Meadows by Design

If there's one lesson every gardener must learn, it's this: the traditional lawn is a huge, time consuming, synthetic-chemical-sucking mistake. The time has come to look for new ways to create friendly, liveable spaces around our homes.

In Meadows by Design, ornamental grass expert John Greenlee creates a new model for homeowners and gardeners. For Greenlee, a meadow isn't a random assortment of messy, anonymous grasses. Rather, it is a shimmering mini-ecosystem, in which carefully selected grasses combine with colourful perennials to form a rich tapestry that is friendly to all life — with minimal input of water, time and other scarce resources. Children and pets can play in complete safety, and birds and butterflies flock there. A prairie-style planting is a place you want to be.

With decades of experience as a nurseryman and designer, John Greenlee is the perfect guide. He details all the practicalities of site preparation, plant selection and maintenance; particularly valuable are his explanations of how ornamental grasses perform in different climates and areas. Gorgeous photography by Saxon Holt visually illustrates the message with stunning examples of meadow gardens.

We've reached a stage where we can no longer follow past practices unthinkingly, particularly when those practices are wasteful and harmful to the environment. It's time to get rid of the old-fashioned lawn and embrace a sane and healthy future: the meadow garden.