In the meadow

The "Savannah hypothesis" holds that human evolution started in the woods but moved to meadows and grasslands. It's been used to explain everything from our stress levels to humans' love affair with the lawn.

Permaculture values the diverse edges of habitats: where grassland meets forest, for example. In that interzone, flora and fauna from both mingle, enjoying the dynamics of changing exposure to wind, sun and rain.

We may not think of our forested biome as home to meadowlands, but Port Townsend's Northwest Meadowcapes has built a small seed business around it. I stumbled on them while looki...