Pictorial Meadows

A groomed, grassy field can be good for certain uses, like sports or picnics. But for broader «ecosystem services»—things like plant pollination, pest control, soil quality, and climate regulation—the smart money is in meadows.

Tulips are popular around the World, often known as the soul of Spring, and historically symbolic for perfect love. Finding the perfect Tulip for your location can often be challenging, particularly as many of Tulip cultivar’s are fussy and short-lived.

Owen Wormser’s popular 2020 book “Lawns into Meadows: Growing a Regenerative Landscape” (affiliate link) is just out in a new second edition. Owen is a landscape designer at Abound Design, his firm based in Western Massachusetts, and we talked about the life of a meadow and its maintenance. Meadows are not an overnight project, nor are they something that remains static and unchanging, I am reminded.Plus: Enter to win a copy of the second edition of his book by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.Read along as you listen to the April 17, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts her

Whether it was steeply sloping meadows of Orlaya grandiflora, the brilliant blues of Salvia pratensis and Nice milkwort, or Dittany dotted grasslands there was always something to keep me interested. Lanes were lined with starbursts of Dianthus carthusianorum, the deadly poisonous Swallowwort was deceptively attractive and the flowers of wild lettuce looked much nicer than the bitter taste of the somewhat narcotic leaves. Among the plants I would happily have in my garden was the large-flowered Austrian flax, the lovely purple-flowered Jurinea and a rather fine cerise-flowered clover. Of course, the chances of them growing in a coastal garden in the south-east of England are remote, but I can dream.  

Celebrating Wildflower Meadows Although it is far too late for many ancient British wildflower meadows lost to modern agricultural methods, some do survive to remind us of their glorious biodiversity. Pioneering work has been done to re-establish some, but most of us have come to realise that turning our gardens into flowery meads is an impractical dream too far.

Coneflowers are known for their striking beauty and vibrant colors. Their large, showy petals and cone-shaped centers make them a stunning addition to any garden. Also called Echinacea, here are various Types of Coneflower Varieties you can grow.

While we read books on the subject, remove topsoil and sow yellow rattle to reduce fertility and generally make a meal of establishing a wildflower meadow, Nature (when not interfered with) does it sublimely well. The meadows of the Picos d’Europa  are no exception. ..

High or low, there was always something to learn about favoured habitats – from the dropworts and summer snowflakes close to rivers, to the boggy meadows at higher levels rich with wild narcissus, paeonies and irises and a large-flowered cowslip fringing woodland on the high plateau.    

It’s three years since I last visited Hyde Hall and my goodness, what a transformation. A cluster of good looking new buildings perches on the hilltop, providing an enclosed teaching garden with classrooms, a large hall for meetings and conferences and a spacious restaurant (there’s another one at the entrance). The previously rather tired vegetable garden has been replaced with the World Garden where they are experimenting with growing all manner of unusual crops outside and inside the impressive octagonal glasshouse. The circular design by Xa Tollemache radiates from the glasshouse making it both practical and great to look at. But it was another par

I am never happier than when I’m amongst flowers growing in their natural habitat – especially when it involves mountains – so for the last week I was very happy indeed. The Abruzzo National Park is in the Apennine Mounta