Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape
As seen in The New York Times and MarthaStewart.com

“It’s time to rebuild meadows wherever we can. . . Owen Wormser explains why, and how to do this, with oodles of highly readable, ecologically sound advice.”—Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope

Landscape designer Owen Wormser explains how to replace the deadscape we call lawn with low-maintenance, eco-friendly meadows. In this second edition of his award-winning book, he includes photos of meadows in progress plus more ways to cultivate your own organic meadow.

This how-to book on growing your own wildflowers and native grasses is also about sustainability, regeneration, and beauty. In a world where lawns have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems, meadows offer a compelling solution. It is garden landscaping that is beautiful, all year round.

Meadows establish wildlife and pollinator habitats, are low-maintenance and low-cost, have a built-in resilience that helps them weather climate extremes, and can draw down and store far more carbon dioxide than any manicured lawn.

Wormser describes how to plant an organic meadow garden or traditional meadow, that’s right for your site. His book includes guidance on:
• Preparing your site
• Designing your meadow
• Planting without using synthetic chemicals
• Growing 21 starter native grasses and wildflowers, including butterfly weed, smooth blue aster, purple coneflower, wild bergamot, blue grama grass, switchgrass, and many more
• Building support in neighborhoods where a tidy lawn is the standard.

He also shares 28 color photos that highlight the multitude of ways you can cultivate your own organic meadow.

To illuminate the many joys of meadow-building, Wormser 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.
1141502324
Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape
As seen in The New York Times and MarthaStewart.com

“It’s time to rebuild meadows wherever we can. . . Owen Wormser explains why, and how to do this, with oodles of highly readable, ecologically sound advice.”—Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope

Landscape designer Owen Wormser explains how to replace the deadscape we call lawn with low-maintenance, eco-friendly meadows. In this second edition of his award-winning book, he includes photos of meadows in progress plus more ways to cultivate your own organic meadow.

This how-to book on growing your own wildflowers and native grasses is also about sustainability, regeneration, and beauty. In a world where lawns have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems, meadows offer a compelling solution. It is garden landscaping that is beautiful, all year round.

Meadows establish wildlife and pollinator habitats, are low-maintenance and low-cost, have a built-in resilience that helps them weather climate extremes, and can draw down and store far more carbon dioxide than any manicured lawn.

Wormser describes how to plant an organic meadow garden or traditional meadow, that’s right for your site. His book includes guidance on:
• Preparing your site
• Designing your meadow
• Planting without using synthetic chemicals
• Growing 21 starter native grasses and wildflowers, including butterfly weed, smooth blue aster, purple coneflower, wild bergamot, blue grama grass, switchgrass, and many more
• Building support in neighborhoods where a tidy lawn is the standard.

He also shares 28 color photos that highlight the multitude of ways you can cultivate your own organic meadow.

To illuminate the many joys of meadow-building, Wormser 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.
24.95 In Stock
Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape

Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape

by Owen Wormser
Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape

Lawns Into Meadows, 2nd Edition: Growing a Regenerative Landscape

by Owen Wormser

Paperback

$24.95 
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Overview

As seen in The New York Times and MarthaStewart.com

“It’s time to rebuild meadows wherever we can. . . Owen Wormser explains why, and how to do this, with oodles of highly readable, ecologically sound advice.”—Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope

Landscape designer Owen Wormser explains how to replace the deadscape we call lawn with low-maintenance, eco-friendly meadows. In this second edition of his award-winning book, he includes photos of meadows in progress plus more ways to cultivate your own organic meadow.

This how-to book on growing your own wildflowers and native grasses is also about sustainability, regeneration, and beauty. In a world where lawns have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems, meadows offer a compelling solution. It is garden landscaping that is beautiful, all year round.

Meadows establish wildlife and pollinator habitats, are low-maintenance and low-cost, have a built-in resilience that helps them weather climate extremes, and can draw down and store far more carbon dioxide than any manicured lawn.

Wormser describes how to plant an organic meadow garden or traditional meadow, that’s right for your site. His book includes guidance on:
• Preparing your site
• Designing your meadow
• Planting without using synthetic chemicals
• Growing 21 starter native grasses and wildflowers, including butterfly weed, smooth blue aster, purple coneflower, wild bergamot, blue grama grass, switchgrass, and many more
• Building support in neighborhoods where a tidy lawn is the standard.

He also shares 28 color photos that highlight the multitude of ways you can cultivate your own organic meadow.

To illuminate the many joys of meadow-building, Wormser 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781734901184
Publisher: Rizzoli
Publication date: 11/08/2022
Pages: 185
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.20(d)

About the Author

Owen Wormser was born and raised in rural Maine. He earned a degree in landscape architecture and quickly learned to use regenerative, low-maintenance practices in designing and building landscapes. Based in Western Massachusetts, his company, Abound Design, provides design, consulting, and installation services.

Table of Contents

The Generosity of Meadows 1

Lawn Trouble 1

Wasteland 10

Mow, mow, mow your lawn 13

Regenerative Scapes 15

How meadows store carbon 18

Field Study 23

Size up your site 29

Hardiness zones 31

Soil types 34

Design Plans 37

The basics of good design 41

Sample meadow designs 46

Meadow Plants 49

Grasses

Blue grama grass 54

Purple needle grass 56

Switchgrass 58

Tufted hair grass 60

Flowers

Anise hyssop 62

Black-eyed Susan 64

Butterfly weed 66

Early sunflower 68

Foxglove beardtongue 70

Great blue lobelia 72

Hoary verbena 74

Lanceleaf coreopsis 76

Lupine 78

Meadow blazing star 80

Mountain mint 82

Obedient plant 84

Purple coneflower 86

Showy goldenrod 88

Smooth blue aster 90

Wild bergamot 92

Wild quinine 94

Meadow plant preferences 96

Prep Work 97

Turn over your lawn 100

Scorch your weeds 101

Planting Guide 103

Planting seeds 106

Planting plugs 109

Planting in uncleared soil 112

Meadow tools 115

Upkeep 117

Caring for a young meadow 121

Caring for a mature meadow 122

Organic pest controls 125

Community Building 127

Introduce your meadow to your neighbors 131

Become a meadow activist 134

It's up to us 138

Questions 141

What about ticks? 141

Meadows sound pretty rugged. Is it possible to grow one anywhere? 141

Is it okay to buy seed blends rather than mix my own? 142

Are there benefits to planting annual flowers in my meadow? 142

Nothing is growing in my soil. What can I do to bring it back to life? 143

I tried to plant a meadow into my lawn before reading your book, and it's still weedy and grassy. What do you recommend? 143

My meadow is still thin a year later. Should I add new plants? 144

What if invasive or aggressive species appear in my meadow? 144

How do I do a controlled burn? 145

What else can I do to support meadows? 146

Seed Suppliers 147

Acknowledgments 149

Notes 151

Bios 157

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