Prairie group plans field trip

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A Monarch butterfly is attracted to the prairie plantings at the Dave and LaVonne Middleton’s home in Roberts.

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The St. Croix Valley chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts is planning a field trip to two planted prairies from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31.

The trip will focus on the issues of living next to a planted prairie in both a rural setting and a housing development.

These low-maintenance landscapes require no watering and no fertilizer. Even during the recent drought, the plants have thrived.

The first stop is Dave and LaVonne Middleton's home in Roberts. The Middletons have a diverse landscape and have done a number of plantings.

Purple Coneflower, Ox-Eye Sunflower, Gray Headed Coneflower, Bergamot, Nodding Pink Onion, Bush Clover and Prairie Dock should be blooming.

The second stop is at Evanne and Greg Korman's home in the Town of Hudson. The Kormans used a lot of flowers in the mix to ensure the neighbors would not confuse the prairie with a "weed patch".

Contact Evanne Hunt at 715-381-1291 or eahunt@pressenter.com for more information.

Directions: Take Highway 65 for two miles south from I-94. Turn west on Coulee Trail and go 1.5 miles to Sleepy Hollow Drive. The house is the second property on the right.

Tags: outdoors, environment, home