Humane Gardener
Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife
Published on 18. April 2017
224 pages
978-1-61689-617-1 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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Book
04/2017
Princeton Architectural Press
€26.00
Article in reprint
Person
Nancy Lawson is a writer, editor, and naturalist, and the founder of Humane Gardener, an outreach initiative to help people live in harmony with the animals in their backyards. She writes the "Humane Backyard" column for All Animals magazine, published by the Humane Society of the United States. Prior to being a freelance writer and consultant, she worked for 15 years as an editor on Humane Society publications.
Content
- Cover
- Title
- Dedication
- Copyright
- Contents
- Author's Note
- Introduction
- 1 A New Kind of Dream Home: Plant Native Plants
- Plant for all seasons and sizes.
- Add foundation plants for animals.
- Triage the removal of invaders.
- Plant "green" mulch.
- Trade cultivars for straight species.
- Don't love your plants to death.
- 2 The Beauty of Letting Go: Let Nature Guide Your Garden
- The world at our feet
- Get into the "weeds.
- Zoom in on magnificence.
- Join the citizen science brigade.
- Recognize the team effort.
- 3 Is Your Yard Family-Friendly? Provide Baby Food and Nesting Sites
- Ending the assault on tiny wild families
- Creating habitat for the forgotten young
- Plant baby food.
- Don't mow down the teenagers.
- Support the homebuilding industry.
- Replace poisons with natural insect control.
- Protect hidden nurseries.
- 4 Safety Zones: Create Sanctuary in a Treacherous World
- Picking up the pieces
- Know before you mow.
- Avoid un-safety nets.
- Take down deadly decor.
- Reduce reflection.
- Lights out.
- Shut your death traps.
- Station lifeguards.
- Don't fence them in.
- Be a trash collector.
- Time your tree trimming.
- Don't bird-nap.
- Keep bird feeders clean.
- Herd cats.
- 5 A Harvest for All: Share the Bounty Through Peaceful Coexistence
- Is your home where their hearth is?
- Have you lost perspective-or failed to see theirs?
- Have you opened an all-you-can-eat restaurant?
- Do you understand their social cues?
- Keeping the peace-and your peas-in the garden
- Put it in context.
- Make animals your allies.
- Let them eat plants.
- Redirect their attention.
- 6 The Gift that Keeps On Giving: Encourage Life in the Decay
- Life after death
- Turn a wildlife tree into a centerpiece.
- Make log houses for earth dwellers.
- Let leaves blanket your gardens.
- Don't deadhead
- "live-head" instead.
- Getting Started
- General Information
- Humane Gardener
- The Natural Web
- EcoBeneficial
- Regional Books on Habitat Gardening
- PACIFIC NORTHWEST
- SOUTHWEST
- MIDWEST
- SOUTHEAST
- NORTHEAST
- MID-ATLANTIC
- Native Plant Information and Regional Databases
- Native Plant Information Network
- Native Plants Finder
- Ecoregional Planting Guides
- Native Plant Retail Sources and Suppliers
- National Suppliers Directory
- Native Plant Society Listings
- Coexisting with Wildlife
- Wild Neighbors
- The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener
- Habitat Certification and Yard Signs
- Certified Wildlife Habitat Program
- Pollinator Habitat program
- Humane Backyard
- #SavetheBats
- Monarch Waystation Program
- Cavity Conservation Initiative
- Plants Mentioned in This Book
- Native Species
- Nonnative Species
- Notes
- Selected Bibliography
- Acknowledgments
- Image Credits
- About the Author
