As homeowners ditch the traditional lands for more sustainable yards, meadow gardens are gaining popularity. Not only do meadow gardens require few resources to create and maintain native plant colonies, but they are also beneficial to wildlife. Creating a meadow planting does not require a large property. A sunny spot or a curbside strip or slope is all that is necessary. You can contact a Sacramento landscape contractor to help you create the perfect meadow garden landscape, but before that, here are some tips for you to keep in mind when planning for a meadow garden. There are no specific rules that define a meadow garden.
It can be areas that consist of primarily native plants that are naturalized together to give the appearance of a wild meadow. Most of these plants consist of flowers and native grasses. They also provide a habitat to support wildlife like butterflies, bees, and other insect pollinators.
These gardens require no fertilizer once established. However, not all meadow gardens are created alike. You may contact a Sacramento landscape contractor to create a meadow garden, whether you want to create it solely with native plants or add annuals and other favorites.
Choose a Suitable Site
Select an area that meets the criteria for growing a meadow. Make sure it receives enough light and is accessible for planting and maintenance. Also, consider how big you want your meadow garden to be. You can even choose a small corner of your yard for meadow plants. An ideal spot would be a curbside strip as long as it receives enough light. Research You can find out what type of plants comprise a natural garden; you can visit local meadows or consult experts at the conservation department, local nursery, etc. Create a list of plants that will thrive in your area and see what varieties or seeds mixtures are available. Select plants that provide food, shelter, and breeding places if you want to attack butterflies and other insects.
Come Up with a Plan
Though a meadow garden has an informal appearance, it requires planning.
● Experts recommend that a meadow garden should consist of a mixture of 60-65% native grasses and 35-40% flowering perennials. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. While grasses provide texture and movement, flowering plants give a pleasing effect.
● Pick grasses and perennials that provide food and shelter for wildlife and include plant varieties native to your particular region.
Meadow Garden Design Tips
● Pathways: create gentle pathways for easy access for maintenance and simply strolling. The pathways can consist of pavers, stones, or grasses that can be mowed.
● Color succession: make sure that you include perennials, bulbs, and annuals that bloom at different times for continuous color throughout the growing season.
● Repeat plantings: Meadow garden designs should have repetition with similar colors and textures to lend cohesion and draw the eye through the landscape.
● Keep it simple: limit your plant palette to smaller spaces so the design doesn’t become too busy.
● Consider the scale: Pay enough attention to plant size. If you want an open meadow, stick to lower-growing plants shorter than 3-4 feet high. You may also create swaths of plants in varying heights for a layered look. You can use dwarf varieties for a miniature meadow in smaller areas.
● Think out of the box: you can mix native perennials with quick-growing annuals. Emphasize colorful flowering perennials, with grasses playing a secondary role. You may also add some of your favorite flowers.
● Add finishing touches: Including boulders can create the look of a natural meadow. And also create a contrast. You may also opt for a waterfall to recreate the experience of a native stream. A rustic bench can allow you to relax and enjoy your meadow garden.
Tips for Planting
● Ensure that you space the plants to their mature width so that the plants completely cover the soil. It will also suppress the weeds and reduce long-term maintenance.
● Create a greater visual impact by planting a drift of 3 or 5.● Sow seeds that are easy to grow. Annuals like zinnias, cosmos, or poppies can quickly fill in gaps and provide additional color. Which are the Meadow Plants to Include?
● Aster: This is a perennial flowering plant with attractive and colorful blooms. The daisy-like flowers come in hues of purple, white, pink, and blue. The plant is a late-season source of nectar for bees and other pollinators.
● Black-Eyed Susan: these plants have bright colored daisy-like flowers in colors of red, orange, yellow, and bronze.
● Little Bluestem: This plant is known for its striking foliage and graceful habit. It is an ornamental grass that forms a dense clump and has arching blue-green leaves that appear in spring.
Takeaway
These tips will help you create the most beautiful meadow right in your yard. Make sure you choose the right plants and landscape design from the best designer.
