General Subjects > The International Rock Gardener - Feedback Forum
Alpine Meadows
cohan:
i was especially interested in the bit about meadows, in particular the idea of replacing grass with achillea..i'd really like to know more about this and the topic in general..has there been a thread about this? a quick search didn't yield anything, but there might have been wording i didn't think of...
perhaps we could start a discussion, i'd really like to know who has tried things in this direction, as i have similarly thought that grass here is just far too aggressive..i do have many many local carex and relatives, including a few small ones, and thought there might be possibilities in that direction, though most of them in my area are in rather moist spots, i haven't yet tried them in the garden...
i also have achillea all over, though curious if its left to flower, which is quite tall? or kept mowed?....
Lori S.:
Our yard (one-third acre, minus house, garage/driveway, greenhouse) is entirely perennial beds, with no turf at all... rather than a single "grass substitute", there are hundreds of species. It is doable; one just has to cause it to happen! :)
I suspect, though, that you are thinking more of creating a naturalistic meadow? What are you starting with... lawn grass or...?
Lesley Cox:
Probably an "alpine lawn" thread would be useful. A meadow is, in effect, just a large, rather unkempt lawn. We've seen many pictures over the years of Franz's yarrow meadow and for him it is obviously the right answer as a setting for crocuses, colchicums and other little bulby things. I think it could be too vigorous here as it grows into such tight mats and in flower is maybe 70cms high. But there are certainly alternatives. I'm planning (have been for years, but some day...) the prostrate Asiatic gentians of the sino-ornata types as flowering lawn in autumn but died back to smaller patches as spring bulbs are flowering. Well that's the intention anyway.
cohan:
i thought i'd jump these over from another area, without bothering maggi ;)
in the newest issue of the international rock gardener, i was especially interested in the bit about meadows, in particular the idea of replacing grass with achillea..i'd really like to know more about this and the topic in general..has there been a thread about this? a quick search didn't yield anything, but there might have been wording i didn't think of...
so i thought perhaps we could start a discussion, i'd really like to know who has tried things in this direction, as i have similarly thought that grass here is just far too aggressive..i do have many many local carex and relatives, including a few small ones, and thought there might be possibilities in that direction, though most of them in my area are in rather moist spots, i haven't yet tried them in the garden...
i also have achillea all over, though curious if its left to flower, which is quite tall? or kept mowed?....
cohan:
--- Quote from: Lori Skulski on March 01, 2010, 06:28:03 AM ---Our yard (one-third acre, minus house, garage/driveway, greenhouse) is entirely perennial beds, with no turf at all... rather than a single "grass substitute", there are hundreds of species. It is doable; one just has to cause it to happen! :)
I suspect, though, that you are thinking more of creating a naturalistic meadow? What are you starting with... lawn grass or...?
--- End quote ---
we don't have a real lawn-- when the original buildings were put in on these acres in the '70's, they fenced off a wooded area that had been part of the main farm and was grazed, but not intensively, and cut down enough trees to build a house and some semi open areas through the middle;
i think back in those days my mom probably seeded some grass, and there has been more or less regular mowing between the trees (more of which have grown since the original days)--as much to keep the trees from completely closing in (which they would in no time given a chance) and prevent dangerous buildup of dried grass, as for any 'lawn' effect; of course, at times there have been children living here, so a bit of low grassy area is nice, but overall there is a mix (presumably) of native and exotic grasses, common agricultural escapes which are unavoidable here--clover and dandelions are in places as abundant as the grasses, and many native flowers of the natural woodland which is all around the yard and meadow/verge species and various sedges etc..
there are no areas of pure grass, but the grasses overall are too tall/aggressive to be used much with small bulbs etc, though to have flower meadows with native and taller species is easy enough--thin the grasses and pull unwanted species, allow native forbs to grow (geraniums and mertensia among others are present already) and plant any non-local meadow species..this i am already doing..
but i am thinking more of small bulbs such as crocus and others that seem to naturally grow amongst grasses, as well as native north american dryland species commonly found in short grassland (that's likely two different kinds of plantings)--so i am thinking of something not too overwhelming in size or habit, enough of a covering to keep out some weeds, not too dense to allow the flowering species to grow through..of course it could be more flowering species--just something with open spreading habits?
interested to see what others are trying...
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version