The Making of a Meadow - Part 11
9/25/2023 10:22 am
The Final Report
The 11.5-acre McFarlane Nature Park is the site of a meadow – planted in 2021. Some of you have followed the journey as this project has developed and grown. Now it may be time to just let it grow.
The Making of a Meadow - Part 10
5/5/2023 11:57 am
The McFarlane Meadow part 10
The Second Spring
The 11.5-acre McFarlane Nature Park is the site of a meadow – planted in 2021. A friend recently said that she knew I was disappointed by the result, and this is far from the truth. I am excited about what I am seeing this second spring.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 9
9/16/2022 6:17 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 9
Are there flowers?
The 11.5-acre McFarlane Nature Park is the site of a meadow – planted a year ago in 2021.
As promised the goldenrod, Solidago, have begun to show their yellow blooms, favorites of the bees. Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, began blooming in August, although not in the abundance hoped for. The distinctive clusters of Heliopsis helianthoides leaves, False Sunflower, delivered sparsely.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 8
6/10/2022 12:16 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 8
Expectations of Summer
The 11.5-acre McFarlane Nature Park is the site of a meadow – planted in October 9, 2021.
About 350 plants were installed and it has been an anxious wait. A recent visit by members of the garden club that originally assisted in the planting clearly resulted in disappointment. The expectation was for a field of flowers. One visitor commented that “you can’t see the meadow because of all these grasses.”
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 7
4/26/2022 3:53 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 7
Signs of Growth
Since the original meadow planting, when about 350 plants were installed, it has been an anxious wait. As regular park walkers stared at the overgrown patch, surrounded by pink ribbon on stakes, they saw nothing but pasture weeds. . .
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 6
4/21/2022 3:13 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 6
Waiting for the result
Follow along with Karin Guzy as she documents the experience of trying to make a meadow to increase bird and bee activity in McFarlane Park. In this part, the neighbors and visitors wonder what the pink tape means.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 5
4/18/2022 2:44 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 5
Read along with Karin Guzy's journey leading the creation of a new meadow in McFarlane Nature Park. In this installment, the planting -- and hoping for success -- begin in earnest.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 4
4/13/2022 9:25 am
The McFarlane Meadow - Part 4
Follow along with Karin Guzy as she tries to create a meadow in McFarlane Nature Park where once there was turf. The plants and seeds have been ordered. In this installment, Karen creates a planting plan and figures out who will do the massive planting and how.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 3
3/30/2022 8:33 am
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 3
Read along with Karin Guzy as she shares the next stage of making the meadow in McFarlane Nature Park. On to every gardener's favorite part of any project: plant shopping.
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 2
2/27/2022 4:56 pm
The Making of McFarlane Meadow - Part 2
Read along with Karin Guzy as she takes the germ of an idea to create a meadow from a pasture in McFarlane Nature Park toward reality. In Part 2, she consults expert sources to decide how to prepare the grass covered area for eventual planting and picks a path.
