Master gardeners to host class on creating pocket prairies
What comes to mind when you think about a prairie? Is it the breeze blowing across the fragrant grasses. Or the pops of color from the native plants in bloom and butterflies fluttering about in search of a meal. Maybe the buzzing of bees and other insects comes to mind or the pungent taste of sage. You might even imagine the texture of the different leaf types, from smooth or velvety to sticky, leathery, or prickly.
A pocket prairie lets you enjoy all of these experiences right at home. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service defines pocket prairies as smallscale, environmentally accurate prairies that are less than one acre in size. These small patches of native plants in urban and suburban areas provide habitat for native wildlife. (Pocket Prairies: Bringing Big Biodiversity to Small Spaces | Publications | AgriLife Learn) Pocket prairies include a diversity of deep-rooted plants that, once established, thrive with only minimal water and fertilizer. They offer food, shelter, and breeding spots for birds, bees, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and small mammals.
These pockets of native grasses and wildflowers are especially beneficial for migrating birds and Monarch butterflies as they head south to warm climates in the winter and return northward in the spring and summer. As more and more Texas gardeners add pockets of natives to their yards, the number of safe and nurturing habitats for the native critters expands. Over time, we are establishing a network of habitats across our neighborhoods and communities. That network supports a growing number of native wildlife.
Creating a pocket prairie doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with a small planting that contains just a few Texas natives. If you’ve already established a butterfly or pollinator garden, you are already part of the growing pocket prairie network.
Erath County Master Gardeners’ next Adventures in Gardening educational program is all about pocket prairies. The class is called Pocket Prairie Power: Small Space, Big Impact. There’s no charge for this class, although the Erath County Master Gardeners group does welcome donations.
Nat ive plant horticulturist Meghan Peoples Kanute is teaching this fun and informative class. Meghan received her Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M University and Masters in Natural Resource Ecology from Tarleton State University. She has spent 10 years working with native plants in landscape design, botanic gardens, research, and prairie restoration. Her most recent position as the Central Texas Director of the Texas Native Seeds Program with Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Center has given her a deep understanding of how to cultivate prairie plants in north central Texas.
The class is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, from 6 pm to 8pm at the AgriLife Research Center, 1229 US HWY 281 N, in Stephenville.
If you are interested in attending, please call Texas AgriLife Extension Service at 254.965.1460 or send an email message to erathmg@gmail.com.