The Secret Life of a Meadow

This book showcases the beauty and importance of flower meadows, which have been part of human life for thousands of years. It provides information on their history, creation, and restoration and highlights the extraordinary lives of the plants and animals that inhabit them. It also explains the complex connections between these organisms and the flow of energy and nutrients that result in a healthy ecosystem. The book encourages readers to help their local green spaces become meadows and to appreciate their value.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 02 June 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Before we ruthlessly destroyed them last century in the name of progress, magnificent flower meadows were an integral part of our existence for over 2000 years. Is there to be no more quenching our thirst from their fountain of well-being? This book contends otherwise. Lavishly illustrated, it chronicles their history and, from the few remaining examples, showcases their breathtaking beauty, richness in plants and animals. It guides us in their creation, even in small gardens, or their restoration in larger fields. It reveals the extraordinary lives of even the most ordinary inhabitants, little secrets that keep the meadow's world in motion, and the intricate connections between the myriad plants and animals that maintain equilibrium. Their stories are interwoven, season by season, into a year in the lives of two meadows: a small, garden meadow and a larger old paddock. We hear of birds that plant trees, bacteria that become plant organelles, plants that drink from other plants, plants that trick or poison insects, and insects that turn the tables. Ants that foster butterflies, mice that navigate by compass, snails that house bees, and how all of these connections, along with the flow of energy and nutrients, result in a healthy ecosystem. The book even suggests how adults and children alike can witness these wonders for themselves. So, read this book and help your local green space transform into a meadow and revel in its splendor.

Weight: 694g
Dimension: 180 x 255 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399072540