The Permaculture Podcast

Owen Wormser - Turning Lawns into Meadows


Listen Later

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast

Online: via PayPal

Venmo: @permaculturepodcast

My guest today is Owen Wormser. Owen is a sustainable landscape designer from Western Massachusetts and author of Lawns into Meadows: Growing a Regenerative Landscape, from Stonepier Press.

This specialty in landscapes forms our conversation today as we discuss his design process of creating meadows. This includes:

  • Using nurse crops for establishing a meadow.
  • Designing with a variety of plant heights, bloom colors, and a resilient mix of species in mind.
  • How to make meadows appear intentional as well as appealing to neighbors.
  • Using grasses as the framework that ties a meadow together.
  • The role of a meadow in an ecological landscape.
  • Workhorse plants for our designs.
  • Getting started with our own meadow.
  • Find out more about him and his work at AboundDesign.com, and his book, Lawns into Meadows, at stonepierpress.org.

    Become a Patreon Supporter

    Make a One-Time Donation to the Podcast

    Schedule a Call with Scott

    Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter.

    As permaculture practitioners, establishing meadows can form an important part of our design toolkit. We can leave an area barren, but intentionally tended around, and allow the seed bank to grow up and select from the species that arise as the base for a meadow, or what to leave intact as we establish a food forest or design around for our garden paths. In areas with restrictive covenants on trees and tree heights, or in towns with weed ordinances, meadows can be a beautiful way to restore the landscape while skirting those restrictions. If we live along waterways or as farmers trying to reduce the total daily load from runoff and fertilizer, and to reduce topsoil losses, buffer strips of meadows along our streams and rivers can improve water conditions while saving our earth.

    But, those are just my thoughts on meadows at the moment. What are yours?

    Get in touch by leaving a comment below or sending me an email: The Permaculture Podcast

    Until the next time, spend each day restoring the landscape and establishing meadows, while taking care of Earth, yourself, and each other.

    Resources

    Abound Design

    Lawns into Meadows

    Pollinator Pathways

    Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

    Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

    Wild Ones Native Plants, Natural Landscapes

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    The Permaculture PodcastBy Scott Mann

    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    241 ratings


    More shows like The Permaculture Podcast

    View all
    Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature by Bioneers

    Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature

    245 Listeners

    The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson by Urban Farm Team

    The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

    290 Listeners

    Cultivating Place by Jennifer Jewell / Cultivating Place

    Cultivating Place

    350 Listeners

    The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers by Epic Gardening

    The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

    1,579 Listeners

    The joe gardener Show - Organic Gardening - Vegetable Gardening - Expert Garden Advice From Joe Lamp'l by Joe Lamp'l

    The joe gardener Show - Organic Gardening - Vegetable Gardening - Expert Garden Advice From Joe Lamp'l

    1,840 Listeners

    Farm Small Farm Smart by The Modern Grower Podcast Network

    Farm Small Farm Smart

    264 Listeners

    Emergence Magazine Podcast by Emergence Magazine

    Emergence Magazine Podcast

    472 Listeners

    Regenerative Agriculture Podcast by John Kempf

    Regenerative Agriculture Podcast

    511 Listeners

    Growers Daily by Farmer Jesse

    Growers Daily

    397 Listeners

    The Modern Homesteading Podcast by Harold Thornbro and Rachel Jamison

    The Modern Homesteading Podcast

    167 Listeners

    Accidental Gods by Accidental Gods

    Accidental Gods

    122 Listeners

    Planet: Critical by Rachel Donald

    Planet: Critical

    83 Listeners

    The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens by Nate Hagens

    The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

    397 Listeners

    Sounds of SAND by Science and Nonduality

    Sounds of SAND

    106 Listeners

    Practical Permaculture | Gardening and Intentional Living by Alysse Gallagher

    Practical Permaculture | Gardening and Intentional Living

    5 Listeners