There are over 10 acres of prairie within the Junction Ridge Neighborhood limits, including two lovely ponds. We encourage you to visit them all.
Last month we covered the City Engineering prairie in the green space behind Blackwolf Drive. This month we are featuring Angel Hill, a prairie developed and managed by Gillian Moreland and Susan Smith, who live at Attic Angel Center. Angel Hill is located next to The Haven on Attic Angels Circle. The Circle runs between Old Sauk Road and Junction Road.
“Our Angel Hill Prairie has been through two different summers in 2023” observed Gill Moreland who was excited to find this native flower garden when she came here in 2017.
This precious prairie was originally developed in 2000. It was much larger to begin with, covering areas now taken by The Haven as well as the parking lots below to the south.
A group of volunteer Angels, led by Barb Tensfeld, has been very helpful in getting rid of the ever-invasive aliens on our Angel Hill. Gill has developed a Bloom List and it is interesting to compare blooms from one year to the next. Some years a plant won’t even show up, and then the next year will bloom and spread! Much depends on rainfall so we keep a rain gauge. This spring was very dry and the plants were small or didn’t even appear. Then 3 inches of rain in July brought gorgeous blooms, making August spectacular with bright golden and purple Coneflowers and spiky pink Blazing stars. In fact our orange Butterfly Weed is in its second bloom!
Visitors are welcome to explore the area. A circular path has been mowed through the Prairie so people can get up close to many plants. Enjoy watching pollinators at work and see birds, like Goldfinches and Red Winged Blackbirds! Monarch butterflies are fairly frequent visitors again too.
We have found that photography works best in the early morning or evening when the sun is not so strong. A plant identification app adds to the fun!
Come visit our prairie!
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