2020 Winter RVC Insights - Flipbook - Page 11
“One thing about working with
natives,” Kathy explained, “especially
the grasses, is that you have to be
patient. Sometimes upwards of two
to three years for these to really take
off. I used to put a flag where I planted things, particularly potted plants
as opposed to seeding. One time,
after about four years, there was still
a spot that was vacant. My husband
Jim asked, ‘Don’t you think you
should take that flag out, obviously
there’s nothing there?’ I told him that
it wasn’t hurting anything, and I was
just going to leave it there. Year five
came around and up came some big
blue stem, one of the taller prairie
plants.”
“You do have to have patience, especially with the grasses and you
need to have some grasses in with
your forbs, it’s just a better diversity,”
said Kathy. “A lot of it is doing your
research, and just like with anything
else, you’ll make some mistakes. It
just takes time.”
Everyone asks Kathy how Restabit
got its name. With a fond look in her
eyes, Kathy explained, “Restabit was
named by a former coworker, Mark
VanDeVelde, who unfortunately has
since passed away. When we first
bought the property, unknowingly
to me, Mark had gone down there
to do some soil sampling. When he
got back to the office he came up to
my desk and said very softly, ‘I found
your Restabit.’”
Kathy explained further, “It’s Restabit for wildlife and it’s Restabit for
me, too. At the time we bought the
land, all that was down there was a
picnic table, not even any cell phone
reception, although that’s changed
now.” After pausing for a moment,
Kathy quietly said, “That’s how it got
its name. Mark and I were coworkers
for 25 years before he passed away,
we worked very closely together, it’s
really special for me. It’s the perfect
name.”
Learn More
Kathy shared some of the resources, nurseries and garden
centers she used along her prairie journey:
1) Prairie Nursery – Westfield, Wisconsin
2) Prairie Moon Nursery – Winona, Minnesota
3) Simply Native Nursery – Alexis, Illinois
4) Pleasant Prairie Nursery – Williamsfield, IL
5) Joe Gates, Plants for Pollinators –Taylor Ridge, IL
7) Be sure to check out the books
Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants by Justine Hand
and Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife
with Native Plants, by Douglas W. Tallamy.
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