In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark sit down with nursery owner, author, and plant ecologist Paul Bonine (co-owner of Xera Plants, paleoclimatology background, and longtime horticultural educator). Together, they go deep into the future of regenerative landscaping through native annuals, cover cropping, soil biology, and plant-driven weed management.

Paul brings decades of experience observing Pacific Northwest ecosystems up close—from clay soils that turn to concrete in summer, to the evolutionary role of native annuals, to the quiet intelligence of succession plants like ceanothus, clover, meadowfoam, and clinopodium. This episode reframes how designers and contractors think about weeds, soil, irrigation, and the plants we choose as tools — not just ornament.

This is a foundational conversation for any practitioner seeking to reduce carbon-heavy construction habits, increase biodiversity, and work with the land’s ecological timing instead of fighting it.

Chapters

00:00 Start

01:41 Using Plants as Green Mulch and Weed Management

03:07 Meadowfoam: A Natural Solution for Turf Grass

05:01 Cover Crops and Soil Health

09:47 Prairies vs. Micro Forests for Carbon Sequestration

12:51 Paul Bonine's Background and Early Influences

14:01 Soil Management and Mulching Practices

16:25 Cover Crops for Construction Sites

18:54 The Role of Ceanothus in Soil Health

21:01 Succession Planting and Soil Building

24:14 Challenges in the Nursery Industry

27:22 Native Vines for Shady Areas

29:05 The Dilemma of Using Roundup

30:08 Alternatives to Pulling Weeds

30:35 The Importance of Soil Health

33:20 Mulching and Leaf Management

38:19 Native vs. Non-Native Plants

39:23 Adapting Gardening Practices to Climate

42:48 Client Preferences and Garden Aesthetics

45:21 Climate Change and Gardening

51:14 Integrated Pest Management

52:06 End

Follow Paul:

Website: https://xeraplants.com/

Xera Plants on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xeraplants

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Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

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Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.