For small prairie gardens, transplants are often preferable to seeds. Perennial wildflowers and grasses are slow to grow from seed and typically do not bloom until the third year or later. With care, transplants often bloom the first year, giving you an instant prairie garden. Select the plants that will flourish in your soil. Then choose the flowers and grasses that match your soils from our Wildflower Selection Guide .
Transplants do best when installed in spring or early fall.
Early spring flowers often do better when transplanted in autumn. Transplants should be spaced approximately 1 foot apart. Mark each transplant at planting time so that it is easily identified. Mulching with 3-4 inches of clean straw helps keep weeds down. One weeding may be required the first growing season.