Field Habitat Improvement Kit

A garden kit is a collection of plants pre-selected by our nursery to meet a certain purpose. Garden kits are designed to make gardening goals easy. They come pre-arranged in the tray so you can plant them just as they are for an instant design, with tall plants in the back. Or, since each plant is labeled with plant name and height, you can arrange them to suit your space.
 
The Field Habitat Improvement Kit is designed for people who want to spruce up an old pasture or other grassy space, without the multi-year process and expense of killing the existing non-native grasses to create a wildflower meadow. 
 
If you have the time, by all means, kill the grasses and plant the meadow. A meadow full of native plants would be far more beneficial to pollinators, birds, and all of our critters than non-native plants dotted with natives. However, like the neighbor whose question inspired this kit, many of us, myself included, are blessed to have some acreage, probably previously pasture, and we would like it to support pollinators and other native UP life, but we don't necessarily have the time to start from scratch and redo the whole thing in a perfect way. 
 
This kit contains plants that tend to be on the taller side, to get up above the non-native grasses, and/or are inclined to spread on their own. Plants selected will thrive in sunny, medium moisture soil. They can be planted into existing grassland, but it helps to dig up the sod in an 18 to 24 inch circle for each plug, to make sure the new plants get enough light while they are growing the roots in the first year which will support their taller second-year growth. You can get away with a smaller cleared area if you are willing to risk slower establishment. Whether or not they spread much, they will provide flowers, food, and habitat for a variety of beneficial UP insects, pollinators, and birds. If your habitat is suitable, they will spread, give some competition to the non-native plants, and help you improve your habitat without having to plant every inch of your property.
 
A typical kit will contain approximately the mix of plants below, but one way we keep the per-plant costs low on kits is by reserving the right to substitute plants based on our current inventory. Your kit will contain about 3 of each species, and may differ from the list below, however, the plants included will hold their own in a high-competition field. If you need specific plants for your habitat goals, consider supplementing your kit with individual 4" pots.
 
Cup Plant
Prairie Dock
Big Bluestem
Indian Grass
Blue Vervain
Common Milkweed
Gray-Headed Coneflower
Panicled Aster
Smooth Blue Aster
Evening Primrose
Gray Goldenrod
Yarrow 
Spreading Dogbane
 
If substitutions are necessary, they may include Canada Milk Vetch, Black-eyed Susan, Bergamot, New England Aster, Northern Heartleaf Aster, Showy Goldenrod, Early Goldenrod, Switch Grass, Prairie Sage, Pearly Everlasting, Rosinweed, Compass Plant, Early Sunflower, Giant Sunflower, Pale-leaf Sunflower, or Lanceleaf Coreopsis. These plants are also recommended if you wish to expand your planting.
 
This economical kit includes 38 plant plugs. For more coverage, check out our "buy one, get the second identical kit for 25% off" deal.
Note that the picture represents an example of our garden kits. Plant species and size may vary depending on inventory, type of kit, and time of year.