You’d like to evoke the spirit of a meadow in your garden bed or expanse of former lawn, but you don’t want it to appear weedy or messy, or grow higher than a jumbo jet. You know that to win over neighbors, it will have to look good and do even more than the typical landscape — bring in butterflies to ooh and aah over, for example. Plus, just for fun, it has to be as little work as possible. That’s a tall order, but we’ll take a stab at it.
bernard trainor + associates
The Ingredients
Base layer. The key to any meadow is the base layer, or matrix. This is usually composed of some combination of warm-season grasses (which grow and flower in the hot summer) or cool-season sedges (which grow and flower in spring and regrow in fall). You can mix grasses and sedges (Carex spp.), but it may start to look like a hodgepodge, especially in a small area.
Pick one type of base layer and run with it. I prefer sedges because they will green up long before your neighbors’ lawns do and hold their own all summer, cooling the soil and helping to keep down weeds. You probably also want to stick to one species of sedge. Some stalwart and adaptable species include Bicknell’s sedge (C. bicknellii), which prefers dry sun; Sprengel’s sedge (C. sprengellii), which likes dry to medium shade; and shortbeak sedge (C. brevior), which handles sun or shade and dry or moist conditions.
Plant your bed, spacing the centers of the plants a foot apart. Any farther, and you risk weeds more easily establishing in the gaps — though weeds will certainly need attention in the first year or two, especially.
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Flowers. We can plant ornamental flowers in drifts or clumps in the gaps in the base layer. These flowers can be a bit shorter than the grasses or sedges to create an additional ground cover — think purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens) or prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) — or they can be the same height to provide a more uniform and manicured look.
Plants to interweave among the base layer could include nodding onion (Allium cernuum), aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) or dotted blazing star (Liatris punctata).
An unexpected height or a contrasting architectural form here and there are also welcome. This would include plants along the lines of dwarf blue indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor), pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) or smooth aster (S. laeve). Slender plants like meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) or tall blazing star (L. aspera) can also weave in there.
Remember, your plant selections should be tailored accurately to your light, soil and drainage conditions — and your region.
Putting It All Together
All in all, maybe you have 65 percent grasses or sedges and 35 percent flowers — feel free to play around with that ratio. For the flowers, plant about 10 percent flowering ground cover plants that nestle in and weave among the base layer. Then, 20 percent can be clumps or drifts of similar or slightly taller flowers that provide constant blooming and maybe 5 percent architectural plants.
Keep in mind that sedges have fibrous root zones, so you’ll want to plant flowers that have deep taproots — to more easily access nutrients beneath the sedge roots — or are similarly competitive, so neither one beats the other into submission. For example, you don’t want to put an aggressive mint among the sedges because it will soon choke out those sedges and win the battle.
Bed size, site conditions and your aesthetic preference will play a part in what and how you plant. For a more formal or calming look, you may want only one species blooming at a time. For a wilder look, you can begin letting go of the reins a bit, letting more bloom at once, and varying the heights and textures.
Experiment and play. Always remember that a natural meadow is constantly changing — not just from season to season but from year to year. Embrace and be excited by the loss of some plants and the spread of others. I can’t think of a better teacher in life than a community of plants.
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FAQs
Draw up a plan.
How to design a meadow? ›
Typically, meadows consist of a ratio of 60% annual grasses to 40% perennials and wildflowers (some say even 70/30 – but who's counting.) However, when designing my modified meadow, I reversed the ratio to about 30/70, emphasizing perennials and evergreen plants over grass, to achieve year-round interest.
What are the disadvantages of a wildflower meadow? ›
Weeds and Competing Species:
Weeds can infiltrate the meadow and compete with wildflowers for resources. Regular maintenance, including weed removal and occasional mowing, is necessary to manage unwanted plant species.
How do you prepare the ground for a wildflower meadow? ›
It is firstly important to reduce the fertility of the soil, so wildflowers don't get overwhelmed by vigorous grasses. There are two main options: Remove the top layer of soil to reveal the less fertile sub-soil. This can be done by hand in small areas or using a digger or landscape contractor on larger sites.
What are the elements of a meadow? ›
composed of one or more plant communities dominated by herbaceous species. water and/or shallow ground water (generally at depths of less than one meter, or three feet). Woody vegetation, like trees or shrubs, may be found in meadows but is not dominant.
How do you start a small meadow? ›
How to Start a Wildflower Meadow
- Prepare the Site. Sun is needed for a meadow, which is comprised of grasses, flowers and legumes. ...
- Start Seedlings in Flats. ...
- Plug in Perennials. ...
- Plant in Good Weather. ...
- Pull out Weeds. ...
- Let Plants Shed Seeds. ...
- Keep Planting!
Theodore Payne Foundation, S&S Seeds, Larner Seeds, Seed Hunt) who specialize in California natives. If possible, use locally-native wildflower seeds, but note that it is illegal and unethical to harvest seeds from public lands without a permit. Wildflowers have been in decline for many years, leave the seeds in place.
What happens if you just scatter wildflower seeds? ›
The wildflower seeds will have a hard time germinating and may not be able to access the water and sunlight that they need to grow. If there is no vegetation in the space where you plan on growing wildflowers, your chances of success may be a bit better if you simply toss the seeds onto the ground.
Can I just throw wildflower seeds? ›
We don't recommend just throwing the seed out in the field or into the grass; anyone who's tried scattering seed without removing other plants has been sorely disappointed when their wildflowers don't come up. Why is soil preparation important?
Can you spread wildflower seeds without tilling? ›
You will need to loosen the soil before planting your new wildflower seeds or wildflower and grass mix seeds, however, avoid deep tilling. Try to only disturb the top 2-3 inches of soil, then rake smooth. Allow the weed seeds that have been exposed, to germinate, then hoe or hand pull them.
Gardeners often ask, “Can I just toss seeds in the grass?” We do NOT recommend it! Planting perennials and bulbs into poorly prepared soil will result in disappointing growth as well. Removing grass and weeds will reduce competition and make room for new plants to grow and thrive.
How do you layout a garden for beginners? ›
As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.
What is the most common garden layout? ›
The most basic garden plan consists of a design with straight, long rows running north to south orientation. A north to south direction will ensure that the garden gets the best sun exposure and air circulation. A garden that runs east to west tends to get too shaded from the crops growing in the preceding row.
What is the basic pattern in garden design? ›
Grid lines drawn at 45 degrees can be used as a guideline to design the garden. Rectangular themes are the most popular and widely used. They are adapted to give a formal look to the garden. Long or narrow gardens can be easily divided into even sections using this particular theme.
How big should a meadow be? ›
It's best to start in a small area, but consider 400 square feet to be a minimal size for a wildflower meadow – this space can support a good diversity of wildflower species.
What makes a meadow a meadow? ›
A meadow (/ˈmɛdoʊ/ MED-oh) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character.
What is the best tool for cutting meadows? ›
Strimmer/brushcutters are great for the annual cut of small meadows in gardens or green spaces. If a cord attachment is used they can be effective at creating bare ground before sowing seed in smaller spaces. Hand tools can be used for creating bare ground and managing small meadows.
