Garden Walks with Judy: Herky visits the prairie

On a warm Saturday in July, Herky the Hawk surprised about 75 people by showing up at their blitz.

I hope Herky knew what he was getting into. This wasn’t a rush on a quarterback and the field he saw was not neatly mown, but covered with plants and grass that was as high as his neck.

Children swung colorful nets through the grass and into the air while their parents walked slowly, examining leaves and stalks.

This was a "Bioblitz" and Herky was there to cheer them on with the biological inventory of all the plants, animals, insects, and even fungi in this acre of land located near the Ashton University of Iowa’s cross-country track. The land was donated by the Ashton family and one acre of it became the home for an abundance of prairie plants.

Michael Fallon, professor of environmental science at the University of Iowa, filled me in as to what a bioblitz was and why growing this prairie is so important.

He told me that seeing the plants that have survived and flourished will educate the community about the changes that have taken place and what is needed in the future.

Professor Fallon reminded me of several changes that made a difference.  He cited wolves, thought to be dangerous, but once removed, other predators took over.  Whales, hunted to the extreme, now are well loved and protected.

Milkweed plants were noxious weeds until it became apparent that without them, the monarch butterfly population and the plants they pollinated would be dangerously low.

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Fallon told me that ladybugs, small as they are, keep aphids in check.  Bees, honey or bumble, carpenter or sweat, are the greatest pollinators.

This one-acre prairie is alive with beautiful plants.

Black-eyed Susans are blooming now, along with coneflowers, goldenrod, and milkweed. A very white flower blooms on one called Rattlesnake Master. Wild quinine and pale gentions are also in the count.

Each year a controlled burn is conducted on this acre of prairie. Three quadrants are burned. Most plants have very deep roots and the burn just clears the field for next year’s growth.

The Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory is, as Fallon explained to me, a snapshot of what we need to do to keep our plants and our planet.  He reminded me that the future generations depend on us and that we need to have discussions as to what should be done to protect, even though there may be different ideas.

NOTE: The mum season is nearly here.  If you want to plant yours in your garden check the label to see if it is marked “garden mum or hardy mum.”

These are perennial and you should be able to enjoy them next year, too.

Questions? Comments?  Email me at Walkswithgarden@gmail.com

Judy Terry is a freelance garden writer who hopes to lead you through many fantastic gardens.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Garden Walks with Judy: Herky visits the prairie