Illinois' Original Lawn & Garden

Illinois' Original Lawn and Garden. . "In all my life, I never saw or dreamed of so beautiful a sight as the rolling prairies." , Ellen Bigelow, 1835 , , A rippling sea of grasses and wildflowers once stretched for miles as far as the eye could see. The prairie was a land of sun, wind and open horizons and once covered millions of acres in Illinois. Herds of bison, elk and other wildlife were found here in numbers that amazed early explorers. , , These native grasslands are called tallgrass prairies, since plants reach heights of six feet or more by late summer. The wide variety of wildflowers bloom at different times during the growing season, resulting in a constantly changing, multi-colored panorama. The prairies buzz and sing with insect life during summer, while birds flit among the grasses, feasting on the insects. Red-tailed hawks soar overhead on sunny days, watching for the movement of small rodents or snakes within the dense grass. Life retreats underground during winter, sheltered from the cold by dry, matted grasses, waiting to emerge once more in the warmth of spring.