Some things to keep in mind when planting a prairie garden.

Make sure you choose plants that will grow well in your soil. Most sites will be mesic--not too dry and not too wet. If your soil is mostly sand-like, you should pick plants that grow in dry soil. If you know that your site remains soggy for a large portion of the growing season, you'll need to pick plants that grow in wet soil. The majority of prairie plants will grow more easily in a mesic soil site.

Find out some information about your seeds. You want seeds that are from the same region. If you are from Illinois, your seeds should not come from Nebraska.

Give your plants lots of room. Plant them about 18-21 inches apart. Prairie plants require lots of space and sun.

Prairie plants look more impressive if you have several plants of each species planted near each other. You'll want to consider planting at least two or three plants for each type.

Pick a variety of plants that are different heights and flower throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Your garden will be more spectacular this way.

Map out where your plants will go in your garden. Put the shorter plants in front and the taller plants in the back of the site. You want them to get the most sunlight possible.

Not all of your plants may grow well the first year. They might need a winter before they are ready to grow. Some plants may surprise you in the second year of your prairie garden.