3 years ago I started my Meadow Garden, planting around an existing bed of native plants. I started this bed in order to create a “naturalized” space within my landscape where the only regular maintenance needed is yearly burning and occasional woody plant removal. What has changed in 3 years? How is it going? Is there anything I wish I had done in the beginning?
The journey begins with an idea. It always does. My meadow garden was to be a special place, and it is. In fact it is now my favorite spot in the garden, because it is so wild. There is always something going on inside it. Insects, birds, flowers, and more thrive in my Meadow Garden. For the most part, all I have done is let it be, and let nature do its own thing. Even so far as to let the weeds grow (except trees). It is the only spot in my landscape where trees are forbidden. After all, I am not looking to have a miniature savannah in my glade.
The Plants of My Meadow Garden
When I started this journey 3 years ago, I started with an existing garden. And existing plants. But how much of that has changed? One of the main things that has changed is the shape. In 2023 I extended the garden to include a small piece from the meadow north to include a clump of gold-leaved sumac bushes. So it has gotten bigger. Unfortunately, I have not done a good job at record-keeping, though my memory is still intact.
Following are lists of natives and nonnatives found in my meadow garden. Red highlighted plants indicate additions made in 2023 and 2024.
Natives
- Bradbury’s beebalm
- Baptisia
- Cup Plant
- Giant Rudbeckia
- Blue sage
- Smooth sumac
- Common milkweed
- Butterfly milkweed
- Purple meadow rue
- Maximillian Sunflower
- Sawtooth sunflower
- Willowleaf sunflower
- Switchgrass
- Little bluestem
- Sideoats grama
- New England Aster
- Hairy oldfield aster
- Spiderwort
- Daisy fleabane
- Western ironweed
- Slender mountain mint
- Virginia mountain mint
- Wild Quinine
- Obedient plant
- Mexican hat
- Prairie blazingstar
- Spike blazingstar
- Greyhead coneflower
- Prairie coreopsis
- Leavenworth eryngo
- Rattlesnake master
- Snow on the mountain
- Amsonia
- Purple coneflower
- Broomsedge bluestem
- Mead’s sedge
- Texas sedge
- Peat grass
- Hairy ruellia
Non-Native Plants
These plants were in the garden before I turned it over to meadow. So far, they have only been an addition to the beauty. I may remove them eventually as the garden space changes and matures.
- Ribbon grass
- Bearded iris
- Ornamental oregano
- Peony
- Smooth bromegrass
- Orchard grass
- Timothy grass
Engagement in My Meadow Garden
What do I mean by engagement? Well, I mean how has it affected my outside time and how do spend time in it? I spend a lot of my time hunting insects and spiders. So much that I created an iNaturalist map for my farm to track the number of species recorded there. My meadow garden helps with attracting insects and other wildlife. On the property (5 acres) I have identified 1300 insects, 78 arachnids, and 19 birds so far.
Besides my own work in the meadow, my son has taken to finding and “feeding” yellow garden spiders with grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects he finds in the garden. It must be working, because in 2024 we found 38 yellow garden spiders in between the gardens in the front and back yards. Other insects and arachnids found include:
- 43 butterfly species
- 11 skipper butterfly species
- 549 moth species
- Crescent and hairstreak butterflies
- 15 species of assassin bugs
- 9 species of grasshoppers and katydids
- 243 beetle species
- 18 species of jumping spiders
- 9 species of orbweaver butterflies
- 11 species of dragonflies and damselflies
- 53 planthopper species
- 33 species of bees
- 10 species of gall making wasps
- 12 species of sawflies
Of course, these are found al over our 5 acres, but I believe my meadow garden plays an important role in providing necessary cover for overwintering insects and spiders.
Plans for the Future
I have no intention of removing or destroying any parts of my meadow garden. On the contrary, I plan to expand it eastward at some point, after removing some trees. I may also try to incorporate some mechanical elements, beyond the windmill of our farm. A path or stepping stone are also wanted to get inside easier for wildlife viewing.
And of course, I will continue to seed or plant new natives into the meadow. I have seeded several things which I have not yet seen growing, but I expect to find them at some point. And there is a history of slender ladies’ tresses orchids on my property, so I expect to see them as well in the meadow. Some aggressive species need thinning out (cup plant, Maximillian sunflower, ribbon grass), but overall there is little weeding to do. Nature will work together.
Conclusion
My meadow garden experience only leads me to want to add more similar meadows for others. Gardeners should embrace nature as much as they possibly can and promote healthy environments around them. In the end, we all could use some more meadow in our lives.
Happy gardening!
