I seem to like starting my newsletters and blog posts with "It's (insert month), when the (insert animal) are (insert activity)". This month's blog post is going to be that... but for the whole thing. So here it goes!

I'm literally typing this exact sentence as I sit at a table in my prairie.

Being in the Prairie is basically our Ohio-version of being in the Rainforest: all of your senses are activated as life hums, buzzes, sings and grows around you. Let's do a quick senses role call:

Sight:

I'm currently watching ladybugs, bumblebees, beneficial wasps (no, for real!), cute little Wrens, Goldfinches, Butterflies and more enjoying the food and shelter in my prairie, which happens to be tons of gorgeous blue-green grasses and a rainbow of wildflowers!

Sounds:

Right now I can hear approximately 1 million crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids singing their little hearts out... in the afternoon! These guys eat the prairie grass and feed the hungry baby birds (Mmmm, crickets!). I can also hear buzzing, happy (and bothered) birds, and a lawn mower... but I'm trying to ignore that one.

Feel:

A lovely breeze is blowing... which brings me to my next sense...

Smells:

Right this very second I smell the sweet, pure scent of wildflowers... it's hard to explain. It really is a "you have to be there" kind of thing. My family was here this past weekend and my brother described it as smelling "very clean". It really does... but not like chemical/bleach clean... more light line-dried sheets clean. Ahhhh

Truthfully, it's the smell of a prairie that's responsible for my prairie existing. I used to stop by and watch the sunrise at Prairie Oaks Metro Park on my way into work... and the Summer smells of the Downy Sunflowers, Prairie and Purple Coneflowers, and more made me fall in love with them... I had to have this for me and my family on our land!

Taste:

While I certainly do not recommend eating random plants ever... there ARE edible native plants growing in my prairie! The best one: Clustered Mountain Mint. This fabulous, beautiful, pollinator-magnet makes delicious, energizing tea... and honestly, it's another one of those "you have to be there" things again... I just can't describe how many bees this plant brings... but again, that's a good thing! Also, I've got wild blackberries in here... yum!

It's all truly a blessing!

Now, I'd love to share this blessing with all of you.... buuuttt, I've looked into the liability/insurance etc involved with having loads of students families visit my personal property and it's a bit crazy SO... let's move on to…

3 ways YOUR family can enjoy Prairie Magic:

1. Visit a Local Prairie

You'll love the sights, sounds and smells of:

-The Whetstone Park Prairie

-The Scioto Audubon Metro Park Prairie

-Prairie Oaks Metro Park

-The Shale Hollow Prairie

-The Sharon Woods Metro Park Prairies

For more on those, see my blog post!

2. Grow Your OWN Prairie

While you might not have acreage, you can still grow Ohio-native prairie plants in your yard, a raised bed, or even a pot! Checkout our native nursery partners Scioto Gardens and Leaves for Wildlife for awesome, beautiful, prairie-licious plants that'll look like a watercolor painting, smell like heaven, and bring a party of butterflies and birds to your place!

3. Play a Prairie Game… That I Made!

I recently launched my card game Native Plant Party! In it, players compete to plant as many native plants (many from the prairie) as possible to attract the biggest animal party before time runs out. Say what? Yup! Native plants are party invitations... each plant invites specific "party animals" to come to your yard... for example, the bright red Cardinal Flower is guaranteed to bring hummingbirds in close... and you never have to clean it unlike a bird feeder!

This game is for 5 year olds and up and includes party animal tokens, resources for getting a native garden started, and tons of great info... plus it's fun so thats cool too. You can find it here!

Well, I hope you and your fam find a way to enjoy the Prairie Life soon... whether it be at a park, in your yard, or with my game. It's a good life... and I gotta get back to it! See ya in class... or in the prairies!