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ursulav — Prairie In A Teacup
Published: 2010-04-17 00:10:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 27222; Favourites: 1378; Downloads: 372
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Description
Sometimes--most of the time--this is what I feel like I'm trying to do gardening. I'm kind of obsessed with wildlife gardening, particularly using native species. My latest wildly overambitious project is a sort of teacup prairie, an attempt to recreate a chunk of prairie on a dry hillside about forty feet long by eight feet wide.The problem is diversity...the vanished Piedmont prairie of this region consisted of 277 species, many of which are now endangered. At the moment, I have exactly 10 species, dotted rather absurdly over the hillside. I also don't have woodland bison, which were apparently rather important to the ecosystem, and god only knows if the correct pollinators will show up, even if I manage to coax these plants into establishing.
Still, you start somewhere. If I fail (and I will very likely fail) at least the bees will get a few good meals along the way.
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Digital, Painter 7. Prints of this are available, singly and in a set with the Cattail Teacup piece, at Red Wombat Studio: [link]
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Comments: 126
Hi! I've featured this in my new journal [link] !
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The bee adds a nice focal point, not to mention scale.
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Hello! I'm making a series of art videos about flowers, and I was wondering if I could include this piece in one of my videos. It would be set to an original classical-style composition (by me) about this flower. I'll be sure to credit you and link to your page if you say yes. Here's a link to see the kind of music it is: [link]
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unusual, but it looks tasty! (tee hee)
I love it!
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Such a lovely piece and what a great project! It's really inspiring, especially since I find vanishing habitats such a painful topic. About the time you posted this, my business professor brought up how a business established a plant in part of Oregon and laughed about how Green Peace showed up to protest. I just had to cringe because that's sage brush habitat - home to our vanishing sage grouse and one of the many vanishing habitats. So it's absolutely wonderful to hear about your project - I hope it goes well.
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Oh! I completely forgot to comment on the actual PICTURE! How did you do it? Did you paint it from life with real flowers and teacup, or from imagination? If it is from real objects, are the native flowers really small, or it a trick of arrangement?
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Wow! That prairie project sounds amazing! Ten species is still a good start, and remember that not every prairie species is going to want to like being on a hill side. I live in England, and the closest habitats we have are heath and meadowland habitats, and I know that the species in even a slight valley can be very different from those on the slopes, because plants can be very fussy about what kind of aspect they have because of sun levels, how moist or dry the soil is etc. Around where I live there's pockets of natural chalk grassland (the myth that the UK was one big forest is only a myth) but most of it has been grazed by livestock (sheep) but in some places they deliberately graze early breed sheep to try and keep the grasslands from becoming a big patch of brambles, because the species that would have eaten the brambles don't exist here any more, and so grassland has become dependent on human intervention. Somewhere near where I live there's a woodland that they want to recreate as heath, but it was never heath in the first place, and try as they might, the soil's just wrong for heathers and heath plants, whereas a couple miles away, the underlying geology is different, and they could easily return some land that was once a golf-course and is now a wasteland full of brambles back to a heath, but as it's owned by someone else, and that person isn't interested, it won't happen.
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Now that's a tea freshly made from the hillsides of a green, lush praire. Their flowers blooming from bees and their hunger.
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Lots of teas can be made from wild flowers and it really does taste like you are drinking all sorts of great flavors in your cup. Such a great idea for the composition! The detail is spot on as well. It gives me a nice calm feeling. Great work! ^_^
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That's a really fabulous metaphor for restoration efforts.
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Good luck with your project! The world would probably be a much healthier place if everyone tried to restore a little piece of it.
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This is beautiful, and I love the story that inspired it. Best of luck with your garden, and I'm totally 
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aw i love these pictures, great concept
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This is wonderful, as is the sentiment behind it.
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Awesome project. If you need any semi-local help, please do let this little earth-witch know. I'll help out any way I can.
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I saw this pic and thought, "Omigosh, it's just like home in a cup!" <3 prairie
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First of all, THANK YOU FOR PLANTING NATIVE!!! That touches my heart, because it is SO SO important!!
Second, I have always loved your art, you have a great style and I love to see it in my inbox.
Third, I'm glad that you posted the importance of pollinators, because without them we have no flowers! 
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My god - I think I'm going to die from charming over-dose! Ohhh the bee!
In all seriousness, these are really wonderful. Great work, as always.
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I like this ... very different from your usual works.
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The Benedictine monks in Collegeville, MN brought back some acres of wetlands and prairie on their property including most (if not all) of the native plants. I'm not entirely sure how you'd get hold of them, but here's a link that should send you in the right direction, should you be interested: [link]
Also, lovely painting!
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oh how beautiful. i like the composition. Cant wait to see more
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You've done it again! Created something for the teacup sipping nature loving soul that is me. Thanks!
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art squared - flower arrangement and capturing the result .
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Ten species isn't a bad start. A dry hillside is only one specific habitat within the region, so I'd expect some species to take to it better than others. Of the 277 native species, only a certain fraction of them would have likely preferred that habitat (unless I'm mistaken and the prairie is entirely dry hillside).
I'm doing the apartment thing right now, so I can't do much in the way of gardening. But I'm really looking forward to getting my own place after college. I'm hoping to use native plants from wherever I wind up going for my landscaping purposes.
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This is wonderful! I want to put both teacups on my wall.
As for your backyard prairie, It's often hard for private citizens to do full on restoration projects. You might find a wholesale native plant nursery near you that caters to restoration work. Tell them what your trying to do and they'll probably be willing to work with you. At least that has been my experience working up here in Western Washington. Also don't get stressed out if it isn't a perfect historical match, most of the critters that pass through your backyard will still be very happy with it. Good luck!
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I love this sooo much! I wonder if you'll continue with this theme. I'd love to see more like this and the swamp. Perhaps the woodland or a cold climate next? :3
I too find myself in that small percentage of people that adore the wildflowers of my home. I always think it looks better if a lawn is covered in what others consider 'weeds'. Oh! Hows about a poster for wildflower rights? That seems to be right up your alley. :snort:
Anywho, lovely idea and I hope to see more soon!
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I wish you luck! The gardening project I'm currently failing at is growing lavender in a flowerpot, so I certainly must salute you ambition.
Also, that bee is adorable! (^__^)
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I know just what you mean. Do you order seeds or plants? Where are you getting them from?
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Nichegardens.com is local to me, so I get a lot of stuff there, and I've been haunting the local botanical gardens.(Actually, if you want all the gory details, I suggest checking out my gardening blog at [link] )
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Gardening blog? Take me I'm yours!
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