Meadow Making
Introduction for meadow making.
Starting Out
Study your site
The first step to meadow making is to look closely at your site. What you see will guide your site preparation and which plants you choose for your project. Is the area sunny or shady? How wet is the site in the spring and how dry is it in the summer? Notice slopes at your site. Steep slope areas will be drier, while swales will pool the moisture.
Look at the current vegetation and try to identify the plants. Are there some natives? What non-native plants are there currently? A variety of plants will indicate healthy soil. Is the soil dark and full of humus or is it a light in color with a dusty texture? Has the soil been compacted from foot traffic or house construction?
Many areas of the San Juan Islands are rocky with thin soils. Rocky areas can be filled with wildflowers but will need some special attention.
Understanding these factors will help you to prep your site and select the plants for your meadow.
Identify your goals
Now it's time to think about why you want a meadowscape. What do you want your meadow to accomplish? In the end, how will you evaluate its success?
Native plant meadows, just like traditional gardens, can accomplish different goals and have varying areas of focus. Perhaps you are interested in supporting pollinators or recreating a pre-contact landscape. Or perhaps you want to increase biodiversity. Is there a rare or endangered insect, butterfly, or bird that you want to create habitat for? Meadow wildflowers and grasses can also improve water retention and drainage. Along with these goals, how wild can your meadow be? Does your site need to be tidy to conform with the neighborhood?
Make a plan
Now that you understand your site and your goals, it is time to make a rough plan. Scoping your project to ensure you have the resources such as time, plants, and funds available is key to being successful. Let’s start to pencil this out.
How big should you make your meadow? Erring on the side of a smaller site will keep it manageable, especially starting out. You will learn a lot with your first meadow efforts and can then expand the meadow in following years.
If your site is predominantly non-natives, you will need to first clear the existing plants. A method I recommend in creating your meadowscape is to smother the non-native vegetation with cardboard and chips, then planting with a combination of plugs and seed. For a 10’x10’ sized meadow site, a quick rule of thumb is 100 square feet of cardboard, 2 cubic yards of mulch, 125 plant plugs, and five seed packets are needed. A 20’x20’ site (400 sq feet) would require four times these amounts.
Consider how you will provide plants for your project. Many native plant nurseries will provide plugs for restoration projects which are generally less expensive than pots and faster to plant. In San Juan County, our Landbank grows plugs for private landowners and is a great resource. Contact them to discuss your project to ensure they have capacity to support your project. Many species need to be ordered in late summer for delivery the following year. Another option is to purchase seed and grow your own plugs. Growing native plants is very rewarding, but does require extra time and dedication.
Site Prep
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Planting
Ideas for planting
Maintenance
Stuff here about maintenance.
Stuff here about maintenance.