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Open space meadows are a very practical application of the bioretention BMP. By proper design, the long-term maintenance costs associated with common or open space areas can be reduced significantly with the use of bioretention meadows. Typically, open spaces are maintained as nondescript grassed areas with minimal landscape features. A bioretention meadow, composed of ornamental grasses interlaced with wildflowers, does much more. Bioretention meadows: improve water quality, provide aesthetic value, benefit wildlife, and reduce costs. Like a forest, a meadow is a structured community of plants occupying different levels above and below ground. Meadows, like forests, also undergo ecological succession, with short-lived pioneer species being gradually replaced by a “climax” community. A variety of grasses and wildflowers are generally interspersed throughout the site. Drifts of a particular species, however, may develop over time in response to variations in moisture or as a consequence of ecological succession. While it is not difficult to design and establish a meadow, it is important to use plant communities and techniques specifically adapted to local conditions.
The above information was derived from the Prince George's County Bioretention Manual |
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