Prairie Garden

The prairie garden , a sunny open area, is a trial project by the Landscape Architecture Department of the University of Sheffield.

 

The area has been designed by Professor James Hitchmough, and was first sown in 2004. 

A layer of sand was added before a seed mixture of North American prairie grasses and meadow plants were scattered by hand.  In late summer/autumn this was  originally a mass of asters, rudbeckias, helianthus, golden rods and ratibidas.

  • Aruncus June 2016

  • Professor James Hitchmough's Team May 2021

  • North American Bed August 2021

  • North American Bed May 2021

  • Prairie August 2021

  • Prairie Garden September 2006

  • Rudbeckia August 2020

In 2012 a further area was seeded, including species from South Africa and Europe to provide a longer flowering season.

By October 2019 the whole area needed renovating. The area was, then, planted with N.E. American woodland plants in 2020, including hundreds of perennials such as wood aster, bistros, bee balms, Veronicastrum, Aruncas and Actaea.

At the end of the Winter, the old plant material is cut back and, in early Spring, the remaining stubble is burnt off. This helps to kill seeds and seedlings in the soil, maintaining just the plants from the original sowing. In Summer, plants at the edges are cut back to around 60cm. This provides support to the taller plants further into the beds, keeps the paths open and prolongs the flowering season around the edge.