The Nature-Friendly Garden
Creating a Backyard Haven for Animals, Plants, and People
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- £14.99
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- £14.99
Publisher Description
• How to maintain environmental balance and attract wildlife
• Applies to all backyard gardens, large and small with specific information on creating ponds and other water features
• Accessible gardening tips for seniors and people with disabilities
Many people approach gardening as a constant struggle with the outside world. They're perpetually at war with nature, investing in weed killers and fighting off deer and birds, all in an effort to preserve their garden as a pristine patch of earth. Marlene A. Condon proposes a radically different method: What if, instead of battling the natural world, we invite it into our backyards? The result is the nature-friendly garden, which attracts and meets the needs of common creatures--rabbits, toads, insects, squirrels, owls, and so on--while maintaining a thriving, varied landscape of flowers and plants. And as this thought-provoking guide demonstrates, coexisting with nature doesn't mean turning your yard into a bramble-infested wilderness. The sustainable, low-impact garden described in these pages is a model of environmental balance, fostering species diversity while keeping wildlife damage and invasive plant growth at an acceptable minimum. Best of all, it offers a privileged look at the workings of nature, and its advice on observing wildlife is sure to open up a new and fascinating world for even the most experienced gardener.
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Condon's gardening philosophy respects the needs of all natural participants in the life of the garden: plants, pests, predators, wildlife and the gardener. She rebels against the beauty of "those ideal gardens depicted in magazines and books," pointing out that "a completely pristine appearance is impossible to maintain." Her refreshing approach focuses on the virtues of many necessities. For example, that unsightly brush pile that is simply too much work to clear right now can be a haven for numerous species. Similarly, unraked leaves shelter tree frogs, butterfly caterpillars and small animals, and lawns, which involve excessive demands on labor and resources, "have a hugely detrimental impact on your life, other people's lives, and wildlife." Condon is instructive, sometimes didactic and tends to assert opinions, such as her views on mulch (somewhat denigrated) and invasive species (disconcertingly welcomed) as facts. While beginners may benefit from her exhortations, experienced gardeners might find much to disagree with and little that is new or revealing. Regardless of their expertise, most readers will benefit from Condon's realistic acceptance of every gardener's limitations and the joys of engaging with nature on its own terms. Color photos.
