One of our first projects on the property was cultivating a wildflower meadow. We planted this from seed and later added plugs and propagated existing plants as we weeded the meadow.
a living tapestry
A meadow is a mercurial changing thing. It inherently wants to revert back to forest so its creation and management have to keep this in mind. We mow each spring after temperatures are warm and before the first plants get too high – some years we use a string trimmer and others a mower depending on the conditions. Leaving the meadow to overwinter allows for natural succession of seedheads and provides cover to overwintering insects and forage habitat for wildlife.
Since most native wildflowers are perennial they will bloom year to year but often take several years to get established. Each season there are different things in bloom and each year the success of different species can be influenced by weather conditions from that year or the year prior.
invasive plant management
Our main invasives were stiltgrass, thistle, mugwort, bindweed, and a few others. In the first summer we pulled 20+ bags of stiltgrass and by years 4/5 we were not pulling any. We allowed the surrounding wildflowers to seed into those spots or cut seed heads and dropped them in areas we weeded.
pollinator paradise & wildlife haven
Beyond the beauty of the meadow planting, there is the benefit to native pollinators. Each seasonal bloom is either host to caterpillar or adult pollinators, sometimes both. One great example of this is the relation between milkweed and the monarch butterfly whose population decline has been directly linked to reduction of habitat. Because milkweed is toxic to cattle many farmers spray fields with herbicides meant to curb its growth. Milkweed is the only food source monarch caterpillars can feed on, so the reduced numbers of this plant have led to a steep decline. Habitats with milkweed support these butterflies life cycle and in turn bring their beauty to the landscape and garden. The same links exists between native bees, moths, fireflies, and birds. In 2020 we registered our property as a monarch waystation and pollinator habitat conservation program.
Native Plants – Northeast
A non exhaustive list of the native plants that have thrived in our particular meadow. There are more that have been short lived and for whatever reason do not thrive in this portion of our property – examples are cardinal flower, swamp milkweed, and baptisia that grow on other parts of the property
Meadow species both planted and offered include both perennials which die back to the ground and thicket species at edges of property and in swales:
- asclepias “common milkweed”
- penstemon digitalis – native foxglove
- echinacea purpurea – “coneflower”
- mondarda “bee balm”
- black eyed susan, brown eyed susan
- mountain mint
- fleabane
- ny ironweed
- solidago – “goldenrod” multiple species
- buttonbush
- elderberry
- wild raspberry
- willow
- cattails
- blue flag iris
- a huge variety of grasses, thrush, and sedge species
Be crumbled.
So wild flowers will come up where you are.
You have been stony for too many years.
Try something different.
Surrender.Rumi
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