There’s something magical about a meadow. Just gazing upon a meadow can make you feel connected to nature, along with helping you let go of stress and inspiring creativity. Witnessing the sun’s glow upon a meadow at the evening’s golden hour, there’s no denying you’re in the presence of natural beauty.

Aside from their beauty, meadows provide a variety of important ecological functions. A multitude of species depend upon meadows and prairies to survive. They also help improve biodiversity by attracting and providing habitat for birds, other pollinators, and wild animals.

So it’s perfectly understandable to hear many homeowners and gardeners say they want to turn an area of their yard into a meadow. I say, “Yay!” for less lawn and more areas converted to eco-gardens and meadows. However, it’s not just a matter of not mowing the lawn and letting it grow tall, and it’s certainly not a wild, no-maintenance option.

It is important to recognize, understand, and expect that naturalized meadows take several seasons to establish and, like nature, are constantly evolving. The composition and aesthetic will change season to season and year to year — this is the beauty of a natural meadow that is ecologically stable.

I’ve partnered with a few clients to create meadow landscapes, and I inadvertently created a micro-meadow right here at Sweet Earth Co. Read below to learn a bit about one recent meadow project. And, if you are interested in creating a meadow on your property, now is the perfect time to get planning so that you are ready to begin work in the fall.

Over this past winter we worked with some clients in Katonah, NY to convert the area in this pic (approximately 5,000 sq.ft.) from lawn to meadow. The goal was to convert this backyard lawn area to a naturalized meadow that offered:

• seasonal interest,

• bird and other pollinator habitat,

• regenerative properties [ecologically stable],

• and that could be maintained simply and cost effectively.

We conducted a site assessment and developed a design and plant list, as well as a plan that included site prep, installation timetable, and maintenance. We began prep work in early spring and the pictures below show the progression from prep to what the meadow looked like by late July.

Our work is certainly not over. This installation is a two to three year process of layering and refining, followed by annual mowing and maintenance. This fall, based on what we observed was and was not working, we will reseed and introduce perennial plugs.