Hi Holly, and Welcome.

Check out the websites I will enclose. They will give you great advice on starting a prairie, and they also have excellent help over the phone/e-mail for your specific conditions. And, also, request some bluebonnet and Indian paintbrush seeds in the mix. They will at least be annuals in your area.

In any wildflower situation...grasses are your friends..they help hold up the flowers!

www.prairiemoon.com
www.prairienursery.com
www.wildflower.org

I'm not sure Bluebonnets would be happy. There's a native southeastern Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja cocciniea), but I've only seen it near creeks in part shade. It's biennial.

For sun, try Coreopsis lanceolata (blooming now in your area, I bet -- I just saw it in NE Alabama less than a week ago), Echinacea purpurea, Ratibida pinnata, various goldenrods, Gaillardia, as well as asters. If your meadow is on the moist side, phlox species will do well, such as P. paniculata, P. pilosa, P. glaberrima, P. maculata. Silphiums are a wonderful big impact plant in a meadow. Look for S. compositum (Rosinweed) and S. perfoliatium (Cup Plant), both of which I believe are native to your area. Well, come to think of it, the latter one might not be, but it'll grow like it was born there. That puppy will get 12 feet tall. And, of course, Rudbeckia hirta (Black Eyed Susan) is always a pleasure.

Sunflowers are a good choice, too. In my area I often see them near woods edges where they get a little shade. Some nice perennial types are: Helianthus atrorubens (Appalachian Sunflower), H. hirsutus (rampant spreader in moist soil), H. tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke -- ditto on the rampant spreading), and H. divaricatus and H. microcephalus for shadier sites.

Biggest issue is where to find seed. You can often swap for stuff like this. I'd also Google the names (use the botanical names I listed for best results) to find seed sources.

Soeur