by folks who do not know the specific idiosyncrasies of plants is minimal. For example, prairie plants have such deep roots, sometimes up to 20 feet. How big of a hole do you need to dig? As a prairie gardener who desires to preserve the integrity of prairie, you only do this once, you watch the plant die, you figure out what you have done, and you determine to find another way.

Difficulty in obtaining plants spurred us on. We were at the bottom of our learning curve and had only "up" to go. Initially, plants came from collections specializing in local ecotypes from: local gardeners (Kathleen Brokke, Richard and Glinda Crawford, the late Marcia Melberg), plants removed from the native planting at Columbia and Demers (originally from Prairie Habitats, Argyle, Manitoba), plants from local seeds grown in the class "Knowing Nature".

In 2003, Mike Retzlaff (Carlson Prairie Seeds, Karlstad, Minnesota) generously gave plants and seeds from his production farm. Local resident Nancy Paur dug a few Pussy Toes from the middle of her family's yard in the Pisek area. In 2004, prairie ecologist Dan Svedarsky from the University of Minnesota-Crookston provided purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) grown on Lake Aggassiz beach ridge, but he commented whimsically that purple coneflower would prefer sandier soil (rather than the heavy and rich soils of the Red River Valley).

Students from the class "Knowing Nature" learn about their prairie heritage and plant seeds for later garden plantings. The woody shrub False Indigo from the Columbia and Demers planting makes itself at home.
Mike Retzlaff from Carlson Seeds (Karlstad, Minnesota) graciously gave plants for Soaring Eagle Prairie.
Students from the class "Knowing Nature" learn about their prairie heritage and plant seeds for later garden plantings. The woody shrub False Indigo from the Columbia and Demers planting makes itself at home. Mike Ratzlaff from Carlson Seeds (Karlstad, Minnesota) graciously gave plants for Soaring Eagle Prairie.