Meadowscaping

I've always loved gazing at meadows watching the flowers, sway to and fro, while butterflies flutter by. My attempts at creating a meadow, however, have been frustrating and disappointing. I would scatter wildflower seeds in May and dream. By August all I had was a grassy mess with California poppies scattered about.

Until , that is,I researched "meadowscaping" and learned how to tackle the issues keeping me from a gorgeous vista.

First the soil needed rejuvenation. After the area has been cut back in October I scattered tilling radishes. The radishes grow down to 6 inches in length and in the next summer decompose, leaving behind aerated soil. In early winter I scattered a northeast wildflower mix of seeds as well as the yellow rattle flower seed. The wildflower seeds need at least 6 weeks of cold temperature to germinate (cold stratification). According to Wikipedia

"Yellow rattle is used to create or restore wildflower meadows, where it maintains species diversity by suppressing dominant grasses and the recycling of soil nutrients. The seed is sown thinly onto grassland from August to November—to germinate the following spring, the seeds need to remain in the soil throughout the winter months".

Learn more about this plant here.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinanthus_minor

This is my second growing season of meadowscaping and the number of beneficial insects is growing. It is also creating a shelter for small animals and amphibians.

Below you will find links to help you create a meadow of your own!

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/planting-pollinators-establishing-wildflower-meadow-seed-fact-sheet

https://www.americanmeadows.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SEM%20-%20Branded%20-%20AMI%20-%20EM&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_-GxBhC1ARIsADGgDjspFfnAM35QuaRq6GJcyfFGc5V6U_-xxn3Q-AgAl0sRX7KDHI1gZ_gaApPtEALw_wcB