Beyond the Meadows: Portrait of a Natural and Biodiverse Garden by Krautkopf

This beautiful and inspirational portrait of a country garden shows how its owners created deep connections to the natural world with techniques and advice any gardener can use. In 2018, photographers Susann Probst and Yannic Schon left Berlin for the German countryside with the aim of growing wholesome produce whilst maintaining a healthy ecosystem through sustainable farming. They bought an old farmhouse on a plot of land with room for a vegetable garden, an orchard, a wildflower meadow, and a greenhouse. Filled with useful and hard-won information that is the result of both ingenuity and trial-and-error, this book takes readers on a detailed and exquisitely illustrated tour of the property and its development over its first five years. Susann and Yannic share what they’ve learned about garden design, soil composition, beneficial organisms, so-called pests, edible perennials, plant care, and self-sufficiency, and include a listing of all the species and varieties they’ve planted. A breathtaking photographic section celebrates the beauty of the land through the seasons. More than a garden-variety gardening guide, this deeply personal and gorgeously produced book documents a lifelong dream becoming a reality—and celebrates a contemporary approach to country life that will speak to anyone looking for ways to deepen their own relationship with nature.