The new Meadow Garden – 86 acres showcasing native plantings in the Brandywine Valley – will open at Longwood Gardens June 13.

“The new Meadow Garden is an exciting departure from the more formal gardens at Longwood,” said Paul B. Redman, Longwood’s director. “In the Meadow Garden, guests will experience a bucolic Brandywine Valley landscape and discover the beauty and variety of native and naturally producing plants and gain an appreciation for the interconnectedness of the plants and wildlife in the meadow,” he said

The Meadow Garden was designed by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects in Wayne. The firm fuses history, context and ecology to create sustainable landscapes. Alderson prefers to use native plants and materials to create extraordinary and sustainable places. Some of his recent projects were at Swarthmore College, Lancaster General Health and the Ann Barshinger Cancer Center.

In his design Alderson added more than 100 species to the plants already in the meadow to create sweeps of color, texture and biodiversity, providing interest and habitat benefit in every season. This spring, woody plants such as Carolina silverbell, Eastern redbud, flowering dogwood and sweet azalea grace the woodland/meadow edge, along with a robust herbaceous layer of species such as wild cranesbill, Indian-physic, and Virginia bluebells.

Alderson took inspiration from naturally-occurring patterns and accentuated them to create experiences to celebrate the Meadow’s temporal and ever-changing nature. These experiences educate the visitor about larger messages, including local land management and its evolution over time.

There are more than three miles of walking and hiking trails in the garden, from the forest’s edge, to the open, undulating fields, to the lush wetlands surrounding the Hourglass Lake. Each habitat demonstrates the complex interrelationships of plants, insects, birds, amphibians and many small animals to one another. Points of interest include the Hawk Point Pollination, Hourglass Lake and Forest Edge pavilions, as well as the 1700s Webb Farmhouse, now an interpretive center for photography and art.

John Milner Architects of Chadds Ford led the farmhouse restoration. See the garden web site here for a schedule of Meadow Days events.