How to grow a native meadow at home

Creating a meadow at home might seem ambitious, but it’s surprisingly easy and deeply rewarding. Meadows are beautiful, climate‑smart, wildlife‑friendly spaces that work just as well in pots and balconies as they do in big backyards.

A true meadow isn’t just pretty wildflowers; it’s a mix of grasses and flowering plants growing together to create food and shelter for pollinators like butterflies, native bees and birds. Think of it as a small ecosystem you can build almost anywhere. 

“Meadows are beautiful, evocative spaces… They can be as intensive or as low‑intensive as you want it to be. It all comes down to plant selection and location.” - Horticulturalist, Madeline Ward

 

Meadows don't necessarily need acres of land. With the right light and an understanding of your local climate, you can create a meadow-like effect in pots, planter boxes, courtyards, and small or large backyards.  

Madeline’s native wildflower meadow in The Domain Sydney sits on top a busy highway in full sun - proof that meadows can thrive in the most unexpected places.

For full sun grass, Themeda triandra, Cymbopogon refractus and Poa labillardierei work well. If you’re after a woodier look and feel, then a hardy shrub like Prostanthera is a great option for areas that get a lot of sun.  

“Having that calmness from the meadow and that wildness right next to the peak of the city near the highway just felt like a really nice contrast,” Madeline said.  

The key to a thriving meadow is a healthy foundation made up of grasses suited to your space. 

Across each of our Botanic Gardens, from the wildflower meadows in the heart of the city to the tulip-filled slopes of Mount Tomah - pollinators are the living heartbeat of each vibrant patch.

These dreamy fields are tiny wildlife hubs, offering nectar, shelter, and safe resting spots in an increasingly urban and fragmented world.

When you plant local species, pollinators respond instantly. Birds, butterflies, and native bees recognise the plants they’ve evolved alongside.

One of the most charming visitors to meadows is the blue‑banded bees. During the day, they busily buzz between flowers, but from the evening to the early morning, they sleep in neat rows along grass stalks - turning the meadow into their bedroom.

“The native meadow in The Domain Sydney is an absolute haven for insects. Sometimes in the early mornings, the insect noise is louder than the traffic noise from the highway right underneath it,” Madeline said.  

Once your grasses have been selected the real fun begins. Here are some native wildflower species to really make your meadow pop.

Paper daisies: Easily grown from seed and long‑lasting. The iconic spring paper daisy display at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan uses a Rhodanthe and Schoenia species.  

Native leek (Bulbine Bulbosa): Flowers most of the year and tolerates various conditions.  

Native bluebells (Wahlenbergia stricta and W. gracilis): Soft blue blooms that weave beautifully through native grasses. Together they create colour, movement, texture and important habitat. 

“Bulbine bulbosa is a wildflower I absolutely adore. It flowers consistently and handles drought and water.” 

– Madeline Ward 

 

Growing Friends Plant Sales at our Sydney, Mount Annan, and Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens bring together passionate volunteers and propagation experts ready to share their knowledge. Here, you can find a range of affordable plants carefully propagated by Botanic Gardens of Sydney - giving you the chance to take a piece of the garden home

For seeds and seedlings, visit your local council nursery or explore nearby bushwalks to see what naturally thrives in your area. You can even support First Nations growers and conservation by visiting IndigiGrow in La Perouse. Australia’s only Indigenous‑owned, not‑for‑profit native nursery.