A plea for MEADOW LAWNS
I am NOT advocating doing away with lawn mowing, or neatness - just asking if there can be a way for those of us who don't want to spend our weekends (or pay someone else) to mow, water, and fertilize a wall-to-wall carpet of turf... Like a putting green/fairway, or how the highway department mows right along the pavement but lets wildflowers flourish for a season or two farther away, it should also be acceptable to have a few spots of wildflowers, spring bulbs, or just tall grass to be left in part of the landscape.
Guidelines could be established, and lists of plants that grow low and tolerate occasional mowing, to make this a normal practice. In fact, wouldn't it be educational for garden clubs and neighborhood assocations came up with a "Meadow Lawn" award to complement their "Lawn of the Month" - to encourage and celebrate those who do this well?
"SWIRLED MEADOW"
Celebrated Philadelphia Flower Show designer Michael Petrie's creative
solution for a meadow in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, that could not be planted
due to a large population of deer, was to carve out a visually sensuous serpentine
path through the taller grass and wildflowers.
Here are a few shots of meadow lawns I have taken, plus some concepts of using sculptures or other "hard" features to make it look purposeful...
more photos to come soon