Exclusive Book Review - 3 Part Series

Bringing Nature Home:

How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in our Gardens
By Carolyn Summers

For those of us native plant enthusiasts who have struggled to explain our gardens to those gardeners who insist on planting anything from everywhere, Doug Tallamy has given us a wonderful new tool called Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in our Gardens. True to its title, this book is chock-full of compelling facts based on late-breaking scientific research proving that gardening with native plants is not just fun, but necessary, if we are to save our wildlife populations from crashing. Professor Tallamy reinforces his passion for the natural world with the dispassionate scrutiny of a scientist, citing facts, statistics and studies to build the case that native plants are the base upon which the entire food chain rests. Learn more about Tallamy.

Although, for many reasons, I have long believed in the necessity of growing native plants, this book has answered questions that I never even thought to ask. For example, when the nurseries advertise exotic plants as "pest-free," is their claim valid? And, if so, are pest-free plants a good thing? What makes them pest=free? When was the last time you saw a parent bird bringing berries or seeds to baby birds in the nest? If seed and berry-eating birds don’t bring those foods to the nest, what are they bringing? The opening chapters answer these questions and more with simplicity and clarity.

Come back to the blog next Wednesday, April 1 for the second installation of this article.