Turning Old Nursery into a 7-ACRE NATIVE "INSECT" MEADOW - Ep. 077

When we saw the vestiges of an old plant nursery in a 7-acre area below the future common house, we thought: "How are we going to manage this?" The first idea that came to mind that stuck was a native, "insect" meadow. No, not just a pollinator meadow-but an insect meadow. Let's choose plants that are not only beautiful throughout the seasons-but that that also feed larval stages of native insects to promote more ecosystem health and native and migratory bird populations. That's what we went with-save for a few exceptions.
A meadow also seemed like the best bet because we didn't want to block the views of the the common house and future homes. The top area of the meadow looks out over distant views of the valleys, so we would want to maintain that. Of course, putting in and establishing a meadow is easier said than done, so have to admit, it's taken a lot of work, and we won't know what comes from it for years to come.
Video is brought to you by American Meadows, www.americanmeadows.com, which we worked with to source the majority of our meadow seeds.
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[@FlockFingerLakes]

You can see a 19-month update follow-up video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmqrlHutdq-MldU

[@jeanneamato8278]

It’s amazing how not great for the environment, nurseries can be. This is an eye opener. You can scatter poppy seeds on snow and they come up beautifully. I can’t wait til spring so you guys must going nuts! Thank you for keeping us in the loop.

[@MajelCats]

It’s also a lie to manipulate you into choosing an early death and liquifying your remains for fertilizer which is also a lie. Carbon is LIFE. She literally said it’s best to have carbon put in the soil. Even though nitrogen is not in the equation. Klaus Schwab has thousands of “influencers” brainwashing the masses. They don’t even know they’re doing it. Young Global Leaders are on tv. Global Community Shapers are at the “selling the idea” level. Be suspicious of pretty people who are well funded and come out of no where

[@NathanShepard]

They are one of the worst things. Distribute invasive plants and animals across the entire country.

[@fabulously695]

@@NathanShepard in our country, poppies are native and wonderful for wildlife. You can’t tell from a KZbin comment where someone is.

[@Mariah-Blue]

@@fabulously695 i think they meant that nursery aren't the best because they distribute plants all over

[@JXZ-JAM]

Working at a large nursery I can confirm this.

[@suburbanhomestead]

I think deep down many of us fear snakes, that is why we fetichize shorn uniform lawns. But meadows are far more interesting. Great video by the way.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

There's some really interesting history around the creation of "lawn" and the idea of continuous, well kept, manicured suburban lawn. Cannot recall all the details, but something you'd probably really enjoy reading up on more-and obviously a relatively recent cultural "invention" that we haven't been able to shake. But the snake thing: It's funny because my mother is absolutely deathly afraid of snakes (something I took advantage of as a kid, tsk tsk), but there aren't many snakes to really fear around here. Maybe a timber rattler (saw one once, though not here) and copperhead, but they are really few and far between. I've seen more garter, milk, hog-nose, and rat snakes than anything else...

[@suburbanhomestead]

@@FlockFingerLakes yes, my mother is also deathly afraid of them. I try to explain to Hershey ones here Arnaldo benign, except maybe copperhead (which you usually can’t even see because they camouflage so well and are more nocturnal apparently, but it’s no use. Since she grew up in Brazil I think she gets a pass though. Those are something else entirely and is part of the reason the Atlantic coast forest was so deforested.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

@@suburbanhomestead I would say -yes-anyone from those tropical climes gets a free pass. I recall river walking through Trini and Tobago, for instance, and seeing FAR too many poisonous water snakes for my liking. Luckily they had better things to do that day. :) The whole fiasco with the Atlantic Forest is gut-wrenching. So much of that area has been lost. ... Another snake story that I just recalled: just 4 years ago in Mozambique, my friend had found a man near his land who had been struck and killed by a mamba. They often slept in the branches above the makeshift shower, but think he must have stepped on one while he was walking. Stories like that I guess is what makes the locals revere / fear / respect / abhor snakes.

[@suburbanhomestead]

@@FlockFingerLakes precisely. I heard Hawaii doesn’t have snakes (or didn’t until recent escapees or something like that.) tropical climate and no snakes is a win win for gardening.

[@bryanhumphreys940]

Before lawnmowers, it was also a flex. Because it meant you could afford to have servants/employees to maintain it.

[@sherry2836]

I love watching this kind of project. Environmental artistry; creating something beautiful and functional from a broken parcel of land. Excited to see the progress and watch the magic happen!

[@az-yq3rk]

Sheer joy that such an abused piece of this beautiful planet has been delivered into loving caring hands 🌻🦜🐟🦖

[@eckosters]

Respect! My goodness, to remove all that crap - wow. I have a tiny wild meadow (30 X 15 m) up here in Nova Scotia and this is my 4th year. I buy a hardy native East Coast 31:15 seed mix from Canadian supplier Vesey’s each year. I removed the grass/turf layer in ‘20 and seeded it. I mow once a year, in September. And yes, the lupines are conquering the girls, next year I’ll have to actively cull them, no matter how much I do love them. I also have lots of golden rod. But the Echinacea and Beebalm are also massive, as well as a medium sized yellow flower of which I don’t know the name. The whole thing remains a fascinating experience. I planted a Cortland Apple and a Bosc pear at each end, a few meters from the edge. Good luck!

[@TheHuckfinn49]

Great! We planted 2 acres down here in Owego! We're a certified monach weigh station! Lots of local native plants in stratification right now. I love what you're doing.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

That's so cool that you have an official monarch waystation. There are so many great Asclepias that grow in this area. We have a ton of swamp milkweed and common milkweed that were already here. And dogbane. Though its in the same family as milkweed-I don't think it's a host for monarch-but it is one of the more important plants for native pollinators in this area, so we're going to promote that as well.

[@bsferguson1]

@@FlockFingerLakes amazing to hear from the people directly doing this!

[@Alwaysherethere]

I can't wait to see everything in bloom! Its going to be beautiful!🌻🌱🌺🌿🌼🍃🕊

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We'll all have to have patience I suppose. The first two years are usually designated to root growth. So maybe, maybe year 3 we'll see some significant changes. Here's hoping!

[@CharlotteKanStudio]

My goodnes! I can't believe the amount of junk that was in the ground 😱 I love the design sketches of the meadow, so exciting to see it come together.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Will be fun to watch to see if it really does work!

[@barbkrienke8400]

Thank you for all of the crazy hard work that you did to reclaim that mess of adulterated land, and putting in a native meadow! It’s so amazing that you will be providing a haven for your local wildlife!!!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Well, let's hope the hard work of cleaning it up pays off. We suppose that's still to-be-determined. But we feel good that we're at least getting some new, diverse seeds into the seed bank. Now let's see if they establish!

[@beabriana]

What a job! I live about an hour away and have just ~1acre in a rural area. When I moved here, a lot of the space was covered by invasive lantern plants growing through piles of brush. It took ages to clear the stuff out and then I discovered the ground beneath was full of all sorts of trash - long pipes, old chicken wire, bits of rebar, random wires and cables, something that looked like an old well pump ... you name it. Because of big tree roots in the area, I couldn't dig it out, so I've been letting natural freeze-thaw cycles slowly push the stuff to the surface. Fortunately, after four years, the only trash my yard still "grows" in the spring is ancient golf balls! 😂 This video triggers very visceral memories of all that frustration! Hopefully your frustration is over and the native meadow will become a reality soon!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Sounds like you had a lot trials and tribulations yourself with your land. Very similar experience for sure-save for the large tree roots. Glad to hear that you have been able to-over time-remove it slowly. Isn't it funny how earth simply "expels" that stuff on its own if it doesn't serve it?

[@kristina_lynn]

This is an amazing project, and I’m really happy to see more content like this on KZbin so people can learn from your work. There’s a lot of comments giving specific pieces of advice on every step you’ve already made and picking apart every choice, so I won’t add to that, but I think it’s awesome you’re learning as you go and I’m sure the finished project will be an incredible experience. It’s obvious you spent a lot of time researching this! Most decisions if you aren’t happy with them can be reversed, so the learning and observation aspect is key!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thanks Kristina, we're looking forward to seeing how this pans out and learning from it.

[@_Chessa_]

The best way to start a meadow is going out every day to pluck baby weeds and reseeding areas every time you pluck the weeds out to establish those types. However I’ve never done it in gravel like yours. So for those gravel stones you have, that’s going to be a hindrance for many meadow types of flowers that try to grow. You really needed more time to add in layers of planting, then raw leaf cover so the added benefits of worm castings could help eat away at those leaves, the leaf cover will insulate in the winter and bring beneficial diet to insects, fungi’s that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Leaf cover also kills off weeds and brings the soil acidity to very high levels depending on your leaves. This leaf cover eventually neutralizes over time and creates balance after the first spring when it essentially becomes dirt again. After that time you will need more reseeding. planting more cover crops adding clovers and more buckwheat if it doesn’t establish itself over the gravel, repeat one or two more years with leaf cover and crop cover. Buy a load of native worms to eat it the leaf cover and allow the soil to breathe life with out damaging it with tilling, as it adds more years to your work. Eventually you’ll have enough built up layers of dirt and soil to plant a healthy meadow were it was once gravel and stone. There’s other ways like digging up soil and turning it but rains and snow eventually cause the gravel and stone to push up again unless done every year which is lots of soil lost when it rains. I’m not sure if my comment will help or be read but I’d love to help you you in your endeavors as I’m figuring out ways myself to create soil in the world. I really hope you add an update to this wonderful video I have stumbled upon. As I’m all for watching others doing their best to create beautiful natural habitats for insects birds and wildlife that are beneficial to the area. Thank you for making this happen and good luck.

[@Fellowtellurian]

As someone that has made offerings to the seed bank gods, so much of it is about faith that nature will find a way. I don’t have gravel soil like you, I mulched 6 inches over everything and sucked all the nitrogen out of the earth for two years, but this year will be the test to see what comes up. I can’t wait to see how your meadow does. I also love that you just committed to throwing seed at it and didn’t do a test patch somewhere. Fingers cross all the seeds take and you have a beautiful canvas of plants like you envisioned.

[@ec9401]

I’m so excited to see your progress, setbacks, surprises - everything! I’m a home gardener that’s very passionate about native plants. I’ve been growing lots from seed! It’s honestly so rewarding, and beautiful, and just all around fun. I’ve always cared about wildlife and the environment but feel that native plants have given me an outlet that I’ve never had before.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Really nice to hear that your emphasis on native plants in your own garden gives a foundation for the care you already have for wildlife and the overall environment. We did some seed collection on our end too here, but it was handfuls compared to what we needed for such a large area. The greatest gift really is seed, so we'll definitely be collecting in the area as we go. We keep on thinking, "even if only a few of these seeds grow-at least we'll have that genetic material in the landscape..." It's enough for a good start. Thanks for sharing your journey with everyone here!

[@trayvixk4642]

I'm so excited to see this project come through. Meadows are so beautiful and important for the environment, I hope we see more people doing this on their land than a large area of lawn.

[@JoannaLouise200]

That was incredible sheer hard labour ~ it looked a little like you were 'terraforming' an old Moon base...with all that dusty gravel to disk in, and all the geotextile, ducting & cabling to be hauled out! The ground must have given a huge sigh of relief ~ for being able to breathe again. You have chosen all my favourite flowers for the mixed meadow, and it will be a joy to see them steadily grow and blossom. It certainly is a privilege to follow :)

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thanks for your note. We sure hope that this land can breathe again. But as we were hauling out that 32 tons of trash, we kept on thinking, "Well this has to go somewhere else!" Sigh. So it's in the environment somewhere [else]. But let's see how this turns out. It's a journey for sure!

[@JoannaLouise200]

@@FlockFingerLakes You've given the land a chance to 'heal' itself, one element being soil-processing invertebrates that can now reach the surface (no geotextile blocking them!). If I remember correctly I think earthworms play a significant role in such land enrichment, as they fetch soil up (digested?/excreted) from deeper levels [though you may need to boost your local worm population!]. As for the tons of trash, someone somewhere at sometime for sure, will inevitably invent a financially viable & sustainable recycling process for such material.

[@bettenotap4791]

You’ve done so much work to be proud of, plus doing your best to be good stewards of your property. I have purple coneflowers, I wanted some in another area of the yard and I just cut and dropped the spent cone heads on the ground in the late fall. I was pleased to see the whole area full of baby coneflowers in the late spring. I suspect the squirrels and the birds may have pushed them around but it couldn’t have worked out better.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Oooh that gives us lots of hope. As we were spreading the seeds, we were thinking, "even if only a few of these come up-at least we'll have that new genetic material in the landscape"... Last year, we planted cardinal flower, and it really started to take off around the ponds and gardens-and the hummingbirds LOVE it. It's really nice "re-introducing" some of these plants back to the landscape and seeing them grow/thrive and seeing the respective wildlife enjoy them too.

[@oatmelbath]

So glad this came up on my feed! I just put a variety of Wildflower and Clover seeds out in parts of my suburban lawn. We moved in here a year ago now and I'm determined to breathe life back into the 'new build' landscape. Much MUCH smaller scale than what you are going for. I'm excited to follow your progress.

[@alexd.6938]

These are absolutely my favorite type of videos!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoy these. They take literally over a year to record and put together! Only way to show the process, we suppose.

[@brenttrgovic1849]

Good luck! Planting wildflower seeds do not turn out as you like for many many years and often completely fail . next time add sand to seeds so application by hand is more consistent mixed in a 3 gallon bucket broadcasted. its all in the wrist when applying by hand broadcast not drop

[@kareharpies]

Yes to all of this

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you Brent! We think the reason why wildflower meadows have such poor rates of success is because folks often go with primarily flowers in their meadows and forget the grasses. We have about a 70% grass 30% wildflower mix ratio here. And the wildflowers are primarily perennials. Many off-the-shelf wildflower meadow mixes rely strictly on flowers, and of the flowers, rely a lot on annuals to get that first pop of color in the first year because those perennials generally take 2-3 years of growth underground first-concentrating on the building up of the root zone-before they make their aboveground entrance. We are not certain what will come of this meadow, however, because even though we did a year of prep here, you can still see some pre-existing plants growing, which don't get us wrong- is not all bad. There are native sedges, thistle, etc that are there. And probably a lot of stuff still in the seed bank. That discing doesn't necessarily "get rid" of the preexisting seeds there. And thanks for your suggestion on sand. We actually *did* buy bags and bags of sand and initially were casting that way, but over such a large area, the toting around of a bucket with sand got really heavy, so we ended up just opting for hand-casting without it. We also had a small seed caster, but that was too cumbersome on the terrain. Someone else also recommended sawdust, which could have been a lot lighter. We will definitely be using the sand and seed-in-bucket method for the smaller meadow areas we plan to be putting in. Those will be a cake walk compared to this beast. Really wish we could have seeded/culti-packed the seed the same way we did the buckwheat and oats. That would have been the easiest but not practical in the least bit!

[@TheRoadLessPaved]

We planted a prairie over our septic field 22 years ago, gravel bed based and still going strong! Many of the plants you just seeded in. My favorite is is the gray-headed coneflowers, they're over 7 feet tall!

[@jerrybarnes3104]

I see your response is a couple months old. Will be moving onto a 3 acre plot this fall. I have intentions of about an acre and a half putting it into native prairie plants. Pollinators, monarch butterfly plants. Central Iowa, any advice from your experience would be appreciated. Part of this will be over our septic field. Thanks

[@TheRoadLessPaved]

@@jerrybarnes3104 I did get your reply. I'll be out of town until next week. Would like to contact you when I get back. Check out Prairie Plant Farm online in Westfield, WI .. they have an excellent source of information and plants that would suit your location. :)

[@jerrybarnes3104]

@@TheRoadLessPaved thank you will check them out.

[@mbgcweather8517]

I just recently found your channel, and I wish I had come across it sooner. I am still just a college student but for a few years now I have had a dream of doing what you guys are doing later in my life (once I have the money lol) It has always been my dream to buy worn-out fallow land and transform it into an ecological paradise, or perhaps plant and tend a forest that will hopefully outlive me and serve well for future generations. When I see you doing this it makes me so inspired. I'm sure I am just one of many who are inspired by your channel. Thank you for what you do, I can't wait for future updates.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Hold fast to your visions and don't be afraid to tell friends, folks, and family about what you'd like to do. That's how we all came together to do what we're doing today. And we had these visions individually for a very long time ourselves.

[@kimmy6304]

It's such a long process, but it's great to see you document it all so well!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

It's nice for us to look back on it too because after a while, it just becomes a blur.

[@michaelrogers7720]

I'm doing a similar project on a very tiny fraction of the size of this meadow and it's been cool to see the progression over two growing seasons now. The coreopsis, coneflower and asters really flourished in year two so I'm excited to see what comes up this spring. I'm adding a few more species this spring: mistflower, aromatic aster, and panicled aster. It will be fun to watch and learn from this project.

[@bretfurgason7615]

Love, love, love it. Spring and summer will be magical . But 1st summer so many yucky plants will try to come back. Lots of walks with a garden how will help. I have noticed every year is a new magical plant or butterflies just amazes (i name each year that) partridge pea (chamaecrista fasciculata) is amazing check it out. Here in Indianapolis during the bloom season the Bumble Bee's overnight in the leaves. Then when morning warmth comes you can hear the buzz get loud. Many times I just sit with them. good luck, enjoy can't wait to see the progress

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We're definitely expecting the multiflora rose and the honeysuckle to be poking their heads through the gravel. Not sure how we'll end up tackling that quite yet-physically and emotionally! ha! And thanks for the recommendation on the partridge pea. It's a good host plant for around half a dozen native insects. May have to sprinkle some of that fairy dust around :) ... When the buckwheat went in as a cover crop, the bees went NUTS. The buzz was deafening. But the smell of buckwheat was a bit overpowering-like dirty socks. We're hoping with a diverse amount of inflorescences and flowers, we'll have a more balanced mixture...But we'll see what takes! Progress shots will come, but will likely be a slower process. Thanks for your note!

[@will16320]

Pat how kind of you to disc it all, presumably free of charge. My man.

[@JamRaptor]

Sincerely thankyou to you both, and those that helped, for not just the service you are providing to the local wildlife in your area, but by extension the service you provide to the wellbeing of the animals and people that live even here in Australia on the other side of the world. You're beautiful people and I look foward to your continued success in the coming years.

[@elmaelmar2761]

Wow I can’t wait to see this come spring!!

[@brittanywinn3955]

This is so wholesome and heartwarming. Really hits me deep in my soul!

[@DoriterEater]

The Canada Goldenrod is a Keystone species and will attract TONS of insects, and support them through their lifecycle. I was struggling to process if it was perceived as a problem for the meadow. Yes it is hardy and monopolizes, but there are other aggressive native wildflowers and shrubs that can mingle with it. I doubt that entirely removing it is an option, just wanted to highlight how wonderful it is especially for the intention of attracting insects!

[@relsoe]

Was going to mention the same thing. We in North America are all lucky it spreads so aggressively. Otherwise I enjoyed the video and the immense effort!

[@seanmcguire7974]

I love everything about this whole project. Native species, n a fenced in part of forest where it can't be damaged by deer. Just imagine how it'll look in a few to 10 years. Bravo guys

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Well, we will see! Total experiment over here :)

[@wimhance6541]

All the undoing, before you even got to the doing! I'm shocked. You have such patience and stoicism.

[@eveaye2315]

Awesome work can't wait to see its blooming natively.

[@nachig4754]

Congratulations to you guys, Summer, what you doing is priceless. I been reading and learning lately so much about the importance of natural meadows and native plants with the keystone plants for insects which is in big trouble lately.thank you as always, for making such a positive impact in our planet. This might be the most amazing video, that you have done since you started, thank you for such for contribution to our planet and our ecosystem, we defenelly need to clone you and your friends :), so proud of you guys and THANK YOU. Very inspiring, your kindness and caring is always appreciate it and recognize. Cheers.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Hi Nachi, such a lovely missive to read. Thanks for appreciating the efforts. We hope the concept of a native, insect meadow really is able to reach more folks. Though this is a bit larger scale, this can easily be done on a much smaller scale too. You don't need that many materials. And someone can also do their own seed-collecting, especially if it's for a smaller area, like a backyard or large container planting, for instance. Have a lovely day.

[@josealeman332]

Its going to looks so pretty, a lot of those flower will pop up first year.. cant wait to see it.

[@dawsonbarnhart418]

So excited to see the end results in a few years! Also I love visits from Andy he’s such a cool guy!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Us too! And Andy is such a hoot and a holler. We love how he loves life.

[@BeFree-BeFrugal]

Wonderful…I love meadows such diversity 🌼🌞

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Time will tell which seeds survive and thrive here! Guess it's part of the experiment!

[@Durburger316]

Ok guys I’m getting a meadow mix to add to my back yard. What a rewarding process to watch. Thanks for sharing.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

That would be cool. Site prep is definitely key. If you are working on a small enough area, you may just want to add a black tarp over to the area you plan to plant, so it takes out the current grass that you have. You don't want much to compete with your seeds / plugs that you do. But if it's prepped well, then you'll have a great chance for its establishment. Plugs will establish quicker than seeds, but if it's a small enough area, you can even collect seeds in the area, which could be a fun project to do.

[@Durburger316]

@@FlockFingerLakes Thanks for the tip!

[@DJ-xx4uz]

Good to have the pile of stumps and or branches and wood, provides shelter for certain animals and beneficial insects.

[@tanyal7122]

I had to save my videos and yours are always up first. I remember when I was on the wait list for your channel. I was so excited to be able to watch your journey. You have not disappointed! Your hard work, care for each other, engagement with the community and just teaching all of us to love this beautiful earth some more. I am so excited for Spring. Thanks for sharing you three and taking us on the Flocks journey. ♥️

[@Jamie025007]

I can hardly wait for the result!!! 🤞a truly wonderful vision. 🌱🌺🏵

[@rickyt3961]

this is great! really look forward to the 3 year mark 😃… so much progress has been made. congratulations ‼️

[@hobbitlady7568]

I love watching you seed all of this beautiful land. Love that you removed all that junk first!

[@janetshepherd9062]

This was amazing to watch!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We hope there will be more to come as it progresses. Will take time. Thank you for taking the time out to watch.

[@pattijacobs100]

I was so happy to see your video! I have land that I will build on and plan to have a meadow instead of a lawn. I need to learn so much but I am so excited! Thank you for sharing your journey!

[@debbiepalmer1094]

I can't wait to see the meadow. x

[@koltonhewlett]

Can't wait to continue to follow along with you this year. Lots of hard work and I'm sure it will be well worth it!

[@katherineb6102]

Thank you. This was very interesting and I'm excited to see the progress.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you for tuning in and being interested.

[@sandylee1717]

Fascinating. I’m sure the landscape center was beautiful in its day but WOW so much under structure

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We saw photos and it looked AMAZING! But yeah, every time we go to a garden center now, we notice what's underfoot more so now than ever!

[@danielrk8]

Kudos to you guys for your hard work! you will be rewarded. I can't wait to see it!!

[@combitz]

You've done an amazing amount of work in a short period of time, it's a beautiful spot.

[@johnpatterson9219]

Who knew it would be this much work!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Let's have our fingers and toes crossed that it works somewhat!

[@skyiswomb1]

This is so cool! You don't quit!

[@aussiecountry9320]

This is the verry first video I've seen on this channel, and I love the energy, it's very calm and peaceful and relaxing. I can't wait to see the evolution of the meadow.

[@jin8339]

Wow, that is going to look so beautiful just like Little House on the prairie. Wahoo !!🌸🌺🌻🌻

[@brettbarager9101]

I'm planning to take up my front yard this spring and make a wildflower meadow. I have about 1000 sq ft. So, when I start complaining about how much work is involved . . . I'm gonna watch this vid again! Awesome job.

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

Looking forward to seeing the progression.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

us too! We'll all have to have patience. This video alone took over a year of filming just to show any progress. It's so hard to have patience! ha!

[@meaghanorlinski8464]

So much work! Cool to see your journey from fashion to this amazing project! Looking forwards to seeing your project grow. :)

[@hobbitlady7568]

I judge a garden by its birdsong and yours is a 10/10!

[@rzczc]

I’m so invested in this meadow lol. Love from Australia 🇦🇺

[@rigajykra3159]

Amazing work. Little by little this world will be restored.

[@katiekane5247]

We recently bought a 2/3 acre in rural N. Georgia. There's several semi to mature trees scattered throughout the "yard" but it's mostly grasses & an amazing amount of Packera. Theres a section that's overrun with Honeysuckle though. It remains a challenge. On the other side of the house, it transitions to woodland complete with Calycanthus & Kalmia. Sadly, invasive Wisteria & Ivy are coming from the adjoining lot & strangling their trees. We've beat back the nasties over 20' & saved some nice natives. I would like to see a change in the horticulture industry. Certainly, money can be made without selling known invasives! I'm short on resources but soldier on! Nice vid, y'all worked HARD!!! Edit: I've added many of the species you planted by both seed & divisions. Good to see how many folks are out here helping nature!

[@marianwhit]

Awesome! Can't wait to see how this goes.

[@charlesbale8376]

I learn so much from your videos...Thanks for sharing.

[@limitlessends]

Great video! Wonderful editing, engaging and what an incredible job you've done!!

[@memdass747]

Admirable you guys have taken up such a large project. I only planted a 1/4 of an acre in 2020 … I made the mistake of working in some horse manure from a neighbor. It had some weed seed in it.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Ahhh the weed seeds! Yes, our neighbor asked whether we wanted to hay the whole place after seeding, and we declined only for fear that there would be weed seeds in the hay, which is essentially just a non-native grass. We were debating as to whether we should spray compost tea on the land, but there's such conflicting theories on both sides of the coin. A lot of meadow plants supposedly 'prefer' to grow in nutrient-poor environments. But then a solid compost tea can encourage healthier soil ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, etc. and perhaps can encourage healthier plants. Not sure which direction to head there, so we opted for just the enrichment we did with the cover cropping. If there are any resident meadow installers in the audience, please feel free to weigh in on your thoughts!

[@memdass747]

Thanks I’ve heard cover cropping is the best option from several folks. We wanted to get the seeds down pretty quick. I’m curious what the results will be with ours 2 years in. The meadow is on slopes . I’ll let you know how it turns out.

[@magpie913]

You've got so much additional work to do... Wow. Good luck with your projects! They are all very interesting.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

The debris really knocked us out, but we're glad we got through the bulk of it.

[@MRTOMBO]

This was super interesting, and the commitment to the vision is part of that. I'm so interested to see the results. Thanks for the video.

[@neash5080]

This is a great project. Thank you, it is very inspiring.

[@zsandmann]

Miguel, Miguel, Miguel... ... you could have been the MVP...

[@FlockFingerLakes]

tee-hee. We would have loved to have his hands in this more, but it ended up working out in the end, as we got to meet and work with more of our neighbors, who we have become good friends with. He was a great guide during the beginning stages of the project. It took many minds to get us to where we are with this project!

[@cefcat5733]

Was wondering what you were doing. 😁Happy belated Valentine's Day to the Flock ! 💕💞❤️💖♥️

[@FlockFingerLakes]

You too!

[@debbietampasheher3682]

Thank you for sharing. This is so cool.

[@joshuamorris3364]

I think my favorite part is around 25:00 where she's all happy about showing the seeds and he's like "oh I'm gonna go show the big stumps. *slaps stump* *walks away* Never related so much

[@miriam2909]

Never seen anything like this! It's amazing . Love it. Lots of work though....

[@kellywood67]

I am doing the same thing! I live on Straight Mountain, Alabama. The land has been ravaged for years through logging and strip mines. I’m on the last stretch of the Appalachian range. It’s just me and a few acres. I’ve been a flower farmer in the city of Birmingham but this move and project is something else! I love seeing what you do! You inspire me and are doing and makes me feel allot less crazy in my ambition to-restore this land. Its beautiful here! Please come visit!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Mine rec sites are definitely their own beast due to all the acidic slag and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The AMD was going right into a Class A trout fishery and poisoning the stream. One of my first jobs as a teenager was actually doing mine reclamation in my hometown of Pennsylvania. Anthracite coal mines. That was tough work. The area ran rampant with Japanese knotweed, which is a choking invasive around here. Observed that birch was growing there though-it's a great colonizer even in the most acidic environments. There were some specific species of Salix too that were suggested just for mine rec sites. But you're not crazy. It's crazy that we go so far to actually destroy our environment so much so that it renders our waters and land poisonous so that very little grows / lives.

[@julieking4304]

May God Bless your work

[@UserCode6]

I’m in awe

[@yland6003]

We have finches too! They are super amazing!

[@Etersarte]

Wow great job! It's really interesting to see what kind of meadows grow in other parts of the world. Here in Sweden you'd rather not use a green manure as it would make the soil too fertile and you'd promote grass and weeds rather than the flowers. So it's really going to be exciting to see your meadow grow with native plants that can deal with that! Best of luck!

[@veeveeleo9713]

Wow .😳😳😳I was waiting to watch the progress in your property 🤗🤗

[@FlockFingerLakes]

It's a process for sure!

[@veeveeleo9713]

@@FlockFingerLakes true … but rookies like me get to learn & inspired by amazing people like you 🙏

[@delavan9141]

Wonderful project and philosophy toward nature. Land restoration should become a growth industry instead of activities that destroy land and native plants. The work and expense you had to devote is mind-boggling. I had land in WI 1999-2006 on which my main project was establishing prairie on formerly pasture/cropland, the main prep task was removing fence and invasive "prickly ash." Throughout I used fire along with mowing. My most successful areas were the places I had large burn piles because the intense heat had killed the seed bank to a sufficient depth and the ash was a great nutrient (I shoveled off most and flung it around the surrounding area because too much would poison the ground). FYI, I learned at a Midwest Prairie Conference that there are flower species that do well in the first season and act as pioneers to pave the way for plants that need a more established prairie ecosystem, prmarily yellow and purple coneflower, bergamot, and black-eye susan. It's true, and a nice way to see some results quickly! One mistake I made was to seed a large area by hand as you are here--flocks of birds arrived soon after.They must have been watching me because the ground was sufficiently covered by existing plants that had been recently mowed. Also, annual ryegrass (not annual rye) is a pretty grass to use for your pre-seeding cover crop. Very cheap and takes well. One more tip--the one flower that pollinators go absolutely mad over (especially monarchs!) is stiff goldenrod. It is a very pretty goldenrod, as well.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We would love to see land restoration become more popular, though have to say, it seems to be a growing "thing" around here, which is not a bad thing! Nice to hear that burning was your most successful strategy for removal of the prickly ash. Did you do any form of mechanical removal along with cover cropping over the course of a year by chance? Curious if you can compare those two data points. Also, nice to hear of the pioneer species of plants: We have 3 species of Echinacea, 2 species of bergamot, and black-eyed susans, so maybe they will do an earlier showing than the rest? We'll see. Not sure if our seeds when we frost-seeded got picked off by birds, but it could have been the timing and the generous birdseed we give our birds during the colder months. We DID, however, get a lot of migrating Canada geese eat the oat seeds we planted because it was smack-dab on their migratory route, but we weren't too worried about that either because we really over-seeded, which was what was recommended to us. Lots of oats still came up, so we suppose that strategy worked-and was enough to feed their bellies for the long flight. And nice tip on the stiff goldenrod! We went with a small amount of Solidago nemoralis, which I guess is known as "old field goldenrod".

[@ariainman6691]

A SUPER PROJET. Something I have always wanted to do. Perhaps I could do a small area. Wildflowers are wonderful. YES. Thank you for sharing.

[@finnster6582]

This is so awesome! It's like a Fairy Tale.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Well, let's see if the plants we planted actually take! But the process in and of itself is so rewarding.

[@Densenugs]

Love! Just got anxious watching you spread seeds because I wonder how you can keep straight on what spot you've seeded or not 😂 When I buy a house, this is my first plan! I've been dreaming of it for years but putting work in on my rental when my landlord sucks seems too nice for him. Even so, I cover cropped last year and had bolted mustard, peas and raddish everywhere. We've been building the soil for years cause our first 2 years was just thistle and goat heads and unuseable. Our thistle is NOT biannual hahaha ugh it was awful. Now we have better native grasses and things like Star of Bethlehem (idk I googled- also says grass lily) compouding everywhere into our yard. I really loved this video! Thanks for sharing! I will be referencing back :)

[@wolfy3200]

It could be an idea to add some holes/ swales in the meadow in order to hold more water and it could create little ponds for wildlife.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We definitely need some more contouring and swales in a section of the meadow, closer to the driveway. We had an extremely wet year this past year, so it gave us more of an indication as to where the water likes to travel in the landscape (the season before there was a drought and you couldn't tell that any place would be wet). That being said, the previous owners used geomorphology to really make this whole landscape well-draining and yet water-storing, principally to irrigate the nursery plants. The four ponds there-(3 of them in the meadow area)- didn't actually exist before...All the water would just drain down through the rivulets / streams on either side of the land. So if you zoom out, they [the ponds] were put in the places that they were to actually capture and hold onto the rain (the largest pond, which is towards the top, is largely spring-fed). So when you zoom out to a more 30,000 foot approach, you can see how the rainwater moves through the landscape and zig zags its way to the ponds and is principally retained there. And each pond has an overflow into the other pond, and then those ponds closer to the road have an overflow into the tributaries / drainage basin. The pond clean-up and plantings will be probably a 2023 project, but we've been seeing lots of cool wildlife already: frogs, salamanders galore. Definitely looking forward to creating more viable habitat.

[@mountainfigsperennialfruits]

@@FlockFingerLakes Don't know where could be seen the zoom views that you note above, but would be interesting to see a water analysis of the whole site, the non-forested portion in particular. The ponds added a lot, but I wonder if the remaining drier areas wouldn't be better off swaled now or key-lined, to retain more moisture in the meadows. Would be an interesting analysis.

[@bretfurgason7615]

@@FlockFingerLakes wetlands are so amazing. Project see how many dragonfly species you have this summer. ( hit there is a crazy diverse amount)

[@metaspencer]

Good stuff. Cool to see this work in progress. Our place is up by TBurg and a few meadows are also in the works

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Amazing! Please keep us posted with progress. We should do seed exchanges when things get established.

[@mmps18]

So lovely!!

[@drewgatewood1864]

I am half way through your video, and I must say my goodness I am surprised at how much it makes my heart hurt seeing how much you pulled out of the ground. I am very surprised at my own reaction to this. This is a fascinating video. Thank you for sharing!

[@jameswebb7228]

Beautiful, amazing to see what native regeneration can look like. Worlds apart I know, but my father just has purchased about 30 acres for his retirement in southern australia. Pretty much chalk and cheese compared to your region but he has aspirations of returning it to a native Australian landscape. Plenty of advice in this video for him to see, love your work!!!

[@SOFTCOCOGIRL]

Love meadows 🥰

[@botanyboy5454]

Looking forward to seeing how this project progresses. Exciting, lots of hope! Makes me dream of all the possible insects and birds! Gave a chuckle seeing Caterpillar equipment being used. Caterpillar is my employer.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We saw our first bluebirds of the season down there today making a nest in a bluebird box, so we hope they enjoy their new views/digs.

[@Drawwithautomotive]

Amazing work!

[@ramthianthomson601]

Very beautiful.

[@jakedreher4698]

Thank you for doing this! This is so inspirational, and I liked your shirt in that one clip “plant meadows not lawns” maybeeee we can’t get a video on how we can plant meadows in our own lawns :)

[@FlockFingerLakes]

They've become our core work shirts here, so we started to spread the message: www.flockfingerlakes.com/shop .. We're recreating this meadow in smaller beds too-and doing native, low-mow grasses and different "meadowizing" techniques in the central lawn. Earlier this year, we did bulbs-in-lawn, and we're trying that with the native, low-mow lawn (TBD if that will work out), and also in pre-existing lawn, and then working with a lawn that is more biodiverse from the start and letting it grow out. So there will be quite a number of experiments that we hope to share as we go.

[@1973kymkym]

Weil Dome. I did this in germany, too. You should leave the dead wood, roots on your propertie, a lot of insects Need it for reproduction. And building dry Stone walls is Importanz for the Same Reason. There is this guy in germany, je started in 2007 with meadows etc, His name is markus gastl. he started a network within people creating natural environments, its the hortus network. You should watch it.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Fabulous bits of information. Thank you for contributing. We began bringing in fallen wood into some of the pollinator gardens in the front near the common house for that reason. We figured it's far more compelling to have natural wood than those manufactured insect homes for insects. The dried stone walls is also another excellent idea. We have one that we'll be taking down (unfortunately) but we'll be building up elsewhere. We noticed that our chipmunks love going in and out of the stones too. And will be looking up Markus' work. May have to get my uncle and aunt to translate if it's in German. Have a delightful day. :)

[@Blossomandbranch]

Ohhh..I love this project! I do worry that you will end up with a lot of weeds this year...discing likely turned up a whole new seedbed! Fingers crossed that it isn't the case. Good luck, following!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I'm sure it did turn up old seeds and also didn't get some of the deeper rooted plants, since disking is really at surface level. It's part of the reason why so many folks resort to herbicide application to start meadows. We're hoping that the 1 year of cover cropping took up substantial space during those critical growing periods and will allow these seeds to germinate, but we'll see!

[@Blossomandbranch]

@@FlockFingerLakes we’ve been working on similar projects but only 2 acres. I’ve found it helps to do a little at a time… we’ve been solarizing patches of 200’x200’ and then seeding which seems to take care of the seeds and allow us a good seedbed. Best of luck-prairie up!!

[@johnpatterson9219]

This will be so incredible for our suffering bee population in the finger lakes area - thank you!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We'll be doing insect audits and bird audits over time, so let's see what comes out of it.

[@jfcgardendesign7164]

Well done, with the exception that you did not kill the existing seeds in the seed bank. Usually, in doing a meadow, you need to kill cool and warm season weeds, spraying, or solarizing for an entire season. All of that tilling has brought up a lot of seeds so you may encounter significant weed pressure. That being said, I have had a rough start to meadows before with weed pressure but with determination (which it seems you have) you will eventually prevail! Good Luck.

[@Fabdanc]

I am doing this on a small scale. There is an oleander hedge next to where I live and there is always just patches of dirt between the hedge, fence, and sidewalk that do not get hit by the landscapers who mow the strip between the sidewalk and the road... PRIME real estate for some guerilla gardening of some Texas wildflowers.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

That sounds like a good project to do under the guise of night! I hope you do it!