[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main East Center Valley page.]

This year I added a few more seeds and bare root plants to the wet south end near the driveway:  seeds of Meadowsweet (Spirea alba) and Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita); bare root plants of Meadowsweet (Spirea alba), Globe Mallow (Napaea dioica), and Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

I sprayed the Reed Canary Grass near the bluebird house again this spring.  It works for a while, but always comes back.  I have a new herbicide to try next fall.

I moved some nests of Baltimore Checkerspots here from plants that were along the highway.  The highway department is planning a big brush and tree cutting project there and I wanted to protect the caterpillars.  I cut the Turtlehead plants holding the nests, and attached them to Turtlehead plants in the wet part of the prairie that had no nests on them.  The caterpillars seemed to be fine after the move – they continued to eat, and they reinforced their nests on the new plants.

2/12/2023

3/14/2023

4/21/2023

6/18/2023

7/20/2023  Michigan Lily

7/20/2023  Michigan Lily, Virginia Mountain Mint, Joe Pye Weed

7/29/2023  Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillar nest on White Turtlehead.

8/4/2023  Flat-topped Aster

8/5/2023  Joe-Pye Weed, Boneset and Swamp Betony

8/6/2023  Common False Foxglove

8/22/2023  The wet south end of the prairie with Sneezeweed, Joe Pye Weed, Yellow Coneflower, Boneset, Virginia Mountain Mint and Swamp Thistle blooming.

9/6/2023

9/6/2023

12/3/2023