Hillside Meadow
Elverson PA

This hillside begged to be a meadow. It exists on a small Chester County farm surrounded by neighboring farm crops. The 200’ x 12’ strip separates the driveway from a field of corn. While this meadow expresses itself ornamentally like a garden, on principle, it also needed to function ecologically. Plants are given the opportunity and encouragement to intermingle and interact. Opportunistic weeds like Dandelion, Thistle, and some Chicory are removed creating these open niches for perennials to spread or reseed. Plants are a mix of natives and European species. Some aggressive perennials were intentionally planted with this type of growth in mind. There is no need for mulch or irrigation or fertilizer, and selected seed heads remain through winter to provide food for the birds. This meadow has become a slice of nourishment for the birds, bees, insects, caterpillars and butterflies.