What is a “modern meadow garden”?
According to several sources I consulted, the term came into use to describe a relatively recent trend in gardening and to differentiate it from genuinely wild spaces. A meadow garden is deliberately created as a “naturalistic” planting, usually consisting of indigenous plants that mimic a wild meadow. A modern meadow garden incorporates a much wider selection of cultivars than would ordinarily coexist in nature, greatly expanding the concept.
I would describe the characteristics of a such a garden as informal and open, often grassy, with an unforced blowsy quality we identify with unmown fields, glades and prairies. The overall impression is one of soft movement and harmony framed by the larger landscape.
Traditional meadows filled with natives have been around for a while, but they never really caught on in a big way. With the world now yearning to connect more with nature, this modern interpretation has brought the meadow squarely into the public eye, popping up in parks and gardens and private properties all over the world.
The person most credited with establishing this style is the renowned Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf. Starting in the mid-1990s, a key feature of Mr. Oudolf’s gardens was the inclusion of non-native plants as well as indigenous ones. As a matter of necessity, he needed more plants that could cope with urban environments, yet provide the emotional intimacy that wild spaces evoke and people crave.
By “breaking the rules” as to what constitutes a meadow, it’s possible to create exciting combinations that go well beyond native while still adhering to a “meadow” aesthetic. The result often feels more authentic than the real thing. These very beautiful and unique spaces are gaining in popularity and emulated by many garden designers. Oudolf’s diverse plant combinations in particular often have a haunting beauty that is almost ethereal.
How are plants chosen?
First, the garden needs to thrive on neglect once established. Whether it’s heat, drought, freezes, lean soil or marshy conditions, the plants must sustain themselves with minimal human assistance. That’s not to say they won’t need any assistance – they do –but less so than, say, a mown lawn would need. The garden is also allowed to evolve over time, rather than remain static.
Second, selections must be hardy enough to hold their own against competing weeds, grasses and prolific self-seeders. Unlike in a flowerbed where each coddled plant occupies a specific spot, a meadow garden encourages the interspersing of both massed and individual plants, growing randomly through and against one another without limit. Indeed, this contiguous mixing is the crux of its beauty.
Third, each choice must pull its weight in contributing to the garden’s overall look and feel. Habit, structure, texture, color, flowering, and form are all key considerations. Plants should look like they belong there, even if they’re actually from another continent. For this reason, grasses usually make up a large percentage of the plants, as do so-called “wildflowers” (which may or may not still be wild.)
Finally, perhaps an easier way to think about these spaces is what plants are not included: Forms not found in undisturbed settings are obvious omissions, such as topiary. Dwarf hybrids, “bedding” annuals, most succulents, and highly altered hybrids such as fancy bearded iris, some dahlias, delphiniums, glads and tea roses are usually left out too. Tropicals and cacti clearly don’t fit, but a few succulents might.
What are the benefits of a modern meadow garden?
Curated natural spaces are proving to be much more versatile than traditional meadows, filling new roles as urban greenspaces, rain gardens, storm buffers and wildlife habitats. By including more plant varieties, these spaces can be customized to satisfy a wide range of demands and interests. Disease-resistant cultivars are often a wiser choice than some natives for our increasingly stressed climate.
A great example of a modern meadow garden that has overcome tough challenges is the High Line in New York City. Situated on an old elevated rail bed, the garden must deal with extremes in temperature and light, a shallow soil bed and urban air quality, to name a few. Yet by all accounts it’s a very successful space and highly popular.
Chicago’s Lurie Garden is another. If a modern meadow garden can thrive despite Chicago’s notorious winters, than certainly our own meadow gardens can as well.
How do I go about creating my own modern meadow?
There are very few rules, so you really can’t go wrong. The idea is to feel free to experiment and try what you think you’ll like along with some natives, then build on what will grow for you. That’s what I did.
Don’t worry if you lose a few plants along the way. That’s part of the experience. How much work will it be? More at the start of course, but much less once established. Besides the effort of planting and weeding (and watering at first), you will also need to cut down or mow it either at the end of the growing season or before the next spring. Plan on spending about three years getting it established. But you don’t need to fertilize and you don’t need to fuss with it midseason.
- Identify goals and challenges
What do you want your garden to be, first and foremost? A pollinator magnet? A bank stabilizer to fight erosion? A beautiful vista from the house? A partial lawn replacement? All of the above? Your goals will help you decide which plants to include and where to put them.
- Pick an area in full or mostly sun
It doesn’t have to be a huge plot. You can create this look in a space as small as 500 square feet with the right plants, or as large as you wish. Excellent drainage is the main requirement, so avoid low-lying spots unless you’re making a rain garden. (In which case, you’ll need to pick plants that can deal with wet feet.) South-facing is ideal, but any direction will work if the spot gets at least six hours of sun a day in midsummer.
If you already have flowerbeds of conventional perennials and annuals and you just want to augment them with meadow plants, simply start mixing in a few compatible natives in between your other plants. This is a much easier endeavor than starting from scratch, and you’ll have more pollinators and a fuller, bushier garden in no time.
- Determine soil quality
Most meadows do best on poor soil as long as it is well-draining. Dry, gritty, or sandy texture is ideal. Clay is more of a challenge and common in Pennsylvania, but doable. I have heavy clay, but my meadow garden is on a slope, which really helps with drainage. Sometimes I mix in a little sand or vermiculite if I’m transplanting something. Now that it’s established I rarely water it. Most prairie plants hate wet conditions and flop or get leggy with too much water.
Meadow plants are not picky about ph; neutral to slightly alkaline to slightly acidic all work. If you’re blessed with rich fertile soil, your plant choices will be more limited, but still very doable. Definitely consider mixing in sand or perlite to dilute fertility and improve drainage as insurance. No mulching needed either once things are established.
- Clear the ground, in phases if need be
Remove any existing vegetation, especially weeds and weed seeds. Work the soil a bit if necessary to break up clods. Then plant it up with your new choices, whether seeds, plugs, bulbs, or potted specimens. Keep it watered at first but not wet. When I created my garden, I worked in small sections that were manageable for me to deal with in a day, rather than attempt to do the whole area at once.
Understand going in, it may take you several seasons to establish the garden in its final form. You will have plenty of time to make adjustments, but do keep at it. My bank meadow garden took three years to establish, but five to fully fill in and mature.
- Start with a few key natives
Regardless of where you live, you’ll want to anchor your choices with a few easy to grow natives or “nativars” such as echinacea (coneflower), rudbeckia (black-eyed susans) and monarda (wild bergamot). Start simply, with easily obtained plants that you like. If you want to attract pollinators be sure to pick cultivars that supply ample nectar and pollen.
Add to this core group as you see fit, including perhaps phlox, amsonia, a milkweed or two, mountain mint, daylilies, or yarrow. Don’t forget simple delights like self-seeders fleabane or Queen Ann’s Lace which will quickly take care of themselves. Siberian iris might be another choice, especially if you’re incorporating a stream or pond. Joe-pyeweed, asters, daisies and verbena are all excellent possibilities. Angelica, veronicastrum, sages, ironweed, patrinia — the list goes on.
There’s no need to plant everything at once. Choose what is manageable initially and save the rest for a later phase. Many plants will thrive even it it takes them a season to or two to establish, and a few won’t. Fortunately. most meadow plants are not attractive to deer or rabbits, but hybrid cultivars are another story.
- Plant closely in irregular patterns
Meadow gardens look best when they’re a continuous flow of plants; they’re neither neat nor contained. The whole idea is to let plants mingle tightly to prevent (most) weeds from sprouting in between, and to create see-through veils of color and texture. So don’t worry about too much about spacing. If anything, err on the tight side. You can always weed out or move the extras later.
Decide which plants you want to mass in groups, and which you want to sprinkle about individually. There’s no right or wrong here, but two-thirds massed to one-third singles and small clumps is a good starting point. Envision how you want the whole thing to look and plant accordingly. Whether you are broadcasting seeds or digging in one plant at a time, strive for a random effect, yet a look that’s cohesive enough to visually tie everything together. Avoid “one of everything” if you can; too many varieties close together looks spotty.
- For faster results, fill gaps with larger specimens
If you’re using lots of plugs and seeds, there’s nothing wrong with adding mature plants from the nursery to get a jumpstart on things. While you’re waiting for young perennials to establish (they can take a year or two), flowering annuals and transplanted cultivars in full bloom will give you instant color and bulk. I found a mix of plugs, nursery-bought hybrids and bulky annuals really helped the garden look established more quickly. It also gave my morale a boost while I waited for the rest to catch up!
TIP: To help with getting plant placement right, put in temporary stakes or set the pots where you think you want them; rearrange until you’re happy before planting. Use a hose or twine to lay out boundary ideas. Label and mark where bulbs, seeds and small plants are, once planted. Otherwise it’s all too easy to accidentally plant on top of them or pull out emerging seedlings.
- Don’t overlook grasses
I’m not talking about turf or pasture grass, but ornamental clumping grasses. Nearly all meadow gardens incorporate ornamental grasses for their unparalleled movement, resilience and beauty. Your site, hardiness zone and overall goals will guide you in selecting appropriate cultivars. You don’t need a lot. Grasses blend wonderfully with nearly everything, but their height is very important in a meadow. The largest ones can be quite arduous to move once established, so be sure to site them carefully from the start. Some will need dividing periodically to manage their mature size and spread.
- Consider color and texture
No matter which plants you choose, you can create heightened interest by juxtaposing different forms and textures. Echo a bold color with a softer shade of the same hue to create visual rhythm. Conversely, different plants of the same color planted together creates the impression of greater mass, bringing continuity and calm.
While contrast in the garden is a generally good thing, strong hot colors can be tricky to place. Bright yellows and reds can overwhelm other colors if not sited carefully, but they also contribute excitement and freshness . Pastels and duller shades you’d never feature on theri own are very useful in a meadow, because they help knit the whole tapestry together seamlessly.
COLOR TIP: Pinks, whites, blues and purples are easiest on the eye and will create a serene look. Reds, oranges and yellows are full of energy with an “electrifying” visual effect, so use them carefully. Hot colors look best offset with cooler and darker shades like burgundy, grey, silver, mahogany and plum.
Plant resources
I hesitate to suggest too many specific plants because every site and microclimate is different. I will say that, as our local zone 6 climate here in Pennsylvania gets wetter every year, it is getting harder for prairie plants (which love dry conditions) to thrive. Many start flopping and fizzling or never really take off in the first place.
The only bulwark against this is to provide the best drainage you can, hope for sunshine and ensure decent air circulation. Of course, you can hedge your bets and include moisture loving plants so even if the others fail, you’ll still have plenty left.
Do Your Research
Here are three excellent resources to help you choose plants, or to serve as a starting point. Dream Plants in particular is superb. If you can’t locate some of the suggested cultivars locally, see my article on ordering plants through the mail.
As I said at the beginning, there is no right or wrong in making a meadow garden. If in doubt, experiment, and don’t stop if something doesn’t work out. (I’m still trying to grow veronicastrum and I haven’t given up yet!) All of us have failures; it comes with the territory. Much will thrive and your efforts will be worth it. Trust me, a meadow is a joy to savor for a lifetime.
Dream Plants for the Natural Garden Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen, Frances Lincoln c. 2013 — Encyclopedic in coverage. Entries are keyed with helpful details like height, form, and light needs. A few plants are not available in the USA; this book is geared toward a European audience, but is still very useful for North America.
The Modern Cottage Garden Greg Loades, Timber Press c. 2020 —A very approachable introduction to meadow and cottage garden basics. A very good plant list in the back covers all the main players.
The American Meadow Garden John Greenlee, Timber Press c. 2009 — Good native species coverage and in-depth emphasis on many grasses. Best for larger meadow gardens with expansive areas.
