Lawns vs Meadows: post-summer update

It’s been a while since I posted a backyard update. So here goes.

The Meadow Project started slow. We had an unusually cold spring (basically, we had no spring at all: it was winter up into June and then it turned to summer all of a sudden).

It took a while for the flowers to bloom. I was even wondering if they’d have enough time this year to do their thing. And while we were waiting, it was pretty ugly.

But as soon as it got warm enough outside, flowers got it together, big time.

I imagined meadows look something like this, and our meadow didn’t disappoint.

With this being said, meadows are not for those who require order and conformity. They look wild, and they are wild :) They don’t care about your aesthetic ideas, and they will do their thing however they please!

All in all, I consider this experiment a success. Not only did I not have to mow the lawn this summer, but I also didn’t have to water it. There are some spots in the yard that were too dry and sunny for the flowers I’ve got, but it’s fixable with different flowers next year (and a drainage watering system).

The biggest downside of the project are moles, though. Since we removed the topsoil that had this plastic net that prevented moles from surfacing, it’s been a struggle. I mean, I’m all for wilderness and mother nature doing her thing, but these ugly-ass piles of soil were popping up everywhere! Well, this is something to deal with next year.

As an extra, I’ve also got some tenants to enjoy the meadow.

These are leafcutter bees. They don’t make honey, and they don’t sting. They cut leaves, pollinate, buzz around, and build their cocoons. They are really friendly and grateful.

Oh, almost forgot. I managed to make a video of our other visitor! At this time, we’ve got five or six different hummingbirds using these feeders.