I have always loved the look of a meadow and the wildlife it attracts! While it isn’t really practical, or aesthetically pleasing to the neighbors, to let my whole yard become a meadow, I felt like I could make this happen. For several years, I let a small 8x8 ft plot grow like it wanted to. It was very close to my veggie garden and the insects seemed to love the grasses and wildflowers that grew there, which could only benefit the veggies. In 2023, I decided I needed something more intentional. I am on a ½ acre lot, but much of it is sloped and difficult to mow. There is a 500 or so square foot space in the yard that is especially difficult to mow or garden in, and where I have a couple of young fruit trees, so it was the perfect spot for a low maintenance area.
My first hurdle was that the grass in my yard is extremely hearty and difficult to remove. While I can manage sod removal from small spaces, I do not have the capacity to do larger areas, so it was not practical to remove the sod from my meadow area. Instead, in May 2023, I covered it with black plastic tarps. I left the tarps in place during searing temperatures, ample rainfall, and snow in hopes that the grass would eventually give up. I got my wish! In February 2024, I removed the tarps and was greeted with brown grass. Success!
The next step was to try and expose the soil, again without having to take up the sod. Even though dead grass is easier to remove than live grass, it was still too much. So I took my small garden tiller and went over the whole thing. It took up some of the grass, the moss, and generally disturbed the surface. Although not all of the sod was removed, I could see a lot of soil! Success Number 2!
I then raked the loose stuff into piles, let the piles sit for a few days so any critters living there could return to the soil, then I raked it off. My area was ready for seed!
In March, I hand spread Pacific Northwest (PNW) wildflower seed blends over the area. I had bought these from a couple of different vendors, with my main focus being wildflowers that grew well specifically in the PNW. I confess to using about twice as much seed as was recommended on the packet directions! The general wisdom was to make sure they got a water spray down daily for about two weeks, either from rain or a sprinkler. After that, it was recommended to lightly water once weekly if needed. Since spring is the rainy season here, I only had to water a couple of times.
I admit to being a little disheartened when very little came up initially and I was thinking that my almost year-long effort had been a bust. However, the seeds were just waiting for the right conditions, and in June 2024, they burst forth! I am writing this in early July 2024 and I am very happy with the initial result shown in the picture.
What comes next? Well, first I (and the pollinators) enjoy, and then I plan to mow it down late in the fall, rake everything off in the spring, and spread more seed. I might even add some bulbs here and there. The pollinators love it and so do I! So if you are thinking that a meadow might be in your future, big or small, I recommend you give it a try! It takes some time, but it pays off big in beauty, color, and wildlife friendship!
Happy gardening!
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