Seeded wet meadow

Revitalizing a site post-construction

A native seed mix was applied in the fall of 2023 after intensive post-construction grading had left a bare landscape. Despite struggling with extensive coverage of nonnative cool-season grasses and mats of clover this meadow has seen increasing diversity of native plants since its inception. In its second growing season this meadow sported profuse blooms of boneset, blue vervain, and Joe-Pye weed—while sedge and rushes provide the vegetative back bone.

To illustrate how plantings change over time images are presented by growing season in reverse-chronological order.

Second growing season:

IMGP0428. - second year meadow below pond reduced size.jpg
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A wasp feeds on boneset flowers.

A wasp feeds on boneset flowers.

Early summer selective cutting with string trimmers with the goal of knocking back cool-season grasses and weedier nonnatives.

Early summer selective cutting with string trimmers with the goal of knocking back cool-season grasses and weedier nonnatives.

First growing season:

While the presence of cool-season grass and some clover mats are visible species diversity shows up in the varying texture of foliage shapes—particularly in the lower right-hand corner of this picture.

While the presence of cool-season grass and some clover mats are visible species diversity shows up in the varying texture of foliage shapes—particularly in the lower right-hand corner of this picture.

Initial site conditions:

IMG_4865 - wet meadow pre seeding.jpeg