Hello! I have always loved meadows with native plants. I have always wanted one. In fact, I am going to build a rain garden behind one of my beds soon.
Here is a guide that I hope will help anyone that wants to build one. This plan is with perrenial natives specifically for Virginia, but would probably work for MOST of America. Do note that some of these plants listed are banned in some states. This garden plan I made would be specified toward a moist grassland with or without a creek/water-drainage-area. It could be a slope, but if it was, you might need to seed it with an ANNUAL rye to prevent erosion. Make sure it does not re-seed by itself!!
Plants:
Cup plant - Forms cups with the pairs of leaves. I have always wanted one -- but I have no space big enough to make it look good. The water is important to birds and bees on hot summer droughts. Flowers are similar to sunflowers but smaller. Make great bouquets, I'd guess. It does reseed, but from what I see the rate is quite slow. It does form large colonies without division though. Oh, and it doesn't like being moved once mature, so divide off small seedlings as soon as they have a tiny root system. Note that this plant is BANNED in New York. I would plant these next to a stream, or close to it. Make sure you know where your stream flows as the seeds can be caught in it and germinate downstream.
echinacea purpurea (and pallida) - These do like moisture! There was one at my old house for probably around 15-20 years! It is not very aggresive but does have pretty flowers and seedheads.
black eyed susans - I would caution on using these. Don't use them if you don't check your rain garden that often, especially if it does not have a specified border with bricks or logs etc. It does reseed, but not profusely. I personally like the look of the black eyed susans getting everywhere.
Monarda fistulosa (or just in general, species monarda) - I would plant these in the far back, away from the stream. It is sensitive to powdery mildew. I find that it is not as aggresive as many people would say it is. Well, I'd probably say that considering I like the look anyways...
Aster (White Wood Aster, specifacally!) - Be VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY careful when purchasing these! Make sure that you are buying from a TRUSTED SELLER that does NOT wrongly label plants, or make sure you are buying the SPECIES, not a cultivar or hybrid! White Wood Aster is probably the least aggresive.
Summer/Fall Phlox, Phlox divarcata (for shaded areas), and moss phlox - They are beautiful and they really give the cottage garden feeling. I went hiking yesterday at Billy Goat Trail Part A (WARNING, I would NOT reccomend if you don't like climbing up and down large rocks and boulders (I'll add photos later in my Blog on garden.org so you can decide if you want to go or not!!). But, there was SO MUCH native flora, it was 100% worth it in my opinion. There were large fields of Phlox divarcata. It was gorgeus. I found several forms of it, too. I'd try moss phlox species if you can find them too.
The grass thing that grows in water, with hollow stems, I think they are called reeds? Only native ones! - I cannot remember the name!! Eek! Anyways, They have red bases, which echo the colors of fading/budding coreopsis.
Joe Pye Weed - Same with the cup plant. I love its blooms even though they are not as showy as other natives.
Others: Antennaria neglecta, virginia bluebells, trilliums (be careful of dear), celandine poppy, asclepias, bloodroots, and other plants.
With a meadow, I would remove the dead leaves every late fall and use that as light mulch, and cut back in early spring. You can cut the branches into tiny bits and use that as mulch, and just crumple, and throw the seedheads into the meadow for them to reseed. Doing this should make the meadow look more natural, with plants coming up in other plant spaces. (Such as black-eyed susans weaving around other natives). I also reccomend using native grasses/sedges. I would divide every two years. When the planting matures I'd do it almost annually.
Good luck with your meadows, and I'd love to hear what plants you like to use in them.
