Volume 29 Issue 1, Winter 2024

by Susan Abraham and BJ Lecrone

Volunteers spread out to plant native grasses in October. Photo by Susan Abraham

In 2018, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy volunteers, in partnership with nearby residents, began to transform an overgrown, weedy patch of Leesburg into a native meadowscape. The 7,000-square-foot meadow borders Harrison Street and a busy section of the W&OD trail. A number of local groups have supported our habitat restoration effort here, including NOVA Parks, the Town of Leesburg, the Leesburg Garden Club, Susan Abraham Restoration Landscapes, and Northern Virginia Property Services.

The site was mowed, weeded, and raked, with over a thousand native species plugs planted more than the course of several seasons in 2018 and 2019. Unfortunately, the onset of Covid-19 slowed normal volunteer efforts to care for the site in 2020 and 2021, and it quickly became overrun with non-natives — a thriving seedbank of exotic plants surrounds the site. Managing invasive species is now a fundamental task for any landscape or garden project, as essential as general weeding, mulching, and watering. Until large-scale efforts to reduce populations of these aggressive non-native species become the norm, such plants will continue to become more established, and the need for constant vigilance to keep them at bay will not taper off.

Volunteer Arunie Clark helps plant native grass plugs, purchased from Earth Sangha, during an October work day at the meadow. Photo by BJ Lecrone

In 2022, a group of 28 volunteers were called upon to cut back invasive plants from May through October to decrease the non-native seed bank at the site. We finished the season on October 29 by scattering thousands of native flower seeds that could increase plant growth in upcoming seasons.

Loudoun Wildlife marshaled volunteers again in the spring of 2023 to begin the process of rehabilitating the meadowscape back into a thriving pollinator garden to support native wildlife, as well as pique the curiosity of many passersby on the trail. A few additional local residents have also stepped up to water and care for parts of the site. The 2023 drought likely had a negative impact on native plant growth in the meadow, particularly on the drier upper side. This is, unfortunately, a common consequence of drought. Reduced water availability can limit seed germination and seedling establishment.

With the leadership of Susan Abraham Restoration Landscapes, we will continue following a maintenance plan and watering schedule to restore the meadowscape through volunteer efforts and grant funding for new plants. Volunteer leaders will organize labor for a number of tasks each month, culminating in new plantings each fall through 2025. Once a more stable community of plants is established, volunteers will continue monthly maintenance to keep non-native species at bay.

Susan Abraham is a sustainable landscape garden designer and a Virginia Master Naturalist.
BJ Lecrone is an Audubon at Home Ambassador and Virginia Master Naturalist.