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Micro-Prairies
• Palouse Prairie •

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Want your own Micro-Prairie?

To purchase and schedule your Micro-Prairie installation, please click the "Book Now" button under the package you would like.

*This program is only active in the Palouse and Spokane region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Please see our Pocket Prairie page for more information.*

Palouse Micro-Prairie Packages

The Phoenix Conservancy is thrilled to offer a new way to bring a bit of the endangered Palouse Prairie into your yard. If you're looking for a low-cost way to start adding some beautiful native plants to your yard, our Micro-Prairie program is for you!

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A Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) with a resting Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus), the genus of which (Bombus) is the namesake for our largest Micro-Prairie package option.

Summary

Even small-scale restoration can make a big impact. Planting native plants around our homes and businesses improves habitat connectivity and provides critical resources for wildlife traveling between natural areas like Steptoe Butte and Moscow Mountain. Small native plant gardens can even serve as permanent homes for animals with very small ranges, such as tiny bees.

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The Phoenix Conservancy has been restoring endangered Palouse Prairie habitat for years with our successful Pocket Prairie program, but we realize that not everyone is able or willing to restore a big area. Our Micro-Prairies make restoration more accessible by offering small, pre-set prairie packages that are quick and affordable.
 

Benefits
 

  • Our Micro-Prairies showcase beautiful blooms throughout the growing season, bringing a little extra sunshine to your home or business.
     

  • Micro-Prairies are low-maintenance once established, and their small size makes establishment care as easy as any garden bed! (We provide DIY care instructions with every Micro-Prairie purchase.)​

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  • Micro-Prairies provide food and shelter for native pollinators, birds, and other small creatures, bringing more life to your yard.
     

  • Native plants offer improved protection against soil erosion, improve soil aeration and fertility, and attract beneficial birds and insects that pollinate crops and help control garden pests.

Micro-Prairie Package Options

Our standard options include 3’ diameter (“Perdita”), 5’ diameter (“Andrena”), and 7’ diameter (“Bombus”) micro-prairie installations, each named in honor of a different native bee genus. We also plan to offer a 1-2’ diameter potted prairie installation for renters or those who want an even smaller option. Each package includes a mix of native prairie wildflowers and bunchgrasses (plus a shrub in "Bombus"), a seed mix for added color and diversity over time, and installation by our expert landscaping crew. For each package, we use a standard set of plant species, a few rotating species , and an evolving seed blend, meaning that every Micro-Prairie is unique.

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An illustration of a Perdita Micro-Prairie (left). A Perdita bee pollinating a flower (right, photo by Lisa Hill).

Perdita

3-ft Diameter, 9 Seedlings + Seed Mix

  • 2 Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis)

  • 2 Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Psuedoroegneria spicata)

  • 1 Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)

  • 1 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

  • 1 Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)

  • 1 Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)

  • 1 Rotating Species

  • Seed mix (10+ species)

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An Andrena bee pollinating a flower (left). An illustration of an Andrena Micro-Prairie (right).

Andrena

5-ft Diameter, 15 Seedlings + Seed Mix

  • 3 Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis)

  • 3 Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Psuedoroegneria spicata)

  • 2 Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)

  • 2 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

  • 2 Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)

  • 1 Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)

  • 2 Rotating Species

  • Seed mix (15+ species)

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Bombus

7-ft Diameter, 24 Seedlings + Seed Mix

  • 4 Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis)

  • 3 Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegnaria spicata)

  • 2 Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)

  • 2 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

  • 2 Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)

  • 1 Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis or S. missouriensis)

  • 1 Showy / Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa /   A. incarnata)

  • 1 Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

  • 1 Wyeth's Buckwheat (Eriogonum heracleoides)

  • 1 Tapertip Penstemon (Penstemon attenuatus)

  • 1 Slender Cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis)

  • 1 Native Shrub (Customer's Choice)

  • 4 Rotating Species

  • Seed mix (20+ species)

An illustration of a Bombus Micro-Prairie (left). A Bombus bee rests on a flower (right).

Frequently Asked Questions

"How do I sign up?"

Please fill out the booking form above for your preferred package to secure a spot in our schedule. You can also visit the "Services" page on our website to find the same forms. You'll need to provide a deposit, the address where the Micro-Prairie will be installed, and a few details about where on your property you would like the Micro-Prairie. We look forward to working with you!

"Is this a landscaping business? Isn't The Phoenix Conservancy a non-profit?"

Sort of and yes! The Phoenix Conservancy is a 503(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our Micro-Prairie program is a social enterprise that both furthers our mission to restore endangered ecosystems and helps fund our larger restoration projects. Net revenue goes toward restoring places like Conservation Park, Missouri Flat Creek, and other public lands in the Palouse.

"Will The Phoenix Conservancy take care of my Micro-Prairie after it is planted?"

Our Micro-Prairie packages do not include maintenance costs. It is the owner's responsibility to care for their Micro-Prairie once it is installed. Our weeding crew is available for hire separately if desired. However, we are always happy to answer questions about care. We will also reach out to offer a free monitoring visits during the first summer (July-September) for Micro-Prairies installed in the spring and during the following spring (April-June) for Micro-Prairies installed in the fall.

"How do I care for my Micro-Prairie?"

Micro-Prairies are designed to require relatively little care after they become established (i.e., fill in). We recommend watering your Micro-Prairie every other day during its first late spring and summer. After the first year, summer watering can be reduced more and more each year. Please note that it is perfectly normal for our perennial species to go dormant (i.e., look a bit crispy) in the summer months if watering is not consistent or in cases of extreme heat and drought. The longer you water into the dry season, the longer your prairie will stay green. Additionally, regular weeding will be necessary, especially at the early stages of development before the native plants become large enough to keep out the weeds. Mulching is a great weed prevention tool for those that prefer not to weed as regularly and want a more tidy look, but will require more long-term maintenance to maintain than allowing the native plants to fill in over time.

"How long does it take for a Micro-Prairie to become established?"

In general, our Micro-Prairies take about two to four years to become well-established, but you’ll likely get blooms the first year. This timeline varies based on multiple factors, including the amount of sunlight your Micro-Prairie receives, soil conditions, how frequently you choose to water, and yearly variation in weather patterns.

"My yard has a lot of shade. Is it still possible to have a Pocket Prairie?"

The Phoenix Conservancy specializes in restoring open prairie and prairie-forest edges, meaning that we have species that thrive in full sun and others that thrive in partial shade. As long as the area in question isn’t under dense tree cover and has partial sun, the species we have selected for the Micro-Prairies will do well.

"Will my Micro-Prairie be installed on the date and time I select no matter what?"

Not necessarily. If conditions are likely to prevent successful planting (e.g., heavy rain, extreme heat, the ground freezes), we will get in touch no later than 24 hours ahead of your chosen installation date to reschedule. That said, we've chosen our spring and fall planting periods to minimize risk of unfavorable weather.

"Will I need to be present for my Micro-Prairie installation?"

No, but we'd prefer you be there to tell us exactly where you'd like your Micro-Prairie installed. If you can't be present, please clearly mark the location by flagging the center of where the Micro-Prairie should be installed.

"Can I customize the shape of my Micro-Prairie?"

Yes, within reason. If you would prefer a rectangle, circle, or other simple shape with the same square footage as one of the standard circular packages, we are happy to accommodate you! It must be approximately the same area. Please be sure to leave a note in the intake form and clearly flag the area in advance.

"Can I request species other than the ones listed for each Package?"

Purchasers of the Bombus Package can choose their shrub from a list we will provide after purchase. However, you may not choose which wildflower species are planted in your Micro-Prairie. If you would like to increase customization, please see our Pocket Prairie page.

"I'd like to do the landscaping myself. Can I buy native plants from The Phoenix Conservancy?"

At the moment, no. We grow all of our plants in our greenhouse with supplemental purchases from Rose Creek Nursery and Plants of the Wild. In the near future, we hope to start selling local ecotypes of species you are unlikely to find elsewhere. Be sure to stay connected through our newsletter or social media to find out when this program launches!

"I don't live in the Palouse. Can I still get a Micro-Prairie?"

For now, no. This program is currently only available to homeowners and businesses in the Palouse Prairie region of the Palouse Prairie and Spokane regions of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. We primarily work in the Pullman-Moscow area, but we will accept contracts anywhere within the dotted white line on the map below, plus anywhere in Spokane County.

"I live in the Palouse but am pretty far away from your headquarters in Pullman. Can I still get a Micro-Prairie?"

Yes! We will accept contracts anywhere within the dotted white line on the map above, and we provide services at no additional cost to anyone living within 15 miles of our headquarters in Pullman. If you live farther than 15 miles away, we will apply a $1.75 per-additional-mile surcharge to and from your Micro-Prairie's location. For example, if you live 25 miles away, we would apply a $35 surcharge (10 extra miles one-way * 2 * $1.75 = $35). 

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A map depicting the boundary and towns of the Palouse Prairie.

Francis & Heidi B.

“We are loving our new pocket prairie. There is always something blooming and the flower colors change with the seasons."

Mike & Lisa H.

"We are very pleased with the work of the Phoenix Conservancy program! Our front yard, in particular, is fast becoming a showcase for Palouse Prairie after just a few short months. Looking forward to watching our beautiful yard continue to develop!"
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