Growing a meadow of flowers is easy

A meadow is an area of grasses and flowers. Meadows are best created in sunny areas of the lawn. They will do well in poor soils and need little care if native grasses or flowers are grown. Meadows attract butterflies, crickets, ladybugs, and many more interesting insects. Mason bees will visit flowers in early spring to collect pollen for their young. Birds, including hummingbirds, will visit seeking food, nesting material and shelter. Frogs and toads are attracted to meadows by the shady areas and the abundance of insects.


Creating your meadow

• Simply stop mowing an existing part of your lawn. The grass will grow tall and produce seeds and wildflowers will begin to grow. Leave the seeds for the birds in the fall.


• Alternatively, strip a section of lawn of grass and plant native flowers available at your nearest nursery. Many of the native wildflowers produce a stunning display when blooming. Try dame’s rocket, bee-balm, columbine, orange hawkweed, goldenrod, aster, black-eyed susan, common mullein, joe-pye-weed, wild lupine and thistle.


• Collect seeds from wild plants in a field during the fall and winter and spread them on your lawn in the spring.


• When an odd plant appears on the lawn, mow around it and let it blossom.

Meadow visitors…
If you are near water, dragonflies may visit to eat insects. They do not bite people and are one of the
most beneficial insects as they eat biting flies.

Leopard frogs love to sit in fields and wait for insects. They will often come out in the morning to sun and then sit in the shade of tall grass during the hot afternoon.

This monarch butterfly has landed on milkweed, the plant it lays eggs on. Letting milkweed grow on your lawn or in flower meadows will attract this beautiful orange butterfly. Milkweed will also attract many other butterflies and insects to a backyard garden.