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Reviews
Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy
fraeyalise's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Very illuminating! I am glad to have read this book. The author gives concrete steps to helping fix the planet and I love that.
Also, we planted a native pollinator garden last year, and this year I already have noticed many more bugs in that garden than in the rest of my yard combined. So what he's saying in this book is directly supported by my lived experience. It gives me hope that we can make a difference- only one year and I see a difference in my yard!
Also, we planted a native pollinator garden last year, and this year I already have noticed many more bugs in that garden than in the rest of my yard combined. So what he's saying in this book is directly supported by my lived experience. It gives me hope that we can make a difference- only one year and I see a difference in my yard!
ktroney's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
earthgirl207's review
4.0
This book makes a compelling case for how gardening with native species can turn sterile suburban yards into refuges for wildlife. Native species provide food for insect larvae in ways that nonnative species can't, and the larvae are themselves important food sources for birds and other wildlife. Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware, explains the science behind all of this in a way that is both accurate and accessible. The book's appendices include lists of the host plants of specific butterflies and moths as well as lists of species native to particular regions of the US. A must-read for the ecologically-minded gardener.
sheila713's review
3.0
Engaging. Emphasized using plants native to your part of the country, as opposed to using alien plants introduced to the US from other countries, even 100s of years ago. The book points out how using foreign plants upsets the delicate ecosystem.
craftygoat's review
3.5
Probably 3.5-ish. Listened to the audiobook, which wasn't the best (it was especially annoying when the performer paused and slowly pronounced the Latin names for each species). I also got a hard copy of the book so I could reference the pictures and charts, and I think I might have had a better impression if I approached it from the book first.
I do feel the message is an important one. I already considered myself pretty "bug" friendly, but this book has convinced me I need to rethink my approach. One of the main takeaways is that native plants and insects co-evolved over centuries, causing non-native plants to be useless to the creatures that live here. That makes non-natives -- at best -- a waste of sunshine. Some become invasive and displace the native plants, which can destroy ecosystems and contribute to species extinction. So I'm definitely interested in growing more natives.
However, the book is very regionally-focused. If you don't live in the Northeast part of the US, the examples aren't really relevant. I would love to see something with a broader focus.
I do feel the message is an important one. I already considered myself pretty "bug" friendly, but this book has convinced me I need to rethink my approach. One of the main takeaways is that native plants and insects co-evolved over centuries, causing non-native plants to be useless to the creatures that live here. That makes non-natives -- at best -- a waste of sunshine. Some become invasive and displace the native plants, which can destroy ecosystems and contribute to species extinction. So I'm definitely interested in growing more natives.
However, the book is very regionally-focused. If you don't live in the Northeast part of the US, the examples aren't really relevant. I would love to see something with a broader focus.