Lessons From a Prairie Pro

by Heather Prince

Benjamin Vogt has spent

more than a decade working with and writing about prairie plants. His robust design practice, Monarch Gardens, LLC, has flourished in Nebraska and throughout the Midwest. Vogt has also developed an active social media presence, written countless articles, authored three books, and contributed to nine more. His newest book is Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design from 3 Field Books, an imprint of the University of Illinois Press, and will be released in January 2023. His passion for the Midwest prairie shines brightly and he is a staunch activist for native landscaping, no matter the place. “I pretty much started out with activism,” commented Vogt. “My business model is as much about activism as it is about garden design. I’m an instigator.”

Vogt’s keynote address at the 2022 Impact Conference allowed us a peek into his design practice and a glimpse into how a prairie landscape can be a rich resource for people and animals. These are landscapes that also offer a deep connection to place. The clients that seek out Vogt are ones looking to create habitat for wildlife, restore a piece of native landscape, and add the many-faceted beauty of native plantings to the places they dwell and work.

Plants Will Lead the Way

One of the key lessons Vogt has learned is, “I am not in charge. Plants will take the lead and show us where they want to grow and how they will adapt.” Vogt uses a combination of seed and plugs when installing a prairie landscape. These spaces are designed to change and adapt to existing conditions, not remain a static painting and Vogt plans for succession in his plantings. “I’ve had to learn from the plants where they want to live. The designs always change, even as I’m laying out plants. It’s constant editing. And then no matter what, the plants will shift and find their own micro-niches.”

Vogt has an active calendar of installs and does not do formal design documents. “95% of my designs I work out in situ,” he commented. “I am not doing landscape plans. I’m not doing blueprints. I’m out there in the landscape getting a feel for the contours of the site, experiencing the sightlines, and how light interacts in the space.” Vogt approaches plant choices from a plant communities point of view with a focus on place history. He utilizes local ecotype plants as much as possible.

One of the most powerful facts of a prairie landscape to accept is change and being present for managing the site. “This is a long process,” admitted Vogt. “This is not installing hardscape and it’s done. The landscape is going to change and that’s the point. Prairies takes several years to develop. The space is dynamic. We want it to change. We want it to look differently and even act differently from season to season and year to year.” Vogt gives each client a one-page agreement with a list of practices and realities of a natural garden that they must agree to. “It discusses anticipated establishment time, how the landscape will be dynamic and change year to year with some plants coming and going, management expectations (especially weeding the first year), and general dos and don’ts. It’s also about communicating with me regarding any issues or questions as I pride myself on being very responsive.”

Vogt’s business focuses on installation with his clients taking up management in following years. He will regularly check on projects and keep in touch for questions and any needed edits, but the bulk of management falls on the client. Vogt feels fortunate that his client base is primarily do-ityourselfers that are eager to be involved in their projects. “Each season, management needs are going to change and evolve as the plant matrix grows and matures. We use many annual forbs and grasses the first year as cover crops for perennials. Those disappear or reseed lighter each subsequent year. I do ask that they not stray from the management guide the first two years. And I ask that they don’t use fertilizers or preemergent herbicides as the plants need to figure it out.”

The preemergents inhibit seed germination, thus defeating the purpose of initial seeding and any subsequent over-seeding.

Vogt also sees a key difference between maintenance of and managing a landscape. “The former is doing things at set times each year no matter if the landscape needs it or not, the latter is about responding to what the landscape is showing you and adapting interventions based on that more holistic observation. I think the latter is also less involved, less costly, less time consuming, and more natural, too.” Setting client expectations from the beginning includes them in the observation and editing process. It connects the homeowners to their properties and allows them to participate in their landscapes instead of being passive bystanders. The Landscape Contractor February 2023