Clare and Paul Meade began transforming five acres of turf into a native meadow two years ago. Explore how they did it in this engaging session.

A meadow vista of native species, moving in the wind, is a beautiful, iconic picture. Beyond the beauty of the picture, replacing turf grass with a space of minimally-tended native species creates a strong, positive impact on the local ecosystem.

Join Mikaela Boley, Principal Agent Associate for University of Maryland Extension Service in Talbot County, as she leads us in the science behind establishing a successful native meadow ecosystem—from site preparation and seed selection to planting techniques and weed management.

What to expect: 

In our first session, you will learn how to create and maintain a thriving, self‑sustaining landscape that benefits both people and nature.

We’ll then visit the Meade’s 5‑acre, second‑year meadow and learn from their experience how the theory translates into practice. Homeowners, Clare and Paul Meade, established the meadow space in spring of 2025. Wander the paths and hear the details behind their specific approach to meadow conversion.  What has worked?  What has led them to reconsider their initial choices?

Anyone interested in converting grass to meadow — whether tackling a small or large project — will come away from this course with a clear idea of how to proceed and an understanding of the pros and cons of the many methods homeowners commonly use to make this transformation.  And perhaps be just a bit less intimidated by the process!

Feedback from Clare and Mikaela’s past courses:

“Fabulous class with a wealth of information, resources, and a wonderful group of like-minded gardening fanatics. Highly recommended!”

“The course was informative, full of useful and practical information and engaging! As a newbie to native plant gardening, I felt like I was drinking out of a firehose, I was excited about the material. I plan to incorporate native plants into existing gardens and hope to create a meadow.”

“Clare shared a wealth of information about how to identify and forage for a wide variety of materials to use right in our own area.”

2 Thursdays | Oct 1 (our YMCA classroom) | AND | Oct 8 (private Easton home) | 10:30 – noon | IN PERSON | $40