Republished with permission from the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society‘s
Pennsylvania Recreation & Parks Winter 2025 publication

by Ally Brandt

Lawn to Meadow Conversion

How many hours does your maintenance team spend mowing each year? When I first started at a small municipality with only a handful of public works employees who covered everything from parks to roads, I couldn’t believe how many hours they spent mowing. Then I moved to a larger municipality with 12 parks and, again, could not fathom why we spend so much time mowing. Why would we have these skilled individuals wasting so much time mowing grass? There had to be something better. There are plenty of parks and open spaces that have traditional turfgrass that is underutilized and a time suck for maintenance to mow. Why not make better use of
this space?

Exton Park Meadow, Photos taken by Yvonne Sharrow

Lawn to meadow conversion not only saves maintenance a ton of time and frees them up to focus on other projects, but it also has tremendous environmental impacts. Planting native flowers and grasses provides habitat and food for native birds, insects and other critters. These plants grow taller and have deeper root systems than turfgrass, which helps trap pollutants and encourage infiltration of stormwater (a word I am sure we have all heard quite a bit these days!). Meadows also beautify the parks. While grass is just … well, grass … native wildflowers and tall grasses add bursts of color and interest to a space. In both meadow projects that I have been a part of, the community has been very supportive and engaged. I mean, who doesn’t love a field of wildflowers and butterflies?

I’m not saying that meadows don’t take any work. Planting a meadow can be a beast of a project. You’ll need the support of your maintenance team, volunteers, supervisors and community. Consider consulting an expert before taking on this project. I have been fortunate to have farmers, landscape architects and master gardeners on my team throughout the two meadow projects I have worked on. Don’t feel like you must go this alone! There are awesome resources out there. Penn State Extension, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), The Maintenance Institute and your local watershed associations have a wealth of knowledge you can  tap into.

Exton Park Meadow, Photos taken by Yvonne Sharrow.

Here are some tips to help get started. Everyone’s land is different and will have its own set of challenges. Sometimes you must be flexible and creative, as you may not have access to farming equipment, or you may get rain for 10 days in a row.

1. Identify a space for the meadow. The first meadow I worked on was in a large, unused field. We planted about 1 acre of the field and left the other half as turfgrass. The second 3.5-acre meadow was placed very purposefully so that the disc golf course went through it. Some other good locations are sloped hillsides that are difficult to mow, areas that often get too wet to mow or fields near existing wildlife habitat. Be sure to mark the area after it’s planted so no one mows over it!

2. Make a budget. I recommend Ernst seed mixes for wildflowers and pollinators. Budget for pesticides that may be used, or if you need to rent equipment, order signage, etc.

3. Think about “cues to care.” These include a rock border, signage, a mowed walking path and other things that let the public know that this is purposeful. Meadows do not always look great, so in the winter there needs to be
something in the area to remind folks that the flowers are coming.

4. Reach out to local farmers to see if any are willing to help you prepare the ground. It is recommended that the ground be tilled before planting. Seeding will also go way faster if it is done with a broadcast seeder. If you can’t get a broadcast seeder—don’t fret. You can also do it with a team of willing volunteers. We planted the 3.5-acre meadow by hand with about 60 volunteers! I think this can be sentimental because they can return to the meadow and watch what they planted grow.

5. Figure out how you are going to kill off the grass and other plant life in the area. If it is a very small area, you can lay down cardboard or tarps to kill everything off. If it is a large area, you will need to mow it as low as possible and spray with park-safe pesticides, likely two times. Remember that whoever does this needs a pesticide applicator license.

Second-year meadow at East Hanover Township Community Park in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It was planted with assitance from the Dauphin County Penn State Extension with Becky Richards as parks and recreation director. (I began this project with Penn State Extension and Becky took it over after I left.) Photos take by Yvonne Sharrow.

6. Make sure you will be able to keep up with the first-year maintenance. It will need mowed to 6-8 inches once the plants reach 12-16 inches. You will also need to watch for invasive plants that may take over.

7. After the first year, maintenance should really slow down. Watch areas that may need to be reseeded and mow once a year in late winter.

8. Keep good records of what pops up and when. Notice any noxious weeds and invasives that may need special attention.

9. Don’t get discouraged if the first season isn’t plentiful. Meadows take time. Some areas take off quicker than others—have patience and remind the park visitors to do the same.

10. Spread the word! Let your residents and park visitors know why you planted the meadow and encourage them to add native landscaping to their yards.

Special note: Check with your local ordinances to make sure you are not breaking any landscaping ordinances. If there is an ordinance in place that requires lawns to be kept at a certain height, be sure to get approval for the meadow. If you have a good relationship with your local government agency, you may even ask them to add an exception for meadows, so residents are able to have one in their yard, too. I have really enjoyed checking on the meadow every week and seeing which new plants have grown. In theory, each year should get better than the last! Meadows are a great way to start a conversation about stormwater management and ways that residents
and homeowners can mitigate issues in their own yards.

Happy growing!

Resources

DCNR. 2025. Request Help Converting Your Lawn to Habitat
One way to reduce your environmental footprint is by turning your yard into habitat. The Lawn to Habitat Program is available statewide and aims to support those who want to convert their yard into a meadow or woods.

PennState Extension. 2024. Meadows and Prairies: Wildlife-Friendly Alternatives to Lawn
By replacing all or part of your lawn with native vegetation that provides food and cover, you can create a refuge to attract variety of wildlife.

PennState Extension. 2022. Improving Local Water Quality Through Lawn Conversion
Converting some mowed turf areas in your landscape to trees and meadow can have a tremendous impact on local water quality, habitat wildlife and pollinators, air quality, and property values.

Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. 2023. Lawn Conversion Sub-Grant for Conservation Districts Guidelines
Funding is to be used on shovel-ready projects converting presently maintained lawn to actively managed upland forest or perennial native meadow.

WeConservePA. 2017. From Lawn to Meadow: Protect Water, Provide Habitat, Save Money
Converting areas covered by turf grass to meadows can be financially rewarding and relatively simple on both public and private land. It can also deliver substantial environmental and aesthetic benefits.

 

About Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society (PRPS)

PRPS is the principal statewide association providing industry leadership, professional development, advocacy, and resources for those working and volunteering in parks and recreation.

The Society’s members include managers of municipal and state recreation and park systems, recreation therapists and wellness specialists, higher education professors and students, managers and programmers of commercial recreation facilities, suppliers and manufacturers of recreation and park products and services, and citizen members of community recreation and park boards. 

Founded in 1935, PRPS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional membership association of more than 2000 members statewide.