Tiny & Wild: Build a Small-Scale Meadow Anywhere

by Graham Laird Gardner

Go low-maintenance and no-mow while supporting nature and biodiversity by planting a mini wildflower meadow with guidance from Tiny & Wild.

The word “meadow” might conjure an image of a broad, expansive prairie covering acres of land, but it doesn’t have to. Meadows don’t have to be big to make a difference in the health of the planet. If you choose the right plants, even a small corner of the yard will do. In Tiny & Wild, you’ll learn how to embrace your wild side and create a low-maintenance miniature wildflower meadow that’s teeming with life.

The perks of creating a wild planting, even on a small scale, are many. Tiny but mighty meadows help mitigate climate change, foster biodiversity, sequester carbon, and calm the senses. With as little as a few square feet of space, you can create a beautiful, naturalistic planting that supports a diversity of plants and pollinators and a plethora of other living things. Author and landscape designer Graham Laird Gardner helps you find inspiration in natural spaces so you can successfully site, design, plant, and care for your own small-scale meadow wherever you live.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very useful for anyone wishing to create a meadow area or just any informal planting area. I particularly liked the photos that not only showed you the areas in bloom but also showed the same area in autumn/winter. I found the info on layering particularly useful, as this is where I struggle to see what the end result will look like.
The extensive lists of plants for all situations was very helpful and I have added some to my already lengthy list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Tysh McGrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little gem! Even after 17 years of practicing landscape design I found nuggets to enrich my own practice and meadow building techniques. The photos are inspiring and the guidance on creating, collecting and installing a meadow is straight forward and well organized in chapters that make it easy to go back and reference again and again.
I highly recommend putting this book on your shelf for easy access.

[Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful and made me appreciate meadows. Probably won’t plant one any time soon but it’s good to know where to start if I ever want to. Best part is that there are PICTURES which I think is necessary for any good gardening book.

[squee me · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic new resource for gardeners interested in native planting, and featuring beautiful illustrations that provide inspiration and ideas for my own yard. There are a decent number of books available on gardening with prairie/native plants and focused on pollinators, birds, and other wildlife (I have more than a few on my shelf and have perused others from my library). But this book offers something new I haven't seen before. I really appreciate the focus here on being able to apply these ideas in small, even very urban, settings with a "mini meadow" garden. There's also excellent detail on how to design, plan, execute, and maintain a mini meadow. This is an area where I think a lot of gardening books fall short; they discuss conceptually what to do but the advice is often so vague as to be useless. This book really gets into the details, and not just on what do to in the dirt, but tools for planning on paper before you ever put a shovel in the ground. There's a lot to absorb in this book, I'm looking forward to getting it in hard copy! This would be a great addition to the library of any gardener interested in native plants, supporting wildlife, attracting birds and pollinators, and pursuing those goals even in tiny spaces.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I received.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny and Wild is very inspiring and I loved the pictures and well structured advice for adding the wild beauty of nature into landscape. I have struggled with a center flowerbed that simply refuses to be tamed sbd I have simply decided to embrace its inherent desire to be a wild thing. But I don’t have the mindset to create an aesthetically pleasing wild space. This book solves that stress and shows me wild can still be beautiful. The pictures designs and encouraging words have been perfect fir what I wish to achieve now I must begin planning. I highly suggest this one if the most helpful books I’ve seen. Honestly other books looked like abandoned lots expected to be pretend to be tended areas. Nit so with this book it mimics nature and still remains beautiful and calming. I can do this!

[Psusan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny and Wild, Build a small-scale meadow anywhere by Graham Laird Gardner is an interesting read even one does not have a sunny corner of the yard for one. Having a great area of shade trees, I like the way to think outside of the meadow, sort to speak. So I liked all of the different suggestions given where one could put a tiny wildflower area.

The photographs were great especially the ones of finished areas. Also thought the list of plants, charts, and the section on maintenance was notable and useful too. Tiny and Wild is not only an interesting read for gardeners but also one that would be helpful to have.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

[Tove R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for everyone interested in creating a meadow into their lives. If you have a possibility to do this, you should, in fact, we all should do it. This books is a good tool to be used to get as much out of the process of creating the perfect meadow space wherever it might be. I enjoyed the pictures in this book, because they are indeed wild, and not these picture perfect overworked gardens. A meadow can be ćreated almost everywhere, as this book shows.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gorgeous photos, designs, and step by step guidance have re-awoken my love of native plants. As a Cooperative Extension educator, I’ve spent a lot of time teaching people about the importance of these species. This book answers the oft asked question of how to make native plants beautiful, to translate people’s love for creating art in their yards to today’s need for biodiversity. Looking to be inspired? Read on.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice practical tips on how to turn your lawn or some space in your yard to a meadow!

[Rhode PVD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. My favorite kind of gardening book - lots of inspirational and instructional photos, plus extremely practical hands-on advice, and even some plant charts and lists. I wish this book had existed when I started my first tiny meadow because I wouldn’t have made so many mistakes. Now I’m so excited to try again.


I own a lot of gardening books - trust me when I say this one is truly 5 stars.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of a 2024 American Horticultural Society Book Award for its "risp design and clear photos in this book, as well as the approachable scale of the many different projects the author described."

A great all around book on planting native plants just about anywhere. Great pictures, simple approach, anyone can do it!

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny and Wild: Build a Small-Scale Meadow Anywhere by Graham Laird Gardner is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2023. The word “meadow” might conjure an image of a broad, expansive prairie covering acres of land, but it doesn’t have to. Meadows don’t have to be big to make a difference in the health of the planet. If you choose the right plants, even a small corner of the yard will do. The perks of creating a wild planting, even on a small scale, are many. Tiny but mighty meadows help mitigate climate change, foster biodiversity, sequester carbon, and calm the senses. With as little as a few square feet of space, you can create a beautiful, naturalistic planting that supports a diversity of plants, pollinators, and a plethora of other living things, not to mention its visual appeal to human eyes. The plant lists and charts in Tiny & Wild share the best plants to include in your micro prairie, and Graham offers plenty of practical advice on planting your meadow from seed, transplants, or mature plants, depending on your budget, the site, and your timeline. Plus, learn how to care for your wildflower planting, including tips for watering, plant care, and weed management.

Tiny & Wild is well written and organized, with a page lay out that make the information easy to follow and is enjoyable to look at due to the image selections and placement. Since like to let some of my garden space be more wild than others, I thought it might be good to make it deliberately that way rather than just sowing a few types of local pollinator friendly seed and let nature happen. This book gave me the tools I needed to plan and more productively create a meadow space in my yard, and better support the wildlife around me in the process. I like that the book offers support and solutions for a wide variety of time and space commitments and also suggests resources that might help in making informed decisions based on location and conditions such as rainfall and sun levels where you might want to start. I particularly liked the planting suggestions for shady meadow areas- since I have one strip of yard that I have had very little luck with and plan on tackling this year. The sample plant lists by conditions was very helpful in my planning. I am eager to see what the inspiration this book has given me produces over this upcoming year and beyond.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to check out this time of year- when you have spring fever but at least another month until planting time. Graham Laird Gardner (must have been destiny) takes you from inspiration to instruction to the nuts and bolts of setting up your tiny meadow, with gorgeous photos throughout. I really liked the part at the back with plants by name, height, and sun/moisture requirements. If you’ve ever admired someone’s wild and beautiful patch along a path or alley, this book will help you create that kind of magic in your space.

[Misti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with gorgeous photos that will entice anyone to start a small meadow garden in the naturalistic style. If you are an experienced gardener you may want to just casually peruse the book as it is definitely aimed at less experienced gardeners.

*I received a digital review copy via Edelweiss in exchange for my review*

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the pictures and the ideas. An informative book that made me learn something new
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Cheryl Hager · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of it, but periodic mentions of non natives and the charts in back list the use of non natives. So, not what I was looking for.

[Maree Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspiring while being so practical.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exhaustive, excellent book for anyone interested in creating natural meadows on their property. It’s full of beautiful photos for inspiration and goes into much detail on every step. Plant lists are also provided for all kinds of needs and I loved that there was a list of edible plants too.

Meadows are beautiful, virtually self sustaining, and absolutely necessary for birds and other wildlife. And they are possible on rooftops, in hellstrips and in the smallest and oddest of landscapes. I’m glad to see so many books embracing them lately.

The one negative note I have is that these books always tend to be written by people who seem to have grown up wealthy and provide these services for wealthy people. The amount of money needed for sourcing plants and plugs of the scales shown from nurseries and mail order is just not in the reach of so many people. While he very briefly goes into seeds, there’s very little information on doing this from seed (Mini Meadows is good for doing it from seed IIRC) and no talk about how low income people can do this. The same can be said for disabled folks, who are generally low income as well and can’t just hire someone and spend thousands. We really must make sustainability accessible and that includes gardening, which helps the landowners and nature around them. These types of spaces are possible for low income folks too, though like everything else it requires some extra effort and creativity.

If you are looking to do this where you live, check into buy nothing groups, local gardening groups and friends and neighbors. Let people know that you are looking for native plants if locals have extra seeds or plants to share. Offer to divide overgrown plants in your neighborhood (elderly folks are often thrilled to have someone come thin their plants and take the extras). Do a little bit at a time if you are short on time or stamina. There are lots of other ways to build gardens without spending a fortune and investing thousands of hours of hard work or paying for someone else to do it.

That said, this doesn’t detract from what an excellent book this is. Highly recommended.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny & Wild is absolutely full of stunning photos of meadows urban, suburban, and country. There are beautiful shots of butterflies, flowers, insects, mini-meadows, apartment building rooftop meadows, and on and on. I ordered this book as my wife and I are looking for alternative options for our front and back yards. Lawns seem such a waste of maintenance, and contribute nothing to biodiversity.

Graham Laird Gardner really knows his stuff. This book is a primer, and walks the absolute novice to intermediate landscaper through the process of creating a small-scale meadow of one's own. The book covers much ground as far as general instruction, but misses detail. Though it might be hard to specify for specific states or smaller regions, it would have been helpful to have more information on individual plants and growing regions. What plants would be ideal for temperate rainforest? How about the Midwestern climates? Desert regions? Different growing regions and concerns? I don't know if this was the editor or the author, but the book seems as if it's missing a section. There are 25 pages of charts called "Sample Plant Lists", but I would have liked to have more detail in this section. It would have been nice to have details on particular meadow samples/design.

All that notwithstanding, this book is an excellent launchpad to get the newbie started on a fabulous alternative to the traditional lawn. For this reason, the book gets a solid 4.25 stars.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm currently planning the landscaping for both my front and back yards, and it is a bit overwhelming! The more I read about native plants and supporting the bees, birds, and butterflies, the more a meadow-type landscape appeals to me. I appreciated the foundation this book gave me and the things I learned that I need to consider. The author addresses the benefits of meadow-scaping, finding inspiration, and the planning, designing, preparing, planting, and maintaining of meadows small to large. The natural and native look is beautiful, and I enjoyed perusing the lists of suggested plants, divided by category: mid-height dry sun plants, tall dry sun plants, mesic to wet sun plants, grasses, annuals, edible plants, part-shade plants, groundcovers, bulbs and bulb-like plants. I'm more excited to get my soil prepared and design my yard after reading this book, and plan to refer back to it as a reference.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a nature lover and ecologist and was still able to learn a few things about plant-pollinator interactions. And yet, the book is still written in a very accessible way for folks at all levels. For example, I'm much more of a novice with design elements, the area I was most eager to learn from Gardner in particular because his designed spaces are loaded with native plants that make them beautiful and functional at once. Despite my being new to much of the design and implementation content, the clear language and visual examples meant I wasn't lost in the impressive level of detail. I learned a lot about what makes for good design and even reducing management from year to year (I've been pulling when I should have been cutting!). The illustrations are super helpful, and the photos are gorgeous. This is the book I wish I had when I was starting out planting my yard!

Just please remember to heed the author's advice to find the beauty and inspiration in your own local landscapes and apply the concepts using mostly the local plants that keep the web of life intact and make each place different and special.

[Susan Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to gardening books, Tiny + Wild: Build A Small-Scale Meadow Anywhere does a fantastic job of mixing whimsical design with the practicality of creating your meadow-like yard. Many of the pictures throughout the book are gorgeous and useful, giving you information on how certain plants look and various techniques and tools. I especially love the detailed charts about various plants, allowing you to pick non-invasive plants for your geographic location. Overall, I feel that Tiny + Wild gives plant lovers a new perspective on their backyard without only a bit of planning and time, allowing us to relax in a truly beautiful environment. If you want a mow-free option for your property, I consider Tiny + Wild: Build A Small-Scale Meadow Anywhere a must-own book for homeowners and gardeners!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do if you'd like to create a biodiverse garden that will attract wildlife, but don't have much space? This book can help you install a mini-meadow just about anywhere.

The author covers all the basics from preparing the site, to choosing what to plant to create that untamed look, and to maintaining your wild space. And, there are tons of gorgeous photos to help inspire you to get planting.



A lovely and informative book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Quarto Group/Cool Springs Press for sharing.

[Katie Wynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone planning to transform a paved section of my yard into a mini-meadow, I am so happy with this book. It takes you through each step of the process, from assessing the site to designing, choosing plants, estimating plant material needs, and caring for what you create. The author takes a light and encouraging approach, checking in with readers along the way, so that whatever project you are undertaking feels achievable— and reminding you that it doesn’t need to be perfect, just get started and let it grow! The garden examples in the book provide beautiful, inspiring, and ecologically meaningful approaches to stewarding whatever little patch of land you call home.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth it just for the pictures.

Well organized guide for siting, planning, and planting a meadow in any size yard. Particularly important for the suburbanites among us is how to ensure your meadow does not violate any yard-crazy HOAs. The index and bibliography make this book even easier to use. And did I mention the photos? They show how a meadow will look not just in full bloom, but also in dormant winter months. I would have liked to see more extensive plant lists, but that information can be found elsewhere.

A must-have for native gardeners and fans of pretty garden photos. #TinyandWild #NetGalley

[Literary Redhead]

I've always loved the wildness of meadows, so the concept of this beautifully photographed and designed book made my heart flutter. Contains everything I need to know to turn our backyard into a colorful meadow this year. Highly recommended!

[Jennifer L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully put together. Absolutely love the small scale meadow inspirations!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of helpful tips when designing a new garden.

[Emily Weinheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good informative book on how to create a small scale meadow. Lots of great pictures, step by step guides, and lots of plant lists.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Design ideas are ok, but not enough focus on native plants, and invasive plants are featured on some pages.