Something just wasn’t right – aesthetically, economically and environmentally.

For several years, Adam Brady, the supervisor of parks and open space for London Britain Township, would expend countless hours and gallons of costly petrol to hop aboard an 18-foot-wide township tractor and mow the entirety of Nichol Park in Landenberg, only to have to repeat the process a week or so later. 

In 2022, Brady received information from township Secretary Carolyn Matalon about a lawn-to-meadow conversion program and grant opportunity that was available from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation Resources (DCNR). He liked what he read, and soon after, he proposed the project to the Board of Supervisors  Aileen Parrish, Brian Sachs and Bruce Yost, who supported the idea for a now fully-funded project -- thanks to nearly $100,000 in grants from the DCNR and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – that has transformed nearly 12 acres of Nichol Park into a magnificent and natural garden of wildflowers and grassy trail paths. In addition, the township is also converting 1.8 acres in the Country Walk development off of Good Hope Road and 2.6 acres on a hillside in the Windsor development off of Chambers Rock Road.

The lawn-to-meadow projects are being installed and managed by Weeds, Inc., an Aston-based leader in providing vegetation management services for government, municipal, industrial, commercial and residential markets. 

“This is the main reason I am on the board – to be able to work with my colleagues to create projects like this for the community,” Sachs said. “My family and I moved to Landenberg for the vistas and wildlife landscapes, so when it came time to make the decision whether to continue to have Adam continue to mow this field or pursue a better opportunity, the choice was easy.”

By converting from a “turf” landscape to a “native plant” landscape, deep root systems improve soil health; increase water infiltration and reduce flooding; reduce carbon emissions; create diverse and colorful textures; and do not require long-term maintenance. The result is what is now seen in the new and sprawling vista at Nichol Park: purple coneflowers, lanceleaf coreopsis, blackeyed susan, butterfly milkweed, purple lovegrass and dozens of other forms of plantings.

The overall design concept for the three projects -- overseen by Kelsey Mummert of the DCNR – began with plantings at all three locations last fall. 

DCNR’s lawn-to-meadow project is part of a statewide, collaborative effort to convert two million acres of lawn throughout the Commonwealth to meadow gardens. As part of the initiative, several local agencies are partnering with the DCNR, including the Pa. Environment Council, the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance and the Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association, as well as various conservation districts. 

To give Brady an understanding of the Nichol Park project’s projected blooming, DCNR projected a three-year timeline from planting to full bloom, a response that came in the form of a rhyme and later, an unexpected surprise.

“They told me that in year one, it sleeps. In year two it creeps. In year three, it leaps,” Brady said. “In the early spring, I was discouraged, because it looked brown and weed like. Then we received a lot of rain and two weeks later, flowers began popping up everywhere, and a month after that, it started to become what we’re seeing today.” 

Beautifying London Britain Township through DCNR’s lawn-to-meadow program is not only a long-term decision, but also a contagious one that Supervisor Aileen Parrish is anxious to share with neighboring towns, municipalities and eligible homeowners who are looking to convert an acre of their own properties. 

“We would be delighted to share all of this information, and we are hopeful that township officials and private residents approach us, and it’s important to reiterate that this project did not cost us anything,” she said. “It is beautiful in so many ways. It serves our environmental goals, it embraces wildlife and it conserves the groundwater. 

“To create those opportunities in such a way as this becomes a gift to all of those who will enjoy it.”

Interested in converting your lawn to a meadow? To learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural and Resources’ lawn conversion program, visit www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/Water. 

Nichol Park is located at 1505 New London Road in Landenberg, Pa.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].