Cultivating Our Roots : Growing Authentic Prairie Wildflowers And Grasses

From 1993 to 2007, Nora Stewart built up a seed business with one of the most diverse collections of native grasses and wildflowers under cultivation anywhere in the northern plains. Through extensive study, networking and her own experimentation, she built up an unparalleled knowledge of what it takes to grow these plants successfully.
In this book Nora shares a wealth of information, from the unique germination requirements of individual species, through pitfalls in gardening with these plants, to novel equipment tailored to the peculiar challenges of harvesting and cleaning their wonderfully varied seeds. There is invaluable help to get started growing native prairie plants, for home gardeners and aspiring commercial seed producers alike.
This book is also an excellent place to begin learning to identify the native plants of the prairies. It focuses on the most common species, groups them by plant families, and includes characteristics to help recognize others in the same family. More than 20 different grasses and over 60 flowers are described, with colour photos of the seedlings, mature plants, blossoms and seeds. The thorough illustration of plants in different life stages makes this book a unique resource and a valuable addition to anyone’s reference collection, from the student to the working field botanist.