Price : $15.24

Product Description

The pressures on wildlife populations today are greater than they have ever been and many gardeners assume they can remedy this situation by simply planting a variety of flowering perennials, trees, and shrubs. As Douglas Tallamy points out in this revelatory book, that assumption is largely mistaken. Wild creatures exist in a complex web of interrelationships, and often require different kinds of food at different stages of their development.

There is an unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife. When native plant species disappear, the insects disappear, thus impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Fortunately, there is still time to reverse this alarming trend, and gardeners have the power to make a significant contribution toward sustainable biodiversity. By favoring native plants, gardeners can provide a welcoming environment for wildlife of all kinds.

Healthy local ecosystems are not only beautiful and fascinating, they are also essential to human well-being. By heeding Douglas Tallamy’s eloquent arguments and acting upon his recommendations, gardeners everywhere can make a difference.

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-11-23
This is a very important book for everyone to read. Tallamy has been an incrediable influence in Northen Michigan to take action in planting native plants. We also now have the research that he has shared in his book to give concrete reasons why to plant native plants.

Review date : 2008-09-21
Bugs are good! That’s the takeaway message of this book. Tallamy is an entomologist so his affection for insects is not surprising, and he clearly admires them for their aesthetic beauty and clever evolutionary adaptations. But he also argues, persuasively and passionately, that there are sound ecological reasons for welcoming insects into our landscapes with open arms–and a smorgasbord of native plants.
Healthy insect populations are essential to sustainable ecosystems that support the birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and other "charismatic megafauna" we cherish. Birds, especially, rely on insects and their larvae to feed their young. In the areas we humans have disturbed with our roadways and infrastructure, commercial buildings, residential developments, and agricultural plantations, we have wiped out the native plant diversity that supports wildlife. Tallamy estimates that perhaps only 3% to 5% of the United States remains as undisturbed, natural land, and much of that is composed of "ecological islands" that preclude immigration, making both plant and animal species vulnerable to local extinctions. So unless all of us actively work to convert human-disturbed lands–including our suburban gardens–for the preservation of wild creatures, we will no longer have the opportunity to observe nature on a daily basis. We will have to travel to outlying preserves to visit the few remaining species that survive.
So, what’s the connection to native plants? All plants convert the sun’s energy into organic matter usable by life. They are the first "trophic level." Insect herbivores eat plants and, in turn, provide food for all the other animals in higher trophic levels: insect carnivores, birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. But insects are often specialists, able only to eat those plants they have evolved with. And in our residential landscapes and agricultural plantings, we have systematically chosen exotic plants or created plant cultivars that are distasteful to our native insects. We have done this to protect our valuable food crops and because we
view our landscapes as mere decoration, wanting them to be aesthetically perfect and unmarred by chewed leaves. But deliberately excluding insect herbivores in this way deprives our ecosystems of a vital link in the food web. And introduced exotics are doubly problematic because these "pest-free" species escape our grasp and themselves become pests, precisely because they are distasteful to the insect herbivores that keep native plants in check. Our native plants, by contrast, are tasty insect food, and insects provide the basis for all the other animals.
To help us choose plants that are insect-friendly, the chapter "What Should I Plant?" identifies and describes those plant genera that have demonstrated the greatest ability to support butterfly and moth larvae. This criterion was chosen because Lepidoptera comprise over 50% of all insect herbivores in the US, because caterpillars are important components of many vertebrate diets, and because there is more published data about host plant
use by butterflies and moths than there is for other insects. Tallamy’s plant descriptions are interesting both for his suggestions for landscape applications and his knowledge about which caterpillars make use of each plant group.
The cleverly-titled chapter "What Does Bird Food Look Like?" describes various insect families, including but not limited to Lepidoptera. Tallamy tells us what plants these insects eat, what eats them, and describes interesting or curious facets of their life histories. (Initially I was tempted to skip this chapter but was glad I didn’t because I found it fascinating.)
The book is illustrated throughout with wonderful color photographs of plants and insects, and has useful appendices: a list of native plant species that have both wildlife value and desirable landscaping attributes (sorted by region and plant type), a checklist of host plants of butterflies and showy moths, and a summary of Tallamy’s survey data that demonstrates his thesis. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make landscape choices that are more likely to attract birds, butterflies and other creatures. Whether you read the book or not, when you see insects dining on your
landscape, rejoice!

Review date : 2008-05-27
This is a very important book. I reluctantly purchased it after hearing several people that I admire recommend it very highly. I am not much into gardening but am interested in birds, biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. I have read hundreds of books on biology and the environment over the years and have been to hundreds of meetings and conferences regarding solutions to the many problems that beset our natural environment. It is not often that I hear of a very simple solution to a ubiquitous problem, that of a decline in the overall population of birds and mammals and the increase in the ravages of diseases affecting our forests, grasslands and deserts.

In addition to offering a novel solution to major problems the outlook of the book is optimistic and the reading is interesting and pleasurable. Dr. Tallamy is a fine writer and also furnishes fascinating descriptions of the plants, insects, mammals and birds that he has studied. One that I remember from the chapter on insects was the defensive strategy of some insects called leafhoppers that are preyed upon by wasps. The mother protects her offspring that are feeding on the stem above by intercepting attackers from below. If a wasp starts an attack from above her young drum out a distress message that vibrates through the stem to her so she can rush up and try to kick the wasp away. Another insect, a tree-boring beetle, flies to the top of mountain ridges to scan for forest fires with infrared vision to locate trees weakened by fire that are prime targets for feeding and breeding locations.

In addition to these insights into the world of insects and plants the book gives you an understanding of the significant danger from the spread of alien plant species. I agree with all the high recommendations for this book. Everyone that reads this will have a new outlook on nature and even the gardeners will enjoy it.

Review date : 2008-05-27
This book is a must read for all. It highlights and informs about the small steps we can each take to create a better world in our own back yards.

Review date : 2008-05-16

I thought this book was great, and now I’m "sold" on only using native plants in my garden. And for those who say that not all alien plants are bad, and that this book doesn’t tell the whole story or whatever, I would retort "well why NOT use native plants only?" To me there’s something more "right" about using plants that are native to the very land you are on.

The back of the book contains a terrific appendix that lists good native plants to grow by U.S. region. I was very disappointed however that there was no index for the Northeast region(which is where I live)…

Price : $15.65

Product Description

If you love the joys of eating home-garden vegetables but always thought those joys had to stop at the end of summer, this book is for you. Eliot Coleman introduces the surprising fact that most of the United States has more winter sunshine than the south of France. He shows how North American gardeners can successfully use that sun to raise a wide variety of traditional winter vegetables in backyard cold frames and plastic covered tunnel greenhouses without supplementary heat. Coleman expands upon his own experiences with new ideas learned on a winter-vegetable pilgrimage across the ocean to the acknowledged kingdom of vegetable cuisine, the southern part of France, which lies on the 44th parallel, the same latitude as his farm in Maine.
This story of sunshine, weather patterns, old limitations and expectations, and new realities is delightfully innovative in the best gardening tradition. Four-Season Harvest will have you feasting on fresh produce from your garden all through the winter.

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-12-05
When first reading this book, I got really excited about the prospects of greenhouse growing in Michigan during the winter. That is until someone reminded me how cloudy MI is during the winter…so I did some research, and sure enough, the part of Maine the author lives in has *more* sunny days than the US average in winter, whereas Michigan is among the cloudiest of all areas, with a number of sunny days far below the national average. It’s still a good book, but I think the author should’ve made as much a point of cloud cover as he did latitude and day length.

Review date : 2008-10-26
I’ve been familiar with Eliot Coleman’s work for a few years now. I found an interesting article in Mother Earth News, 2004, regarding his daughter, Clara, and her attempts at gardening in the winter. It peaked my curiosity, so I saved the article. I have yet to get myself organized enough to attempt what she did, but I took it another step and purchased this particular book so that I would have more step-by-step help. Still, yet, I’m not quite brave enough to try, but if I can’t do it with the help of this awesome book, I shouldn’t waste my time!! The book is simple to understand, has perfectly understandable drawings to go by, and has about all the information one would need to be a success. I live in Central Maine and can’t wait to be picking spinach and other greens in the cold of winter!! What more could you ask for, except for Mr. Coleman and/or his wife to come to your home and start the project with you??!! Thanks for a superb book…now if I can only get myself brave enough to try. Wish me luck.

Review date : 2008-10-06
This seems like a very helpful book. We all need to learn to grow year round.

Review date : 2008-09-30
An interesting and different look at gardening. I plan to test the information I picked up this winter. I didn’t really care too much about the travel log, but it did help explain the thought process. Well worth a read.

Review date : 2008-09-18
This was a great book for people like us who would like to be self-sufficient even in a northern growing zone. I learned a lot and I’m sure I will refer to it often.

Gardening is a science. Its about working with the elements of nature to create an artistic expression of yourself around your home. There are many reasons to have a garden. For many of us, its a hobby or simply aesthetically pleasing. For others, the more practical motivation is to improve our property values. Whatever your reason, planning a garden is important and should be the first step we undertake in the journey of gardening.

Where do you start? Begin by observing your current yard. Do you like it? Are things missing? Are things too crowded? Take photographs or keep written journal for several weeks and record how much light you are getting in various locations of your yard and different times a day. This may also change seasonally. Make note of key points of your home such as sidewalks, driveways, or perhaps a deck or patio youll be working around. Next, determine why you want a garden. Who is using the grounds you will be gardening. Will you have small children playing or pets that need to be factored into consideration? Keep an idea on what your budget will be and how much time you have to put into garden maintenance. Surprisingly, one of the last considerations and priorities should be the types of plants you will use. When the time comes to select those, you can find a whole base of knowledge regarding plant, tree, or shrub selections through your local nurseries, libraries, or community organizations such as park and recreation departments or local arboretums.

Gardening doesnt need to be fancy. Keeping a simple but well kept garden may be ideal for many people. Do select a garden location. Put your yard down on paper and determine where you want various things in your yard. Keep in mind you will not want trees to close to building structures, and plan ahead for when they grow and reach mature size. Make sure water is easily accessible.

There are several elements of design to factor into your overall plan. Eyes will automatically shift to a garden line, whether it is the edge of a walkway, or the curve of a flower bed. Gentle, slow curves and horizontal lines tend to be perceived as restful and tranquil while jagged diagonals or vertical lines suggest formality and alertness. Experiment with various textures within your garden. Generally gardens are composed of foliage, bark, or flowers and changes within the light during the day and the seasons. Scent is often neglected, but a very important gardening element. Introducing fragrance will bring an extra dimension to the garden by expanding sensory awareness. Scents are more likely to be appreciated if they are located near a path, entryway, or patio. Color is often one of the greatest challenges to gardeners. It can be employed in a variety of ways. You may prefer to design in a green monotone with only an occasional splash of another color, as exemplified in traditional Japanese gardens. Some take the approach of using kaleidoscopic patterns as might be found in a wildflower meadow. Whatever you use, its about personal choice. What appeals to you?

Dont be afraid to use duplication of line, form, texture, scent, or color throughout your garden. When any design element is repeated the mind is better able to comprehend the composition as a whole. Certainly, you dont want repetition carried to the extremes or your garden will be monotonous. Use one or two qualities of design and hold them constant while varying other parts for the best balance. Variety can be added in other areas. Decide if you prefer the look of a more formal garden, which would usually have more symmetrical arrangements, or if you like the look of asymmetrical informal gardens.

Focal points are important. Often this is done with larger elements like trees and shrubs. These are the elements that initially seize attention. Be careful not to utilize too many focal points or other elements of the composition will be lost. Other design elements can be connected by using a consistent direction or point of focus. This will allow them to sequence and flow together. Elements of the garden should agree in the sense that they convey the size of your garden as a whole. Gardens should be harmonious.

Finally, evaluate your selected garden site. Know your space in terms of width and height. Work with your seasons of interest. Do you want a garden that appeals to you each season or only in the spring and summer? Take into consideration the number of plants needed and the amount of maintenance that you will be able to devote.

Most gardeners would agree that a garden is never finished. It is always a work in progress. A garden should not be work. Your garden should be your labor of love, like any craft something you enjoy spending time and energy cultivating. If you initially make mistakes within your garden, just turn them into learning opportunities. There is no right or wrong way to garden, just how to best utilize nature, space, and your vision of beauty. Finally, allow yourself to enjoy your garden. A well planned garden will bring you years of rewards.

Gentry is a stay at home mom, with a passion for writing. For more articles on easy living, visit http://www.genstyleliving.com.

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