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This book brings to public attention some of the most evocative and threatened features of the landscape of southern England. Water meadows work with nature to improve agricultural productivity, whilst providing rich habitats for wildlife such as water voles, waders and grass snakes. They are areas of low-lying grassland which are regularly 'drowned' - artificially irrigated - at certain times of the year, to stimulate the early growth of grass in the spring. Only a few remain in operation today, though they played a crucial role in Britains past farming economy. Their archaeological remains can be found all over southern England, with Hampshire and Wiltshire having perhaps the best surviving examples. In this book leading archaeologists and scientists - together with one of the last practising 'drowners' - explore the ecology and history of water meadows. They ask when and where the art of floating originated, and explain its hydrology. They also investigate water meadows conservation status and potential for the future.
This book is a celebration of meadows and their wildflowers. Once common-place and familiar to all, not many now remain and their typical flowers are rapidly becoming a folk memory. Stylised meadow flowers, evoking a by-gone era of rural idyll and permanent summer sunshine, are used to sell everything from tea-towels to china plates and cups. Here we reveal their true beauty with close-up photography of flower detail and more distant shots setting them in their meadow context. The 1800s are sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Farming, but social history reveals a different story. Life was hard for the farm labourers and the picturesque cottages they lived in had leaking roofs, but nature and wildflowers thrived. The meadows and the wildflowers described in this book are survivors from this golden age: a time when there was a meadow full of wildflowers and butterflies down every lane.
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 ri...
An exploration of the history of English meadows.
Glorious flower meadows were part of our life force for 2000 years or more before we swept them away last century on the altar of progress. Is there to be no more drinking from their font of well being? This book says not. Lavishly illustrated, it describes their history and, from the few remaining examples, it shows us how beautiful they are, how rich in plants and animals. It coaches us in their creation, even in small gardens, or their restoration in larger fields. It tells of the extraordinary lives of even the most ordinary denizens, little secrets that make the meadow's world go around and the convoluted links between the many plants and animals that keep everything in balance. Their s...
Offers guidance for designing, planting, and taking care of a meadow with information on plants, styles, and examples from all over the country.