Blossoming Knowledge: The New Native Meadow at Our Library

A painted lady butterfly feeding on a purple coneflower

If you visited the Lawrence Headquarters Branch last year, you might have seen a transformation occurring in our front garden beds — especially the birth of our native plant meadow. Have you noticed a magnificent chaos beginning to bloom outside the library doors this season? What may have once looked like an unkempt lawn is becoming a vibrant native plant meadow, a living extension of our Mercer County Library System's mission to foster growth and learning.

By replacing traditional manicured grass with native species, we are doing more than just landscaping; we are restoring a vital ecosystem. These plants — like Creeping Phlox, the pollinator-favorite Purple Coneflower, and Purple love grass — are specially adapted to our local climate. Unlike typical lawns, this meadow requires no fertilizer and, once established, survives on rainfall alone.

In the gardening world I came across what seems to be a common saying for perennials: "The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap". As we enter our second season, we are officially in the "creep" phase!

While last year was all about establishing deep, resilient root systems, this year we will see our native plant garden area truly begin to fill in. The plants have spent months adapting to our local New Jersey soil and climate, making them hardy, low-maintenance, and naturally resistant to local pests like deer and rabbits.

Our meadow is more than just a beautiful landscape. By choosing native species, the library provides a pollinator magnet for local wildlife. Just last summer, we celebrated a magical moment while releasing Black Swallowtails — New Jersey’s state butterfly — which began as tiny eggs right here in our garden.

Liatris ligulistylis, or Blazing Star, is an important component of Central New Jersey meadows because its nectar-rich flower spikes provide a critical food source for monarch butterflies and native bees during mid-to-late summer. By including this native perennial, we support local biodiversity and stabilize the meadow ecosystem.

Next time you check out a book, take a moment to walk by our meadow and see what’s blooming. The adventure doesn't just happen inside the library; it’s growing right outside our front door!

Essential Books:

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a curious beginner, the Mercer County Library System offers a wealth of resources to help you bring these benefits to your own backyard.