Meadow making in Essex: a diary of the first six months
From installation in early October to spring blooms in March
Laying a meadow in the autumn gives time for plants to establish over winter. You might think there wouldn’t be much to see in the meadow over this half of the year but the following photos show there was a changing succession of flowers through autumn and then again from early spring.
We finished laying this meadow on 5th October 2022. To extend the season of interest and pollination, we scattered a mix of spring and summer flowering bulbs underneath the meadow turf. You can see scattered bulbs in the photo above.
Just laid – 5 October 2022
One month (5 Nov) later the meadow had established and due to the mild weather conditions the Lychnis flos-cuculi (Ragged Robin) and Silene latifolia (White Campion) and Borage officinalis (Borage) was in flower.
Borage officinalis (Borage) Nov 2022
The snowdrops were first to appear after the new year and by mid-March the Crocuses were putting on a good display along with the Puschkinia, Chionodoxa and Scilla bulbs. The clients and I are looking forward to observing the constant changes in the meadow over the coming months.
Crocus vernus ‘Flower record’ (purple) and Crocus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ (white) in mid-March 2023
I am working with a few clients to create meadow gardens.