Spring meadow and hay lawn

The main flowering period of this type of meadow is April to May after which little flowering is seen. Such meadows are mown shortly after flowering (end of May/early June), then again once or several times during summer. This way, one obtains a meadow that is free flowering in spring and a short-trimmed meadow or lawn in summer, which may be used for recreation without the vegetation being adversely influenced. It is therefore very suitable for application around housing or in smaller gardens. This method may also be applied to larger meadows. A spring meadow contains common species such as Cardamine pratensis, Bellis perennis, Veronica filiformis and V. serpyllifolia, Taraxacum officinale, Cerastium arvense, Geranium molle and Luzula campestris, but could equally accommodate species like Veronica chamaedrys, Leucanthemum vulgare, for bulbs and corms, such as Galanthus nivalis, Crocus Primula vulgaris and P. elatior. It may also be suitable tommasinianus, Tulipa sylvestris, Corydalis bulbosa, C. cava, Narcisssus pseudonarcissus spp. pseudonarcissus, N. obvallaris or N. lobularis. Mowing can commence when the foliage of bulbs and corms has begun to die back in late May, early June. Throughout the rest of the year the grass may be kept short. One may use the lawnmower to do this, setting the mowing height no lower than 4 cm. Depending on the extent to which the meadow is used, one may use more sensitive species, for example Ajuga reptans, Fritillaria meleagris, Corydalis bulbosa and C. solida and Prunella vulgaris. Under favourable conditions they may be self-seeding.