Spring Meadow  
Gladwyne PA

This spring flowering meadow was the result of the client wishing for less noise from lawn mowers and leaf blowers. When the suggestion to convert a portion of the property, a lower portion of lawn, into a meadow, the client welcomed the idea. No more fertilizer, weed treatments, mowing or blowing for an acre of the large property. Typical meadows are seeded or planted with flowers and warm season grasses which tend to bloom in the height of summer -- the time of year when the client escapes from the heat and goes north for the summer. Knowing that the meadow would be appreciated in the spring, a few early flowering perennials and a variety of bulbs were planted that would bloom from March-June. Snow Drops, Crocus and Scillia under the existing trees where the grass tends to grown lower, starts the profusion of color. Next come an assortment of Daffodils and Fritillaria, followed by Bluebells, Camassia and Allium. A sinuous path was mowed through the center of the meadow and along the outsides to allow for dog walking and to maintain an intentional look. By the time the last flower is in bloom, the client goes away for the summer season and the lawn mower cuts the meadow and browning leaves of the bulbs for the first time that year.