THOUGHTS ON MEADOWS

I imagine when most people think of a meadow, they think of wide expanses of wildflowers. When I think of a meadow, it is more about the look than the area. It can be a wide expanse or a patch the size of a car. It can be a strip between lawn and woods, or an entire lawn that you would rather not mow anymore and would rather put to better use..Most of my plants and insects have evolved together since the ice age. They have been neighbors for a very long time. Those plants that have chosen to live in open habitat have developed forms that do well in, and appreciate the support of a crowded neighborhood.

My meadow neighborhood consists of short, medium and tall plants with varying growth habits and flowering periods. The right combination of plants will yield a long season of color, cooperative growth, and a food source for pollinators for as long as they are active.

Essential components of the meadow and its look are Goldenrods. On Cape Cod, the Goldenrod season is from mid-July through October, yet each species blooms for only a fraction of this time. So yes, a full goldenrod season would fit in a patch the size of a car, but bigger is better.

The meadow look is the wild west of garden appearances. A little wild and wooly, unshaven area full of lawlessness and debauchery, with countless villains and heroes, all living in perfect balance.

The meadow is purposely undermaintained for the benefit of all plants and animals using the area. Usually requiring only a once annual mowing or cut down per year, the litter left behind as mulch. The native plant meadow may also be the most economical part of your yard.