Before Europeans arrived, with their muskets and boomboxes, much of Missouri was prairie. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of this ecosystem remains, according to the Missouri Prairie Foundation, which aspires to restore native grasslands lost to agriculture and sprawl. Each spring, the foundation sponsors a native plant sale at the City Market. This year, Mervin Wallace, the operator of Missouri Wildflowers Nursery in Jefferson City, arrived in a truck loaded with wild ginger, purple coneflower, spider milkweed, and other plants and grasses as easy to grow as they are pleasing to the eye. For as little as $2.50 a plant, modern settlers could beautify their yards while reclaiming the region's natural heritage. Mark your calendar: Wallace will be back April 17 and 24, 2010.
