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:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
A must read for gardeners:
I received this book for my birthday, started to skim it and could not put it down. The book makes the best case for growing native plants in our gardens I have ever read. Who ever knew that bugs could not eat leaves from non-native plants,for the most part! And that because their food source is dwindling (due to invasive alien plants and urban development)there is a huge effect all the way up the food chain starting with birds. As a member of a local garden club, I cannot wait to share the knowledge from... more info
"Bringing Nature Home":
"Bringing Nature Home" is a short course in why we should be planting natives in our gardens. It is direct, practical, profusely illustrated with great photos (especially of insects), and even mildly humorous. The first half of the book explains why alien plants are so damaging, and the second half explores how we might want to change our own yards. When I am feeling overwhelmed by how diminished a planet our children will be inheriting, this book brings some solace: you can't repair the entire earth--but... more info
Excellent!!!:
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.
Bugs Are Good:
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,... more info
