Wildlife:

Prior to planting the meadow will be grazed by sheep and goats to provide fertilization of soil and clearing of woody plants. Birds will be drawn to the grasses, some flowers, and the shrubs for berries. The flowers chosen will attract butterflies and are also tolerant of deer, rabbits, wet soil, and drought. Insects are expected to be drawn to the diversity of plants and good soil quality. Tertiary consumers such as hawks will appear because of the supportive food chain beneath them and close proximity to the water’s edge. 

Aesthetic:

Complimentary Colors will bloom simultaneously. This color pallette is reflective of my current interest in the three primary colors. The meadow when approached is a narrow daisy meadow then as you enter the space opens up, and has waves of either blue or red flowers swirling the high and low points in the land. The heights of the flowers vary, producing a as it rounds the scape or you roam the land. On top of the hill is a shade tree with a bench underneath for a tranquil space during any season.

Seasonal:

The flowers will begin as a blue wave in the spring, wrapping around the high spots of the meadow. The summer the meadow will be mostly yellow with a stream of bright red flowers, with a few blue flowers blooming later in the summer.The fall foliage of the bushes will be bright red-orange, and in the winter their red, blue, and black berries will stand out against the white snow. The grasses will maintain a red, tan, and apricot colors, complimenting the bushes throughout winter.

Plant List:

-Grasses-

Sporobolus heterolepis- Prairie Dropseed

Bouteloua curtipendula- Sideoats grass

Schizachyrium scoparium- Little Bluestem

-Meadow Flowers-

Liatris spicata- Blazing star

Echinacea- “Firebird” Coneflower

Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky’- Shasta Daisy

Rudbeckia fulgida- Black Eyed Susan

Coreopsis tinctoria- Plains Coreopsis

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae- New England Aster

Lupinus pilosus- Lupine

Iris versicolor- Blue Flag Iris

Lobelia cardinalis- Cardinal Flower

Allium giganteum- Allium

Verbena Hastata- Blue Vervain

Silphium laciniatum- Compass Plant

-Shrubs-

Myrica pensylvanica- Bayberry

Aronia melanocarpa- Black Chokeberry

Rhus aromatica- Dwarf Fragrant Sumac