Lawns into Meadows Book Review

Lawns into Meadows by Owen Wormser is a great little book to help you plan converting your water-hungry, labor-intensive green monoculture into a gorgeous meadow.

What I found useful is that it’s OK to rototill your lawn a few times. You’re not going to destroy your soil’s biology—it’s even a great way to add organic matter by turning over unwanted grass. And when weeds pop up, you turn over the weeds.

With a clear slate, you broadcast your seeds manually from a bucket or with a hand-cranked spreader—either in the fall or spring. And rake seeds in about 1/8-inch deep.

This fall, I collected seeds from grasses and flowers that grow well in natural areas around town. I’ll sow them in the spring and add some store bought seeds. One suggestion the book provides is to consider seeding a nursery crop, like buckwheat, that grows easily. A nursery crop protects the soil from erosion and hopefully keeps weeds out until your favorite seeds have a chance to grow. You can also use plugs if you’d like to give you plants a head start!