A New Garden Ethic

A New Garden Ethic
Author: Benjamin Vogt
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2017-09-01
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1771422459

In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.

Natural Landscaping

Natural Landscaping
Author: John Diekelmann
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2002
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780299173241

In response to demand from landscape architects and home gardeners, Natural Landscaping returns to print in an updated and expanded second edition. It is unique in its focus on plant communities; it approaches landscape design as the establishment of natural ecosystems, rather than mere planting of specimens. Emphasizing the natural landscapes of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, this book o reviews landscaping principles and techniques o introduces native plant species for grasslands, forests, edge areas, and small wetlands o illustrates how to evaluate a site and plan for visual effect and maintenance o presents the issues involved in restoring bogs, ponds, and other wetlands o offers practical advice on reducing chemical use while still combating invasive plants o addresses social, legal, design, and planting problems often encountered on residential sites o discusses natural landscaping for public parklands, civic buildings, school grounds, and corporate properties

Bringing Nature Home

Bringing Nature Home
Author: Douglas W. Tallamy
Publisher: Timber Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2009-09-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1604691468

“With the twinned calamities of climate change and mass extinction weighing heavier and heavier on my nature-besotted soul, here were concrete, affordable actions that I could take, that anyone could take, to help our wild neighbors thrive in the built human environment. And it all starts with nothing more than a seed. Bringing Nature Home is a miracle: a book that summons butterflies." —Margaret Renkl, The Washington Post As development and habitat destruction accelerate, there are increasing pressures on wildlife populations. In his groundbreaking book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Luckily, there is an important and simple step we can all take to help reverse this alarming trend: everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. By acting on Douglas Tallamy's practical and achievable recommendations, we can all make a difference.

Roadside Use of Native Plants

Roadside Use of Native Plants
Author: Bonnie Harper-Lore
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 726
Release: 2000-09
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9781610913843

Originally published by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Natural Environment to promote the planting and care of native plants along highway rights-of-way, this unique handbook provides managers of roadsides and adjacent lands with the information and background they need to make site-specific decisions about what kinds of native plants to use, and addresses basic techniques and misconceptions about using native plants. It brings together in a single volume a vast array of detailed information that has, until now, been scattered and difficult to find.The book opens with eighteen short essays on principles of ecological restoration and management from leading experts in the field including Reed F. Noss, J. Baird Callicott, Peggy Olwell, and Evelyn Howell. Following that is the heart of the book, more than 500 pages of comprehensive state-by-state listings that offer: a color map for each state with natural vegetations zones clearly marked comprehensive lists of native plants, broken down by type of plant (grasses, forbs, trees, etc.) and including both scientific and common names, with each list having been verified for completeness and accuracy by the state's natural heritage program contact names, addresses, and phone numbers for obtaining current information on invasive and noxious species to be avoided resources for more information, including contact names and addresses for local experts in each state The appendix adds definitions, bibliography, and policy citations to clarify any debates about the purpose and the direction of the use of native plants on roadsides.Roadside Use of Native Plants is a one-of-a-kind reference whose utility extends far beyond the roadside, offering a toolbox for a new aesthetic that can be applied to all kinds of public and private land. It can help lead the way to a cost-effective ecological approach to managing human-designed landscapes, and is an essential book for anyone interested in establishing or restoring native vegetation.

Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains

Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains
Author: Jon Farrar
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2011-12-16
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 160938072X

From the mixed-grass prairies of the Panhandle in the west, to the Sandhills prairie and mixed-grass prairies in central Nebraska, to the tallgrass prairies in the east, the state is home to hundreds of wildflower species, yet the primary guide to these flowers has been out of print for almost two decades. Now back in a second edition with updated nomenclature, refined plant descriptions, better photographs where improvements were called for, and a new design, Jon Farrar’s Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains, originally published by NEBRASKAland magazine and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, is a visual treat and educational guide to some of the region’s showiest and most interesting wildflowers. Organizing species by color, Farrar provides scientific, common, and family names; time of flowering; distribution both for Nebraska specifically and for the Great Plains in general; and preferred habitat including soil type and plant community from roadsides to woodlands to grasslands. Descriptions of each species are succinct and accessible; Farrar packs a surprising amount of information into a compact space. For many species, he includes intriguing notes about edibility, medicinal uses by Native Americans and early pioneers, similar species and varieties, hybridization, and changes in status as plants become uncommon or endangered. Superb color photographs allow each of the 274 wildflowers to be easily identified and pen-and-ink illustrations provide additional details for many species. It is a joy to have this new edition riding along on car seats and in backpacks helping naturalists at all levels of expertise explore prairies, woodlands, and wetlands in search of those ever-changing splashes of color we call wildflowers.

Jewels of the Plains

Jewels of the Plains
Author: Claude A. Barr
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
Total Pages: 399
Release: 2015-11-15
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1452945233

From Abronia to Zinnia, Jewels of the Plains describes the natural history and garden merits of more than five hundred Great Plains wildflowers. Considered the authoritative guide by native plant enthusiasts and horticulturists, it captures the unique beauty, resilience, and variety of wildflowers in the Great Plains. Claude A. Barr did not set out to be a writer. In 1910, he homesteaded 160 acres of prairie in the southwest corner of South Dakota, intending to become a farmer. Despite challenging conditions, Barr fell in love with the land and its native flora. He began contributing profiles of plains wildflowers to gardening magazines, which precipitated requests for seed and led him to start a mail-order nursery, Prairie Gem Ranch. What began as a Depression-era sideline eventually gained a worldwide clientele, and Barr became a respected ambassador for the wildflowers of this part of the American landscape. Decades of observing plants in the wild and growing them for his nursery, as well as careful study of scientific sources, gave Barr unequaled knowledge that culminated in this acclaimed book. Wonderfully written and deeply researched, Jewels of the Plains is more than a field guide or how-to manual. It’s a pioneering text on native plant horticulture that details plant life on the prairie in the voice of one with intimate familiarity with the subject. Each description reads like a mini nature essay, giving insight into both the plants and Barr’s engaging personality. Edited to incorporate new scientific information, this edition includes an Introduction and supplemental notes by botanist and horticulturalist James H. Locklear. He places Barr’s remarkable life and work in historic and scientific context, illuminating his accomplishments from a fresh perspective.

Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climates

Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climates
Author: Mary Hockenberry Meyer
Publisher: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2020-10-01
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1946135658

Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climates, is written for inexperienced as well as seasoned gardeners, landscape designers, garden center employees, and anyone interested in native grasses that grow well in cold climates. New information on the benefits of native grasses including their importance as host plants for native Lepidoptera is included. Combinations of specific grasses used by larvae and perennials that the adult butterflies feed on is new and timely information.

The Humane Gardener

The Humane Gardener
Author: Nancy Lawson
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2017-04-18
Genre:
ISBN: 1616896175

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

Planting

Planting
Author: Piet Oudolf
Publisher: Timber Press
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2016-02-16
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1604697318

“Indispensable.” —The New York Times Book Review Piet Oudolf’s gardens—unique combinations of long-lived perennials and woody plants that are rich in texture and sophisticated in color—are breathtaking and have deep emotional resonance. With Planting, designers and home gardeners can recreate these plant-rich, beautiful gardens that support biodiversity and nourish the human spirit. An intimate knowledge of plants is essential to the success of modern landscape design, and Planting shares Oudolf’s considerable understanding of plant ecology, explaining how plants behave in different situations, what goes on underground, and which species make good neighbors. Extensive plant charts and planting plans will help you choose plants for their structure, color, and texture. A detailed directory shares details like each plant’s life expectancy, the persistence of its seedheads, and its propensity to self-seed.