Design a Meadow Garden

Meadow gardens are one of the hottest trends in garden design. They have the wind swept natural look that never loses its appeal. Gardens and people share something in common – looks can be deceiving! Meadow gardens may seem that they have been forever part of the landscape. Meadow gardens, however, are actually the result of very creative garden design!

Grass in all its glorious shades provides the perfect base for the best meadow garden design. Its color remains for most of the year until it is replaced by rustic seedheads.  Grasses of different varieties, colors, and textures can be used in creative garden design. Growing grass requires skill and thoughtful planning.  The creative gardener doesn’t want to plant grass at exact and regular intervals or in a straight line. Nature’s grass does not have such a manicured appearance. Grasses which grow tall can’t be planted where they will dwarf their shorter relatives.

Meadow gardens also need wildflowers. The best wildflower displays will come from local wildflower seeds.  Local flowers will thrive in their own comfort zone. Select flowers with different bloom times. Some plants will then bloom in spring or in summer. Hardy plants can last well into autumn. Match your flowers to the scale of your garden. Good garden design dictates that you use small flowers in a small garden. Larger gardens can handle bolder displays. Plant wildflowers that grow well together. American wild flowers and daisies are excellent partners. Any flower which self-seeds or just needs minimum maintenance will work well in a meadow garden.

Wildflowers, however, deserve tender loving care at the beginning of their lives. Care must be taken with proper soil preparation and adequate watering. Weeding and thinning out undesirables will be two later steps. Wildflowers must also be planted so they will grow and appear to be natural growth. An appealing garden design will have lots of color, deep contrasts, and tons of variety. An occasional daisy, the odd aster, a sprinkling of wild roses – all will help create the perfect meadow garden.

Everyone loves a meadow garden. They are beautiful. They provide cooling shade. Meadows gardens trap pollutants. They are also a gardener’s friend and afford infiltration of rainwater. Meadow gardens are also a friend to birds, butterflies, and bees. The diverse garden design is a perfect habitat for such fascinating creatures. A bird bath will provide anextra incentive for visitors. And don’t forget to provide comforts for human visitors! Comfortable benches, tables, and chairs will entice vistors to spend time in the midst of your beautiful garden design.

Creative meadow gardens are places of aesthetic beauty.  They are also places of peace, pleasure, and tranquility. Meadow gardens require a love of and a dedication to garden design. “In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.” 

By Abram L. Urban