Also for many people, their preferred approach to gardening is dependent upon their own personal situation and the time allowed to them. Someone with a lot of free time and a desire to create may well choose a neatly-manicured rectangle with tidy flower beds and precisely-chosen ornaments. Another person with less time may choose to lay down weed fabric and overlay the area with things that do not grow. They might add ornaments and put together something pretty, but there will be no planting and not much maintenance involved.

Then there are others among us who have a different view, and who take inspiration for our garden from the natural world. For some of us, the ideal combination of natural beauty and low-maintenance involvement can be found in a meadow garden. These gardens are becoming increasingly popular, and they can be approached in a number of different ways. Let’s have a look at some of the key questions that are raised by meadow gardens.

What is a meadow garden?

As the name suggests, the influence over meadow gardens is the meadow itself. If you picture a meadow now, you can probably see tall grasses, wild flowers and the occasional butterfly. This, in large part, is what you’ll be aiming for with a meadow garden. It can add dramatic beauty around the fringes of luxury homes or will fit perfectly around a more rustic cottage, but the beauty of a meadow garden is that it really won’t demand much from you in order to get it right. After all, you won’t see a gardener out in a typical meadow trimming things so they’re just right.

Why do people choose a meadow garden?

Well, as noted above, they are not very maintenance-intensive, and that is an attraction. It’s not the only one, though. They can be very strikingly beautiful, with the colors of wildflowers really standing out among tall grasses; possibly some barley or wheat. Additionally, they’re also excellent from an environmental point of view, offering plenty of homes and pollination opportunities for bees, and attracting butterflies and birds as well. Because they don’t require a particular soil pH or much in the way of assistance to grow, a meadow garden will also require fewer chemicals and no pesticides, so if you want to make a difference, it’s a great start. Better yet, you can mount bird feeders and insect houses around the space.

How do you go about putting a meadow garden together?

After a certain time, meadow gardens really just happen. But if you want one that looks beautiful - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - then you should begin by stripping things back to the basic soil, forking the area and hoeing the earth to allow for the spreading of wildflower seed. Wildflowers tend to be perennials and can live in most soils, so there is no need to prepare the soil. You may also choose to spread some seeds for barley and wheat grasses. It doesn’t matter when you choose to do this - there is no bad planting time for these grasses and flowers - although for your own good, a day which is not too blazingly sunny and equally not pouring with rain is the best choice.