Izaak Walton League meadow

Izaak Walton League Meadow

The native plant meadow at the Izaak Walton League is designed to manage stormwater, provide wildlife habitat, demonstrate how a large native planting can be low-maintenance, and educate the community about how a native plant garden develops over time.

This planting, started from seed in the summer of 2020, is a great example of conservation landscaping in progress. Many native plants are slow to begin growing from seed, but this doesn’t mean they are failing – it just means they are taking the time to prepare themselves for a long life in their new home.

The meadow is also an example of a large planting that is low-maintenance by design. Now that the native plants have established themselves, they need very little help from people – a major benefit on a large property or anyplace where the caretakers expect they won’t be able to keep up with a heavy maintenance workload indefinitely.

Following a careful planning process, a hillside between the Izaak Walton League’s driveway and the lake was herbicided and regraded. The gutter of the picnic pavilion was extended to improve drainage, and a rain garden was planted around the new outflow. Look for this area under the trees when you visit: it’s different from the rest of the meadow!

The remaining area – several thousand square feet – was then seeded with a mix of native plants. Some of the plants began to grow quickly. Other plants with longer life spans took their time getting started.

The hillside in February 2020, before the project began.
The meadow area in July 2020, after herbiciding and regrading but before planting and seeding.
The meadow in April 2021: Plants are growing, but no flowers yet.
In June 2021, flowers began to appear… and butterflies found them.
By August 2021, the meadow was in full bloom!
On November 15, 2021, we celebrated the meadow’s grand opening!
By April 2022, the plants were coming back and blooming again for another season. Maintenance effort during this time period consisted of one mowing in February, to help deter invasive species.
The meadow bloomed profusely throughout the summer of 2022. The native plants held the ground, assisted by just a little bit of strategic weeding.
In September 2022, an enthusiastic group toured the late-summer meadow.
See a whole year in the meadow, beginning in January 2022.
The winter meadow attracts wildlife, including this hen turkey.
In spring of 2023, slower-growing species like wild indigo began to appear.
Fall-blooming species like asters keep the meadow vibrant even as colder weather sets in.
An early winter snowfall brings its own beauty to the meadow.

See the meadow’s complete photo album.

Visit our meadow at 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Park in the small lot on the right as you turn onto Conservation Lane, then walk up to the meadow on the left side of the road. The Izaak Walton League grounds are open to the public dawn to dusk. Feel free to visit more than once – a meadow is always changing, so there is always something new to see!

[ Download a map of the meadow and rain garden • Download a list of plants used in the meadow ]

No matter when you visit, you’ll discover something interesting in the meadow. But some days, meadow experts are on hand to teach the community about native plants, garden maintenance, the importance of managing stormwater, and other topics. See upcoming events.

Thank you to the Izaak Walton League of America for hosting our meadow, and thank you to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for funding it!