Lawns into meadows Growing a regenerative landscape

Owen Wormser

Book - 2020

"In Lawns Into Meadows, landscape designer Owen Wormser makes a case for the power and generosity of meadows. In a world where lawns have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems, meadows offer a compelling solution. They establish wildlife and pollinator habitats. They're low-maintenance and low-cost. They have a built-in resilience that helps them weather climate extremes, and they can draw down and store far more carbon dioxide than any manicured lawn. They're also beautiful, all year round. Owen describes how to plant an organic meadow that's right for your site, whether it's a yard, community garden, or tired city lot. He shares advice on preparing your plot, coming up with the right design, and planting--all wi...thout using synthetic chemicals. He passes along tips on building support in neighborhoods where a tidy lawn is the standard. Owen also profiles twenty-one starter grasses and flowers for beginning meadow-makers, and offers guidance on how to grow each one. To illuminate the many joys of meadow-building, Owen draws on his own stories, including how growing up off the grid in northern Maine, with no electricity or plumbing, prepared him for his work. The book, part how-to guide and part memoir, is for environmentalists and climate activists, gardeners and non-gardeners alike"--Amazon.com.

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Subjects
Published
San Francisco, California : Stone Pier Press [2020]
Language
English
Main Author
Owen Wormser (author)
Other Authors
Kristen (Illustrator) Thompson (illustrator)
Physical Description
157 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780998862378
  • The Generosity of Meadows
  • Lawn Trouble
  • Wasteland
  • Mow, mow, mow your lawn
  • Regenerative Scapes
  • How meadows store carbon
  • Field Study
  • Size up your site
  • Hardiness zones
  • Soil types
  • Design Plans
  • The basics of good design
  • Sample meadow designs
  • Meadow Plants
  • Grasses
  • Blue grama grass
  • Purple needle grass
  • Switchgrass
  • Tufted hair grass
  • Flowers
  • Anise hyssop
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Butterfly weed
  • Early sunflower
  • Foxglove beardtongue
  • Great blue lobelia
  • Hoary verbena
  • Lanceleaf coreopsis
  • Lupine
  • Meadow blazing star
  • Mountain mint
  • Obedient plant
  • Purple coneflower
  • Showy goldenrod
  • Smooth blue aster
  • Wild bergamot
  • Wild quinine
  • Meadow plant preferences
  • Prep Work
  • Turn over your lawn
  • Scorch your weeds
  • Planting Guide
  • Planting seeds
  • Planting plugs
  • Planting in uncleared soil
  • Meadow tools
  • Upkeep
  • Caring for a young meadow
  • Caring for a mature meadow
  • Organic pest controls
  • Community Building
  • Introduce your meadow to your neighbors
  • Become a meadow activist
  • It's up to us.
  • Questions
  • What about ticks?
  • Meadows sound pretty rugged. Is it possible to grow one anywhere?
  • Is it okay to buy seed blends rather than mix my own?
  • Are there benefits to planting annual flowers in my meadow?
  • Nothing is growing in my soil. What can I do to bring it back to life?
  • I tried to plant a meadow into my lawn before reading your book, and it's still weedy and grassy. What do you recommend?
  • My meadow is still thin a year later. Should I add new plants?
  • What if invasive or aggressive species appear in my meadow?
  • How do I do a controlled burn?
  • What else can I do to support meadows?
  • Seed Suppliers
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Bios
Review by Booklist Review

Due to concerns about climate change, air quality, and water use, many homeowners are reconsidering their lawns. Lawn grasses are water hogs and are high maintenance compared to many alternatives. One of those is to plant yards that resemble meadows more than golf courses. The native plants that are part of a meadow culture are more resilient and less vulnerable to climate-induced weather extremes and, unlike lawns, do not rely on chemicals and irrigation systems in order to thrive. Landscape designer Wormser takes the reader through steps for preparation and design, including how to determine what will grow successfully in various conditions and what is required to plan, plant, and keep a meadow healthy and visually appealing. Suggested plants and highlighted answers to frequently asked questions may allay concerns homeowners have about pests, invasive plants, and other issues. For those interested in trading their lawn for a low-maintenance, environmentally friendly alternative that will support wildlife and reduce pollution from mowing, all the necessary information is here, along with plenty of sources to support it.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.