Looking for a way to refresh your landscaping and gardens? While traditional landscaping is always an option, practices such as rewilding and meadowscaping are taking off in the gardening world, and could be more viable options for your home.
Photos courtesy of Steve Herminghausen
Garden
Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteer and Westerville Garden Club President Steve Herminghausen has been experimenting with meadowscaping in his own yard after learning about its potential benefits for not only for the environment, but also those taking care of the garden.
According to Real Simple, meadowscaping is focused on using native grasses, wildflowers and other plants such as shrubs to mimic natural meadows or grasslands. Herminghausen describes it as a “less formal” way of gardening.
“People started realizing that, if you want to have birds, the birds need to eat caterpillars, and caterpillars need to eat native plants,” he says. “So there’s been a movement to try to get back to more native plants in our landscapes. Meadowscaping is a way to create a meadow in your yard.”
Rewilding is different from meadowscaping, Herminghausen says, because it focuses on allowing areas to revert back to what would naturally grow there.
Why meadowscape?
Meadowscaping’s benefits go beyond beautifying your lawn. Consider these advantages when planning your next yard reno:
- Planting native plants draws wildlife reliant on those plants to your yard. Herminghausen says these plants provide a safe space and resources for wildlife and help slow the decline of butterflies and bees.
- Meadowscaping doesn’t require the use of pesticides, which means it’s healthier for both the environment and animals.
- Meadowscaped gardens require less upkeep. Though planting everything and helping it get established requires some up-front work, the plants don’t require frequent mowing or watering and are, per Real Simple, less work in the long run.
- Meadowscaping improves soil health because the plants will eventually reach a state where the soil doesn’t have to be turned over, Herminghausen says, and they can just “feed into themselves.”
Herminghausen is still watching his meadowscaped yard grow – he started it about a year ago – but he’s already enjoying the additional wildlife, such as bluebirds and frogs, flocking to his garden.
Start blooming
Meadowscaping
An entirely new method of gardening can be overwhelming, so where should you start? Herminghausen recommends talking to someone who has experience with meadowscaping to get their advice on what to plant and which plants will work well together.
He also suggests taking tours of local gardens and specialized nurseries to get inspiration and valuable insight from employees.
When it comes time to plant, Herminghausen says, it’s a common misconception that you have to dig up a spot for your meadowscaped garden. When preparing your space for plants, he says, you should cut the grass there short, cover it with cardboard, and then put mulch or wood chips on top of that.
This practice helps prevent the grass from coming up through the cardboard and keeps your yard healthy by eliminating the grass that was there without tilling up the garden and disturbing the soil, Herminghausen says.
Next, you can plant seeds or plugs, which are tiny mature plants that will accelerate the growing process. The meadow needs lots of water to get established, but after that, the majority of the maintenance is in keeping clean edges.
From amateur to seasoned, every gardener needs to find new inspiration. Sometimes the best way to come up with ideas is by appreciating someone else’s creativity. Check out these central Ohio gardens and nurseries where you are guaranteed to find fresh ideas for your next yard reno!
- Chadwick Arboretum: Located at the heart of The Ohio State University campus, the Chadwick Arboretum isn’t just for students to enjoy. The arboretum and learning gardens stretch over 30 acres and are available to visit year-round, dawn until dusk, and there is no admission fee.
- Columbus Park of Roses: If you’re a rose fanatic and in Columbus, you’re in luck! The Columbus Park of Roses is one of the largest, public rose gardens in the U.S. with more than 12,000 rose specimens. If that weren’t enough variety, visitors can explore their five horticultural-themed gardens year-round.
- Topiary Garden: This garden is a must-see for post-impressionist art fans. Constructed on the remnants of the Old Deaf School Park, this garden is a living recreation of Georges Seurat’s famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte.” Since its creation, the garden has appeared in Life magazine, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal and programs aired on BBC.
- Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: You can’t talk about Columbus gardens without including the Franklin Park Conservatory. Located just two miles from downtown Columbus, the conservatory is not just a garden but rather an experience, featuring botanical biomes, lush gardens, special horticulture and art exhibitions as well as other seasonal offerings to garden-goers.
Ava Huelskamp is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
