How we made our meadow

I feel proud. We invested a lot of effort into our meadow. Removing the topsoil manually was a beginner's mistake. Our topsoil contains rocks, glass, and metal because the development company that purchased the cottages we live in dumped all the rubble from renovations in our backyard over 20 years ago. We've discovered what we believe are remnants of a greenhouse and various odds and ends. Ultimately, we ended up with a heap of rubble and topsoil.

But the best part was sowing the mixed meadow seeds and waiting. The first year a lot of annuals came up. Poppies, knapweed, cornflowers and yarrow dotted the place. It felt like a miracle when it was in full bloom.

Not all went well. During the first year it took a lot of effort to keep the weeds in check and to be honest this is still a bit of a struggle. The next two winters we forgot to sow yellow rattle on time. This meant we had more grass than we wanted to manage.

In the second year, we planted a new batch of mixed seeds and were amazed when, at the peak of spring, the meadow was full of red and white campion. Meanwhile, in the shadier area, foxgloves were thriving. We even had an unexpected lupin appear.

We are now in our third year, and this time we purchased yellow rattle plugs to help manage the grass, and fortunately, they appear to be thriving! The foxgloves didn't perform as well this year, which is likely normal since they are biennial plants. The new surprise was the oxeye daisies, which look especially beautiful at dusk as their white petals stand out during twilight. We also have a larger number of lupins!

Oxeye daisies

Maintaining meadows is labor-intensive, as they require regular care. This includes controlling weeds and grasses and sowing seeds in the autumn, as well as clearing the meadow once a year.

Clearing the meadow is fun though. We purchased a handmade scythe from an Austrian company. It appears quite deadly, like something straight out of a horror movie, making it ideal for a Halloween costume, and everyone is eager to try it out!

Ours is a very young meadow. At just three years old, we can already observe signs of it becoming established. We've transformed a portion of our lawn into a mini-meadow to create this space. Despite its small size, it is teeming with bees, flies, moths, and other creatures. This is just proof that even in a small space we can make a positive impact to bring wildlife into our gardens.

Wildflower meadow in the summer

Creating the meadow has been one of our most rewarding gardening choices. The striking contrast between the meadow and the meticulously trimmed grass is truly breathtaking. Each year, we are delighted by the appearance of new flowers, making it feel like a living piece of art. There's nothing quite like spending a summer evening by the meadow with a cup of tea or a G&T, watching the world pass by.

Today is National Meadows Day, which inspired me to write about our mini meadow. Unfortunately, 97% of meadows have disappeared since 1930, which is alarming. While my mini meadow won't change these statistics, if it encourages even one person to convert part of their lawn into a vibrant space, I will have made a positive impact.