Interesting, helpful, and beautiful all in one book. I have wanted to incorporate more native plants and turn all or much of my back yard into a prairie-mimicking area but never knew how to get started. This book is very well presented and packed with information and inspiration.

Absolutely love this new gardening book focused on prairie planting. This is a must-have for any gardener interested in native plants. The writing is much more evocative than I usually expect from a gardening book and yet there's lots of good tips and guidance as well. The photography is both beautiful and practical, giving the reader ideas and inspiration for their own projects. I especially liked the chapter that provides several sample gardens with ideas on how to replicate or modify as needed. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, I will definitely be adding this book in hard copy to my gardening shelf in my library.

What an exquisite, informative, and helpful book! This comprehensive volume discusses native plants, once abundant on the vast prairies of the central United States. But besides encouraging gardening with native flowers and grasses, author Vogt also includes the impact on an area’s ecology, pollinator nurturing, and climate change. The book is a joy to read, with vivid photos to evoke both future ideas and childhood memories. I will be recommending this volume to garden and environment enthusiasts.

Interesting book. While a bit didactic at times, still like the details and images showing thought of native plants and less formal design. Like the idea of using these ideas to improve things. For example, using certain plants in an area that always had standing water from run-off. Would recommend.

Creating a colorful native garden is gaining in popularity and Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design is the ultimate guide for homeowners and gardeners. This book offers step-by-step instructions on creating a plant list, plant selection, installation, and offers four garden design lists with the pollinators who depend on each plant. Over 150 illustrations show close-ups of native plants in beautiful color, along with foundation plantings that any beginner can manage through many seasons of enjoyment. Vogt also provides practical advice on how homeowners can pass a weed inspection, dealing with HOAs, adapting to a changing climate, and offers a valuable list of resources at the end of the book. Although the book is written from a scientific point of view, new gardeners will find many designs, tips and ways to manage their natural garden. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in gardening with native plants.

Thank you to the University of Illinois Press and NetGalley for an ARC for this review.

As someone who grew up in the prairies this book touches a special part of my soul. The photos in this book are stunning and so perfectly capture the essence of the prairies. This book is gorgeous and I love the concept of bringing prairie wildflower landscapes principles into landscape design.

Prairie Up is a great book if you are interested in establishing natural areas in you landscaping. Vogt describes the processes and the resources you will need to establish and maintain a patch of prairie. He is very convincing in pointing out the benefits of this type of landscape. He also gives suggestions on how to make a prairie landscape acceptable for the neighbors and the community. Strongly recommended for anyone thinking about trying to develop a prairie in their landscape. And the photographs are really lovely.

Reviewing from the U.K. A good book on general principles of rewilding your home space. I am not familiar with the HOA bureaucracy but the guidance given is also sound advice for dealing with neighbours where restrictions are less prescriptive.

The pictures in this book are amazing and elevate it above other books. The information is solid as well. I enjoyed the information on the soil and how prairie soil can restore and heal itself. I wish their was more information on that. I also would have been interested in traditional gardening (ie vegetable) and how to incorporate that into the natural view this book taught. All in all, a beautiful, interesting read.

This is a fantastic resource if you want to start a prairie garden or even if you don’t know you want to yet. It’s packed with information, inspiration, gorgeous photos, plant lists and more. Vogt does an excellent job selling prairies and he gives you all the information you need to make it real and successful. Highly recommended for garden lovers and anyone who cares about nature and the environment.

I read a temporary digital arc of this book for review.