How can I turn my lawn into a native wild flower pasture?
Question:
I’m a new gardener living in York, Maine. I have a very large yard, but was hoping to “rewild” an area of lawn. My goal would be to create a native wild flower pasture, perhaps with native shrubs and trees.
However, I have no idea where to start. Is there anyone or any resources you could point me to?
Answer:
Pamela Hargest, Horticulture Professional
This is actually a great time of the year to begin the process of establishing a wildflower meadow, but it will take some time to establish, usually it’s a multi-year process. You’ll need to make sure you kill any existing sod or perennial weeds before planting with wildflower seeds or potted plants, this will ensure that you are off to a good start with your plantings.
I’d like to share a couple of resources with you that I think you’ll find helpful. Our colleagues at UNH Extension put together this factsheet on Establishing a Wildflower Meadow from Seed (PDF), which outlines the steps you’ll need to take to prepare the site, ideal species for planting, and how and when to plant. You can also check out this webinar recording they did for planting wildflowers for pollinators. UMaine Extension has a new Pollinator-Friendly Garden Certification with numerous resources related to native plantings on our website.
I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions along the way.