Making Meadows

Meadows have a powerful effect in the landscape

Long views over bands of grasses and flowering perennials can leave you feeling like you are swimming in the landscape.

In winter, native grasses turn a silvery-tan accented by the remaining seedheads from perennials like Echinacea and Rudbeckia.

As the winter transitions to spring and then summer, the old growth is replaced by the flush of color provided by flowering plants in bloom and new foliage as grasses emerge.

Designing and installing meadows with native seeds and plants takes time, but creates a landscape experience that is layered and generous in the beauty and habitat it provides.

Some species like Baptisia, Asclepias, and Amsonia can take a few seasons to develop their full form from seed. Other species like Coreopsis, Rudbeckia and Ratibida are quicker to sprout and flower.

If you have been curious about what a meadow could look like in your space, there are different approaches you can use with seeds or live plants to achieve different effects with success.

However you decide to create a meadow, adding native grasses and flowering perennials back into the landscape is a great way to create beauty and have a positive impact on your local ecology.