and imgeeeesl
- kerdlrrds and eoaslai dunes, eoasral or river
longesswarnpr

Ar he

- nasivrirs 5mm: Sanirpermanrm and relying on so
or so grasses plus Image legumes.

. bruins A low speeiesls-ioeomnxinl. mainly gnss

- Cereol i-rnys usually as monoeuilure or simple
mixed erop sysierns will a legume or \egume: A
subsel is wei padiemplneel,

Grasses are ol grear voiue in soil prnrserion and
i- eonirol, epeeially in diiirniir siroaiions sueh as
on dunes

A 312:! many or ihe liowers and vegerables we use
roday wore parl or lhe original liora oi meadows,
lnduding rhe dune meadows and seashores. These
ineiude aimosr all onions. poppies. eereois, pus and
beans. amaiaarhs, mmo, ground orenids, all bulbs, ins
and oilier rhizomes, anemones, sages, herbal
Campuslmt such as iennei. earrols, parsnips, the
broom. lamily, oomirey, peoaues, aspangus and so on
Alpine meadows snil inchlde a gum many speeies, bur
we have banisned linwers and bulbs lrorn rhe bread
“grassland deserls" at our pasiures in modern limes

in iiie serlin laoraiiieal Garden, lliero is aboui an an!
oi reeorisiiiured European meadow, whlch ineiirdes
many nonlgrlculhinl gums, and abnur so species or
liowers lsome now very rare in rhe agricultural
environnienll Thar lhis reerealed acre is aboul ihe only
area so rich rn nalive speeres is a eornmeniary on lne
srerilily oi wesiern indusiriai sorrelies and ihe
eherniealised lann. We have elrrninared almosi all rho
aneeslors ol our herbs, \epublub, ilowers, and reel
rrops lo make way lor peel and a low erops in
Yugoslavia and ireiand, rieli meadows and bugs srili
EXISK where pmgnss lor misusol has nor overlaken ihe
onvironmenr

old easlies, remelerios, rail reserves and unsprayed
or unmown roadsides shelrer ihe prairie and sieppe
reiuges ol rhe USA and ussn ailhough beialed
reserves ol llieir anoienl eompa - pianrs have been
esiablialud in bath eounines Wherever meadows srill
eaisl. a \‘Islku’ wiii noliee ine rieiiness ol insect lire
lespeeially eonspreuous species soeli as bumble bees
and bullerhesl, and ihe deep springy soiiness ol ihe
unh iisell ir is ihe deep runnels nl undiriurbed
burrowers rhal produrzs an absorbenr malrress ol
meadow on llie ewrrh,

A single iziissran gmnndrsqulnfl lsusiikl will die
some 2m holes per aere. and nuns over 95 rubie (get ol
soil per year Sushks are eriipsed by woodehueks,
moles, wombars, and las a grumpy nure and voles in ihis
deep—ploughing elleel, and prairie dogs and rabiurs
may lolly runnei our and manure many an:

a sum rnanv bulbs wilh poor seed sei, and roorser
planrs such as eornirey are planred by lhese nndur
gmund gardeners, who leave lumulmn srmages or no
and mude seed, moi euilings, and bulbs in shallow
lonneis A Nunh Amman gardener ean never rely on

 

 

 

 

limping eoml-rey rn one piare ii gophers are in llie area:
Many pianls rhus eame lo rely on vegeiarive rnrher ihan
seed propagarion in mdcnkvidi meadows, while as
many seed ea-ers became involunrary gardeners Even
ine vegurglla oi owls spioirl meadow seed eaughr in rlve
iur ol lherr vierinis, while ihe negieeled undtqmnd
sloies ol iheir prey spenes are ieil uneaien. lo spnmr
iarer As so many oi rhese runnelers are eliminaied by
plough minus and many beennie pesrs ol slored gums
or oops. ihey have hugely disappeared l-mm owilised
pails, leaving hooled animals ro (ampan rhe earrh
wulroui reliel

in ihe nee dump savannahs ol Alma and Ausnalia,
and in rhe marshiands, only llie raised mounds o!
iormues and nits presenr welldmmcd and manured
nee sues Everywhere in grasiland. ine burrow spoil ol
anrs, inoles, miee, and rabbirs dol ihe Iandsclpr. 0n
riiese sell ham—sail places, dogs and ears deleeare, and
biowriseed lindsaseedbedloa and dug dunglsofirn
as nol eonram ihe seeds oi mulberry, plum, ioqual, and
vine fmiEv whieii rely on a eornbinarion ol loose soil
and manure,

We ran reereare meadows and prairies A iiilie
researeh and gathering will provide ihe seeds and
lsiubs, and roday many meadowieed mores are sold, ii
we do she ,oo properly, however, we musr also ioieeile
ihe burrowera and rheir predalors. Today, many
flinungul and ebservanl lar-rners are including more
and more herbs in iheir ieys lminrs, chieory, dandelion,
eleavers, daisies, pianiain, and veleliesl lo ihe greai
healrh beneiir ol iheir herds wnen we eiiminale ihe
bulbs, herbs. mushrooms, moses, hedges, and small
animals iil rhe igrlmhunl landseape. we also lose pan
or ine body oi ihe ear-h and ol ourselves there is
norhing so duh, anridnielieelual. and slerilrsing as ihe
eonremporary :glkultuml ieene. We may yei die oi ihe
poisonous poiiey oi ”CLEAN, DEAD."

For real humid areas, perennial paslures usually
eonsrsr ol a award Ciwfufly eomposed ol grasses and
lagumes liradi onally, good sleains oi perennial rye-
grass (Lalwm perennel, eoekslool (Dadylls glornenrlal,
while clover lrrr/airurn vaneriesl and some lueerne
lMedreagol would be sown, and eareluily managed Pot
gazing on me basis ul shorl—roiariun smtkmg.
However, rhere are several more innovallve ways lo
inerease lllllnhml, drought bulkring and mineral
baianee in sueli paslures in niehevaiue iandseape
lwell-siruerured soils al guide slopel [encedrofl
browse lois and hedgerow nee Image sinps are obvrous
ways lo erlend and bulier rhe sysiem. i-oday, perm»
nenl eieerrie leneing is eheap and eileslive in partlr
Honing pasnries and proaeeiing new Image htdgemw

in ihe eonloured hedgerows, an undermin. M sei
phmmg ol lueerne, eornlrey, enieery. seleered
dandelion; and a midlevei plan-ins oi hgisasie,
Cunglml, Capmymll rrnens, and pampas Ens:
icirrirdrrral. wilh a rail ovenlmy Flaming ol willaivs,
poplar lseieered hlgh- aiue iorage eullivarsl, while
oak, eneslnui. honey loousr, and known desirable
woody browse lhawlhnrn and Rosa spp e g.) eould

4:17