This meadow features native grasses and perennials grown from seed collected in the homeowner’s local watershed. Photographs by Saxon Holt, except as noted
Imagine a landscape ablaze with wildflowers, graced by swaying grasses, and filled with butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. Who wouldn’t want such a lively, colorful scene in their own garden? No wonder such meadow gardens continue to grow in popularity. They appeal to that streak of independence and wildness within us and remind us of the beauty of wide-open spaces.
Canyon Prince wild rye (foreground), autumn moor grass, and blue oat grass grow together in a meadow garden
Botanically speaking, the word “meadow” is sometimes used interchangeably with “grassland” or “prairie,” and a meadow is, in fact, a kind of grassland. Typically devoid of trees and shrubs, grasslands are characterized by an open expanse of grasses, sedges, annual and perennial wildflowers, and bulbs. In California, many botanists restrict the term “meadow” to high-elevation plant communities that stay f...
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Voices of the West; New Science on Life in the Garden by Frederique Lavoipierre
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