Meadow & Rain Garden Work Session

Name: Meadow & Rain Garden Work Session
Start: 2026-03-21T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-03-21T15:00:00-04:00
Location: 11 Forest Dr, Catonsville, MD 21228-5028, United States

Schedule

Sat Mar 21 2026 at 10:00 am to 03:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

11 Forest Dr, Catonsville, MD 21228-5028, United States | Catonsville, MD

🌿 Meadow Maintenance & Early-Season Work Workshop 🌿
📅 Saturday, March 21, 2026
🕙 Workshop: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
🍀 Optional St. Patrick’s Day–Themed Fundraiser: 4:00 PM
This hands-on workshop is designed to help participants understand the annual work required to maintain a larger residential meadow without the use of mowers. While meadows are often described as “low maintenance,” they are not “no maintenance.”
This program focuses on the real, seasonal tasks that keep a meadow healthy, resilient, and thriving year after year.
Participants will learn by doing—cutting back meadow growth, managing plant material, and discussing best practices for preparing the site for new spring growth.
The ultimate goal is to build confidence and practical skills, so attendees feel prepared to install and maintain a similar meadow at their own home.
Beyond individual yards, this workshop is also about community stewardship. This meadow has become a neighborhood amenity, and its long-term survival depends on shared knowledge and participation. If a pattern of community support is not established, it cannot be assumed that future owners of the property would continue the work that currently goes into maintaining this space.
By coming together, participants help ensure the meadow’s existence well into the future while modeling a communal approach to land care, climate resilience, and neighborhood pride.
What to Bring
Gardening or work clothes
Gloves
Hand pruners/snips
Small hand saws (very helpful, if you have one)
Cost
✅ The workshop is free and open to the public.
Fundraiser Option
At 4:00 PM, we will reconvene for an optional St. Patrick’s Day–themed fundraiser benefiting Paul Dongarra, your host and resident “meadow whisperer,” who is running for County Council to protect open space by promoting environmentally sustainable Smart Growth development. Attendees are welcome to stay as they are or return later for the fundraiser.
Additional Information
Program specifics and session details will be announced as partner organizations and collaborators come aboard.
If you are interested in collaborating, leading a session, or supporting this event, please send Paul Dongarra a direct message.
Whether you are considering a meadow of your own or want to help sustain a shared community landscape, this workshop offers a meaningful opportunity to learn, contribute, and connect.
By Authority of Stand With Paul Dongarra, Patricia Payne Treasurer.