Meadow Ecology

A wildflower meadow is a natural eco-system that is a combination of wildflowers and native grasses growing together. In the traditional European style of gardening, hybridized plants are planted 2 or more feet apart and thus requires repeated mulching, watering and fertilizing.

Meadows and meadow-styled gardens thrive when wildflowers and native grasses are planted intensively at a rate of one plant per square foot and even closer. Planting close together allows the plants to provide their own shade and water conservation Thus meadow plantings require no mulching or watering. In addition, wildflowers and native grasses need no fertilizing whatsoever.

Planting closely together eliminates weed competition as the dense, fibrous roots of the native grasses combine with the vertical roots of the wildflowers to form an underground barrier that effectively prevents weeds from taking hold (see image to the left). By occupying different parts of the soil, these plants coexist as a tight-knit plant community.

Thus, the wildflowers and native grasses create a sustainable landscape designed by nature to thrive for many many years with minimum maintenance. The oldest man made meadow grown from seed is located at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, in Madison Wisconsin, it is now 78 years old and still thriving !

These same principles of meadow ecology can be applied to building a wildflower garden. Simply design either an informal or a formal style garden planting the wildflowers and native grasses at a distance of one plant per square foot. (There are certain species that require more room but this rule of thumb applies to a majority of wildflowers and native grasses.)