Habitat that matters
Native bees, butterflies and songbirds find food and shelter, and milkweeds give monarchs a place to raise the next generation.
A Grown Green® company
Meadow MaintenanceNative meadows, designed around the way you live.
We turn underused lawn into native meadow, or bring out the natives already growing there, across Bernardsville, Mendham and Far Hills. Then we care for it until it thrives.
- Native plants
- Deer-tolerant mixes
- Organic first
- Three-season guarantee
Lawn stays where you play, park and gather. Meadow takes the rest, shaped by the views from your windows, the paths you walk and how wild you want it to feel.
Why a meadow
More life, less upkeep once it takes hold.
Mowed once a year
After the first three seasons, an established meadow needs one mow, in late winter, instead of a mower every week.
Nothing to feed or water
Native grasses and wildflowers need no fertilizer, and no irrigation once they are established.
Built for deer country
Our mixes lean on native species deer tend to leave alone. No plant is deer-proof, so we plan for some browsing.
Meadow styles
Choose a look. We'll handle the plant list.
Most properties combine two: a low, tidy meadow near the house and a taller one farther out.
Low Meadow
Tidy, bloom-forward and crisply edged. Pennsylvania sedge, little bluestem, beardtongue and butterfly weed.
Pollinator Meadow
Steady color from May to October: golden Alexanders, wild bergamot, milkweeds and black-eyed Susan.
Songbird Field
Loose tallgrass whose seed heads feed birds through winter: Indian grass, switchgrass, asters and goldenrod.
Wet Meadow
Lush late-summer bloom where lawn struggles: fox sedge, swamp milkweed and Joe-Pye weed.
Sedge Lawn
A soft, low green carpet of Pennsylvania sedge, mowed two or three times a year.
Mix and match
Your Meadow Plan maps which style goes where, with mown paths connecting them.
NJ Native Lawn
Already wild? Let the natives win.
No seeding and no digging up your yard. We take out the invasives, cut back the natives that try to take over, and let the native plants that arrive on their own thrive. Then we trim it, never mow it, four times a year.
Natives that move in on their own
Violets, wild strawberry, pussytoes, Pennsylvania sedge, little bluestem, asters, mountain mint and milkweed. We protect them and let them spread.
Natives that try to take over
Six-foot wild lettuce, Canada goldenrod and ragweed belong here, but not everywhere. We cut them back before they seed and leave some.
Invasives, every visit
Stiltgrass, mugwort, multiflora rose, bittersweet and tree-of-heaven. Organic methods first; licensed spot treatment only for the toughest, with your OK.
March
Late-winter trim
The whole yard, cut high, before birds start nesting.
May to June
Spring spot visit
Hand work only: pulling invasives before they seed.
Late July
Midsummer trim
The whole yard again, after nesting season ends July 15.
Late August
Seed-head pass
Cutting seed heads off anything we don't want spreading.
It starts with a $450 Native Lawn Survey: a plant inventory and a marked map of what stays, what gets thinned and what goes.
Book a survey
How it works
From first walk-through to a meadow that runs itself.
- Before any work
Meadow Plan
A 90-minute walk of your property, a soil test and a scaled plan showing meadow zones, paths and plants, with a fixed quote.
$650, credited to your meadow
- Season 0
Establishment
We prepare the ground organically by smothering, solarizing or lifting sod, seed in the dormant season and plant a show border nearest the house.
- Years 1 to 3
Establishment Care
Mowing, weeding and monthly photo updates while your meadow takes root. Included with every meadow, because these seasons decide success.
- Year 4 onward
Meadow Stewardship
One late-winter mow, invasive plant patrols, a spring walk-through with you and an annual meadow report.
What to expect
Roots first, flowers later.
Native perennials spend their early seasons building deep roots. Here is what you'll see along the way.
Season 0
Ground prepared
The area is smothered or cleared, then seeded after the first hard frost.
Year 1
Mostly green
Seedlings root in while we mow weeds before they set seed. Your plug border brings the first color.
Year 2
First wildflowers
Grasses thicken, weeds thin out and early bloomers appear.
Year 3
Filling in
Most species bloom in the third or fourth season, and the meadow starts to look like itself.
Year 4 onward
Established
Mowed once a year in late winter, with color from late spring into fall.
Year 1 rarely looks like a meadow, and that's normal. We send monthly photo updates that explain what you are seeing, so you always know your meadow is on track.
Our focus
Meadows, and only meadows.
Specializing is how we get meadows right. For everything else, we'll point you to companies we trust.
We take care of
- Site assessment and meadow design
- Preparing the meadow area
- Seeding and plug planting
- Establishment mowing and weeding
- Invasive plant control in and along the meadow
- Mown paths and edges inside the meadow
- Annual stewardship and a yearly meadow report
- NJ Native Lawn: removing, thinning and trimming
We'll refer you to a partner for
- Mowing the lawn you keep
- Tree work
- Hardscape, drainage and irrigation
- Foundation beds and shrub care
- Seasonal cleanups and snow
The simple rule: anything inside your meadow's boundary, including its paths and edges, is ours. Keeping some lawn? Grown Green® seed mixes are made for it.
Good neighbors
Designed to fit your town's rules
Most towns here limit grass height near the house. Your Meadow Plan checks your town's property maintenance code, places meadow where it belongs, and gives you a planting plan you can share with neighbors or the town.
Mown edges, paths and a small meadow sign make every meadow read as cared for, not overgrown.
Our guarantee
Three growing seasons, guaranteed
If your meadow, under our continuous care, has not reached the agreed level of native cover by the end of year 3, we reseed bare or weedy patches at no charge.
Service area
Rooted in the Somerset Hills.
We work only in these four towns, so we know their soils, their deer and their rules.
BernardsvilleSomerset County
Far HillsSomerset County
Mendham BoroughMorris County
Mendham TownshipMorris County
Questions
Before you trade the mower for a meadow.
Will a meadow look messy?
Not when it is designed well. Clear mown edges, paths and a low meadow near the house make it read as intentional. The first year is the awkward one, which is why we send monthly photo updates explaining what you are seeing.
How long until it blooms?
The plug-planted border near your house gives color in the first year. Seeded wildflowers come in over time, and most species bloom in the third or fourth season.
Can I keep some lawn?
Yes. Most clients keep lawn where they play, entertain or park, and turn the rest into meadow. Your Meadow Plan draws that line with you.
What about deer?
We build mixes around native species deer tend to avoid. No plant is completely deer-proof, so we expect some browsing and plan the mix to carry it.
What about ticks?
Mown paths and edge strips let you enjoy the meadow without walking through tall growth. We don't offer tick spraying, but we can refer you to a company that does.
Is a meadow allowed in my town?
Bernardsville, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township all limit grass height in some areas near the house. We check your town's code during the Meadow Plan, place meadow accordingly and confirm with the town before planting in a front or side yard.
Do you use herbicides?
Organic first. We pull, dig, cut and smother. For the few invasives that keep coming back from all of that, such as tree-of-heaven or Japanese knotweed, a licensed applicator can spot-treat individual plants, and only with your written OK. We never spray across a yard.
What's the difference between a meadow and a native lawn?
A meadow is planted: we prepare the ground and seed a designed mix. A native lawn starts from what is already growing: we remove invasives, thin what takes over and let the natives fill in. Native lawns cost less up front; meadows give you more control over the look.
Is that 6-foot plant with milky sap a weed?
Usually it is wild lettuce, a New Jersey native. It is not a weed to wipe out, but it can take over, so we thin it before it seeds. Its look-alikes, prickly lettuce and sowthistle, are not native and come out.
My land has farmland tax assessment. Can I still have a meadow?
Possibly, but converting hay ground can affect farmland assessment. We won't convert assessed land until your tax advisor confirms the plan works for you.
Will you mow my lawn too?
No. We look after the meadow, including its paths and edges, and we're happy to recommend a lawn company for everything else.
Start here
Book a Meadow Plan.
Tell us a little about your property in the form below. We'll call to set up a walk-through and talk about what your meadow could be.
$650
Site walk, soil test, a scaled meadow plan and a fixed quote. Credited in full to your meadow if you go ahead within 12 months.
- We call youwithin two business days to talk through your property and book a time.
- We walk it togetherfor about 90 minutes: views, paths, wet spots, deer trails and what you hope to see.
- You get your planwith meadow zones, plants and a fixed quote within two weeks.