Native Meadow Garden

Enjoy the magic of a Native Meadow Garden on your property when you create a haven and feeding station for pollinators in your yard. Our preplanned, low-maintenance meadow garden is an exclusive collection of carefully selected North American natives that provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects while offering colorful blossoms and foliage for human admirers.

We trialed this garden extensively at our farm in Connecticut where it has become a magnet for Monarchs and other winged creatures whose visits only enhance its natural, wild beauty. Site the meadow garden in full sun along a fence or property line, or plant several in swaths to create stretches of meadow amid a large lawn. Give the plants a season to settle in, then watch them take off the following year. Once established, the meadow garden requires little effort other than occasional weeding and cutting back the plants in early spring. Our garden includes 5 plants each of the varieties listed below, 50 plants total. Plants are shipped as small, strong-rooted plugs in a plant tray with 50 cells that measure 2" wide x 5" deep. Covers approximately 60 sq ft.

Please note: Due to the nature of working with live plants, we occasionally find ourselves in the position of having to provide an alternate variety with similar attributes, which will produce the same garden effect.

• Canada Columbine: Aquilegia canadensis 
• Coneflower: Echinacea purpurea 
• Blazing Star: Liatris scariosa
• Beard Tongue: Penstemon hirsutus 
• Phlox: Phlox pilosa
• Mountain Mint: Pycnanthemum muticum
• Black-eyed Susan: Rudbeckia fulgida
• Beebalm Monarda bradburiana
• Prairie Dropseed: Sporobolus heterolepis
• Aster: Symphyotrichum oolentangiense

Planting Your Native Meadow Garden

Soil Preparation:

Below are 3 different methods we recommend for preparing your soil for planting. Choose the method that works best for you.

• Tilling – Plants grow best in soil that has been loosened and cleared before planting. A rototiller comes in handy for preparing a large area, but a shovel or spade can also be used to break the ground, turn the soil, and remove all grass and weeds. Once the area is clear, apply a 3-4” layer of organic matter, such as compost. Turn the layer into the soil to a depth of approximately 10-12”. If you choose the tilling method, continued weeding will be required as your plants start to take root and grow.
• Mulch & Cardboard - At least a month before planting your garden, lay sheets of cardboard on top of the grass or soil over the entire planting area. Then apply a 3” layer of organic mulch on top of the cardboard. The grass and weeds underneath will decompose over time and form their own compost, which will enrich the soil. Within a few weeks, the cardboard will soften enough to allow you to break through with a trowel and plant into the ground.
• Solarization - This method takes the longest amount of time to prepare your site for planting–up to 8 weeks or longer.  Till the ground as described above, and then lay a clear plastic tarp tightly over the area. This will “cook” any grass, weeds, and seeds that remain in the soil. Solarization is the most effective method for weed control, but it may also kill some beneficial organisms in the soil. After the process is complete, though, other organisms will colonize the area.

Planting Your Garden:

Upon Arrival

• Set your plants outside in a sheltered, lightly shaded spot.
• Increase their exposure to sun and wind each day for up to 3 days.

Planting

• Dig a hole wide enough and just deep enough for the root ball.
• Remove the plant from the container and very gently break up the sides of the root ball with your thumbs.
• Set the root ball in the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the surface of the surrounding soil.

After Planting

• Water plants thoroughly once your garden has been planted and keep an eye on them over the following weeks. If the soil is dry, water thoroughly. But if the soil below the surface is moist to the touch, don't water.
• Apply approximately 3” of organic mulch, such as compost, to the area after planting. The mulch will help suppress weeds, preserve moisture, and enrich the soil over time.

Continuing Care:

• Plants may be left standing through winter to provide a habitat for overwintering birds.
• Cut back plants in early spring.
• Keep an eye out for developing spring weeds and pull them by hand when they appear.
• Apply a layer of organic mulch in spring.
• Water your garden during prolonged dry spells.

HOW PLANTS ARE SHIPPED

The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We ship these perennials and annuals in 1 pint pots, except as noted. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. We ship bulbs as dormant, bare bulbs, sometimes with some wood shavings or moss. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots. The size of the pot is noted in the quick facts for each item.

WHEN WE SHIP

We ship our bulbs and plants at the right time for planting in your area, except as noted, with orders dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis by climate zone. We also ship a wide range of containers and planters, tools, supplies, fertilizers, garden wear, garden decor items, as well as indoor decorations like wreaths and dried bouquets when available. Estimated dates for shipping are indicated in the green Shipping Details box for each item. Please supply a street address for delivery. Kindly contact us with two weeks notice, if you'll be away at the expected time of delivery.

OUR GUARANTEE

We guarantee to ship plants that are in prime condition for growing. If your order is damaged or fails to meet your expectations, we will cheerfully replace or refund it. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-503-9624 or email us at [email protected]. Please include your order number or customer number when contacting us.