Magical Meadow Grass

Part of the reason for starting this urban farm was to turn large areas of lawn into something more useful, beneficial and attractive than lawn. Even after we turned half of the backyard into gardens, we still had a lot of lawn to mow and maintain. So a few years ago we started transitioning sections of lawn into meadow grass – specifically, a mix of fescues (we’ve had the most success with red fescue and sheep fescue).

Meadow grass adds texture and interest to the backyard

Seeding and maintenance

It took about a year for the meadow grass to fill in and look lush. We found that sowing the seed in late spring and covering it with straw helped with germination. Keeping it well watered during this time was essential – and taking advantage of spring rains was ideal.

Once established, this type of grass requires very little maintenance: no mowing and no fertilizing, and it only needs to be watered during the driest weeks of summer. Some years it produces a lot of seedheads, so we’ll weed whip once to knock them down and keep the grass within its boundaries.

A little bit magical

Tall grass is wonderful habitat for insects and other small creatures. We’ve seen garter snakes, bumblebees, birds and squirrels enjoying it.

Wild and playful

It wasn’t really planned, but we’ve found that the wild, playful meadow grass pairs well with our structured, organized gardens. Visitors always ask about the meadow grass, since it’s not a common sight. Alongside the bursting-with-color flower gardens, it’s part of our urban flower farm experience.

The grass does tend to creep into our gravel paths, but it’s easy to pull if desired. And we actually prefer the irregular edges compared to the sharp edge of a short lawn.

Seedheads start to form in midsummer

We love the wild, wavy look of meadow grass

Where to find seed

Depending on your location and climate, some fescues may grow better than others. Or another type of native grass might do well. A little research might turn up some great alternatives. Try search terms like “meadow grass” or “native grass seed” in combination with your state or region.

A few sources to try for fescue seeds and growing information:

• Nature’s Seed

• American Meadows

• Northwest Meadowscapes

Why not try it?

Visitors always ask about our meadow grass – we would love to see more people using it instead of boring lawn!