Planting Cleveland sage on the meadow edges On this fine May day, I plant two California natives in my dry sloping meadow to add perennial color. See how I did this and a short video ‘how-to’ from Tree of Life Nursery. It began with a bit of weeding. You know how it goes….one thing leads…
Now, is the time to plan Your meadow can be large or small …or even in a container, and the first step is to get you area as weed free as possible, and raked smooth. My garden is in the Oakhurst area, just like you! See how to ‘get’ your meadow! Weed and Rake Do…
To prepare for a community garden club talk on this meadow project today, this slideshow was put together to show highlights from the first two years. This will give you an idea of what changes have been made from this former weedy field! First I seeded the meadow the first year, 2010, with California native…
The natural meadow in the second year By that, I mean, this is the second year that I have weeded but not planted here. I’ve planted my 5 year old garden in irrigation zones. The area around the house gets the most water and has the most ‘non-native, but Mediterranean plants.’ We’re on a slope…
Big changes all around The meadow in May…checking the progress and weeding, weeding… Last year, here in the Sierra foothills, I started a meadow project in a weedy field below the south side of our home. Bounded by a sycamore tree on the south a path on the north, a rock garden on the west,…
Last Fall I decided to rid an area of weeds and grow a California native and hand-sown meadow. Here is the end of the season story and evaluation. Stomping the Meadow Ever since the meadow started growing, I’ve been thinking in advance, for when the ‘off season’ came. It’s here, and the meadow is dry…
In early July, the meadow is at its peak and gives pleasure every day. Here are some of the advantages and realities of growing your own!
A CA Native seeded meadow is possible.
It takes some weeding.
The flowers are bright and grasses wave in the wind
Bare spots happen.
Seeds wash down hill sprout where they can.
Seeds spread where they can and more flowers pop up.
Meadows need little water and care if native seeds are used.
Meadows can fit into a garden with perennials.
Meadows are enjoyable for months of the year.
Meadow color in summer
2011-5-5 California native meadow in May, the ideal image in my head and now in reality!
July meadow
Meadow in May, poppies, bird’s eye gilia and tidytips mostly. Pacific fescue is blooming
All the wild color make the Brodiaea look subdued.
“Ah! How I long for the beautitude of a summer meadow-place
That calls me ever forward and slightly to the left
That begs of me to forget the stressful stresses of life.”
Past the peak bloom-late July
This late afternoon, while watering, I noticed the last strong rays of sun glinting on the seedheads of the meadow. In mid summer, the last of the California poppies and Globe gilia have done and are forming seeds. A few Clarkia amoena hang in and the yarrow is at its peak. The vulpia grasses are golden brown as they’ve been all last month.
A few Clarkia amoena hang in and the yarrow is at its peak. The vulpia grasses are golden brown as they’ve been all last month.
Everything is drying quickly and I have a bit more mulch I’ll cover the bare ground with as the plants shrink and dry. I’ve been watering about every three days by hand, especially the new perennials around the edge.…
May Meadow In Fall of last year, I became tired of a field full of Filaree and embarked on planting a marvelous meadow of native wildflowers and grasses. The Filaree stickers are evil and they stick terribly to Maggie, our Corgi. Here are photos showing the progress and challenges, with the first wave of flowers blooming…
A wildflower experiment In my garden, I sowed a native California wildflower meadow. It was a very fun project and I learned a lot. Now, in another area of my garden I call “The Natural Meadow” I continue more experiments! See what I did! First of all, my objective here was to add very few…
Becoming stewards of our forest For some of us, here in the California foothills, especially those who live near the national forest, nature provides the perfect landscaping. Using the existing trees and native plants can help your garden design blend smoothly into the surrounding landscape. Caring for a large forest property has its challenges and rewards.…
A common word in gardening this decade is ‘sustainable’; sustainable gardening is using the principles of ecological wisdom. When planting and puttering in my garden, which is two acres planted with CA natives, Mediterranean plants close to the house and natural groomed forest beyond, I think of this. How do I also create a long…
Project: Weeding the Meadow After rains and four weeks of sunny weather, a check on the progress of weeds and seedlings in the meadow showed lots of green, and yesterday it took a lot less time to weed than I thought, about an hour and a half. This is a 30×30 foot area, 900 sq…
Last update for Fall 2010 …next Winter! Before the latest rainstorms, new photos were taken of progress on my little seedlings in an area chosen for a meadow. Here, was a field of weedy filaree, awful weeds with seeds that form curlicues that screw themselves into our Corgi, Maggie’s fur in the spring and summer.…
How to plant a meadow in California foothills I do dream of that! In late summer, my new project was to find California native seeds in a large enough quantity at an affordable price, get rid of the weeds and get my meadow. A couple posts back are photos and a description of the beginnings.…
