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Fall Backyard: Start Your Native Plant Meadow
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If you have even a little bit of a yard, don’t wait
to plant a native plant meadow.
I planted a small meadow in the fall as an experiment a few years ago, and if I hadn’t seen for myself the magnetic attraction it has for birds and butterflies, I would not have believed it. Planting even a small meadow could quite possibly be the most beneficial thing you can do in your yard for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. And, it will reap great rewards for you too, as native wildflowers turn into an ocean of blooms, waving texture and color which you can enjoy while watching birds – residents and migrants – diving into the meadow, eating seeds, insects and finding a safe haven.
Planting the meadow takes some work, but patience is often the biggest challenge. If you plant plugs or plants, the birds and butterflies may be on the plants as you put them in the ground! But meadows rely on seed too, and this takes a few years to mature. But once it is mature, it is low maintenance and pretty amazing.
While many people plant only in spring, fall is a terrific time to plant your meadow. Planting before winter helps some of the seeds when they freeze, and you can take advantage of early germination. This is, after all going to be a multi-year project, and any jump on the season you can get is going to help you!
The tiny meadow I planted a couple of years ago is still maturing, but in a random 30 minute period in October, I counted over 20 species of migratory birds diving in and out of the plantings. They included some really interesting warblers I hadn’t seen before here, and lots of sparrows and kinglets, flycatchers and yes, a hawk. Plus there are so many butterflies — many which my more butterfly-savvy neighbors tell me they have never seen in the area before.
To get the low-down on how to start your own meadow, visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlflower Center. You can also find a list of plants designed just for the birds in your area at the Audubon Native Plant Database. What could be easier?
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