Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
56th out of 114 books
—
9 voters
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants
With the accelerating pace of development and subsequent habitat destruction, the pressures on wildlife populations are greater than ever. But there is a surprisingly important and relatively simple step toward reversing this alarming trend: Everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution to sustaining biodiversity.
There is an unbreakable link...more
There is an unbreakable link...more
Paperback, Updated and Expanded, 358 pages
Published
April 1st 2009
by Timber Press (OR)
(first published November 6th 2007)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
554)
I found this a wonderful book. The author writes quite well. He explains the difference between native and alien plant species (NO Rob - I am talking about plants from Europe and Asia, not another planet).
He demonstrates how we need insects in our world for life to continue and how insect numbers are hugely impacted by the types of plants we have. It has taken thousands of years of evolution to put the right insects with the right plants and since we started bringing in plants from other countr...more
He demonstrates how we need insects in our world for life to continue and how insect numbers are hugely impacted by the types of plants we have. It has taken thousands of years of evolution to put the right insects with the right plants and since we started bringing in plants from other countr...more
An extremely thoughtful book that is an accessibly written and exciting read. The author explains in clear language supported by numerous studies why biodiversity is important, why alien plants are problematic (I never knew that many native insects do not eat them and the resulting impact on the larger food chain) and how to balance your planted environment whether in the city or suburb to restore balance. The appendixes at the end are quite useful. I checked this out from the library but am ord...more
2 likes · like · see review
Doug Tallamy brings the concepts of biodiversity, systems for ecological benefit, and conservation for the health and well-being of life on earth, right into our very own back yards. And he uses his own back yard as an experimental station for his entomological studies, tying together for the reader the tight interelationships between plants and animals. This book is a gardener's bible, a landscaper's helper, and just an all-round good read for any of us who tend any kinds of plants in any size...more
Thank you Fiery Cushman for lending me this book. I have never thought about the bug-bird-plant relationship and its connection to landscape design. Tallamy makes interesting arguments are why all non-native (alient) plans are problemmatic, not just the invasive ones. The problems created are just not obvious to this non-bug person. How would have thought that bugs could be picky eaters?
I am disappointed that Tallamy did not include a list of native plants with wildlife value and desirable lands...more
I am disappointed that Tallamy did not include a list of native plants with wildlife value and desirable lands...more
Want to know what all the fuss about using native plants is about? Read this book. Before I read this book I knew that using plants native to a region was good for water conservation, but I had no idea how critical they are for sustaining the local food web. After I finished the book I felt guilty about the exotic plants I had purchased for my yard (mainly roses), and resolved to do better in the future.
Basically this book lays out the science that native plants support native insects which feed...more
Basically this book lays out the science that native plants support native insects which feed...more
I've known for years that it's "important" to use native plants in our gardens, and that alien species are "bad". But not until I read this book did I fully understand the whys and whats of it all. I'm one of those people who isn't likely to really get on board with a movement unless I know WHY it's important, so I'm now motivated to take action in my own yard and I feel better able to explain to other people why it matters. And the best part of the whole book was his comment that our efforts to...more
I loved this book for many reasons, most importantly because now I understand the concerns with invasive alien plants and the need to preserve our native varieties in a way I never have before. Most alien species to North America are not recognized or eaten by local insects. As local insect populations decrease the base of the food web decreases, thereby limiting the number of other species that can exist within the local food web. The book describes many interactions between specific native pla...more
Wonderful book. Want to know why native plant species are better for our yards and communities than alien plant species? Tallamy explains this in approachable language for the non-expert. Best aspect of the book, for me, is that the author is very positive about our capacity at the individual level to improve our local environment, starting with our yards. Personal note: for those who live in communities with an HOA or condo board, convincing other homeowners to install a native habitat, rain ga...more
This is the best books I've read on why we need to focus on growing native plants. Because of ever expanding habitat destruction most of our plants are declining in numbers, thereby threatening everything that depends upon them for food. Tallamy makes an extremely strong argument that local gardens are fast becoming the only place left for native plants but most are filled with alien and invasive plants bought at local nurseries and big box stores. Each of us has only so much space and we must c...more
2 likes · like · see review
If you want to geek out about plants and insects, this book is awesome. Tallamy makes a really compelling case for native plants based on their relationship to herbivorous insects and how important they are to us. It's the kind of thing you never explicitly thought about, but once you've heard it's as though you always knew - it just makes so much sense. He is extreme on the native plants only front, which plant lovers like me will never want to stick to. I've had my own evolution from natives-a...more
Compelling read, albeit overall a rather common sense view of the relations between plant and insect.
I found myself the entire length fighting the tendency to view his hypothesis as an allegory for nationalism or isolationism.
I have to say the use of the words: alien/native to be unsuitable for horticulture and/or immigration.
I recall Karel Capek, entomologist turned playwright...he coins the word robot and gives human form to his bugs behind the iron curtain.
It always comes back to the bee's.....more
I found myself the entire length fighting the tendency to view his hypothesis as an allegory for nationalism or isolationism.
I have to say the use of the words: alien/native to be unsuitable for horticulture and/or immigration.
I recall Karel Capek, entomologist turned playwright...he coins the word robot and gives human form to his bugs behind the iron curtain.
It always comes back to the bee's.....more
Oct 07, 2008
Tinea
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tinea by:
a neighbor
Shelves:
ecology-diy
There are lots of books that make the case for planting native species in your home garden. Bringing Nature Home is neat because it's written by an entomologist, a bug scientist. Native plants don't just provide food and habitat for native birds, mammals, and butterflies. Tallamy gets almost giddy about the cool caterpillars you'll find on the underside of an oak leaf. The color photos of fantastic bugs throughout the book are pretty convincing. Who knew we had neon grubs here in New Jersey!
I li...more
I li...more
I love this book! It's the most thought-provoking book I've ever read on gardening and environmental stewardship. I had never really realized that exotic plants don't participate as part of the food chain. As I came to realize after reading this book, planting a garden with exotic plants is like setting a table with fine silver and china, inviting your guests to dinner, and omitting the food.
The author would have us completely eliminate exotic plants from our gardens. I'm sure he'll wince if he...more
The author would have us completely eliminate exotic plants from our gardens. I'm sure he'll wince if he...more
After reading Professor Tallamy's book, I understand the vital importance of planting and promoting natives: to support the circle of life. In a nutshell - local bugs can't eat foreign plants. Without bugs, the birds don't have food; without the birds, the rodents run rampant and so on. Armed with this understanding, I've redesigned my garden beds and borders to focus on dense groupings of native plantings. A must-read for anyone who cares about the environment!
With my love of gardening, I'm not sure why I didn't find this earlier; it was recommended to me by a neighbor when she found out I was trying to "go native". What an eye-opener! Logical yet very readable and persuasive about the unintended but fatal consequences of too many alien plants in the suburban garden. Too much a nature lover to not heed his advice and make a strong effort to rebalance the wildlife in my neck of the woods at least.
This is the standard native plant ideology in a nutshell. The only thing new about it is that was written by someone claiming to be a scientist. It is full of absurd contradictions such as "I know native insects only eat native plants because the native plants in my garden are being eaten by insects" vs. "If you use native plants in your garden you won't have to use pesticides."
Doug Tallamy was the keynote speaker at last week's annual Native Plants Conference in the high mountains of NC. An entomologist, he's working on detailed research on how bird populations are impacted by the availability of insect larvae on native plants, and how important it is for us to jam-pack surburbia with natives. Good speaker, good book - excellent plant lists at the end.
Already tearing through this and it's making me look forward to spring while enjoying the winter to plan. I'm also not mournful anymore about the Bradford pears that got karate chopped by the Oct. snowstorm. They were alien invasives! Now I'm thinking about a pignut hickory tree or a white oak, and, of course, a patch of milkweeds for the monarchs.
This was an interesting book with some great ideas. Unfortunately, it was heavily focused on the Northeast U.S. (the author does say this pretty early on), making it difficult immediately use all of the information in the appendices (focused on the east) about native plants. I wish the information was a little broader for other areas of the country.
This is a clearly written argument for the use of native plants in our gardens, and a scientific explaination of the effects on biodiversity in their absence. Tallamy's analogies, based on scientific data,can change the way we view our gardens and the decisions we make in them. He makes it clear that we all can and must be part of the solution. It's also full of beautiful pictures, mostly of insects (if you like that kind of thing) and the appendixes in the back are a great reference.
I think this is a fascinating and really important book, but I hated the (author admitted) Eastern U.S.-centric nature of it. He has pages of important things to plant for butterflies (milkweed, Joe Pie weed, etc), but at the end of the book those aren't things listed for the PacNW as a viable option. Still, it is a push in the right direction and I'm looking forward to finding some more native plants to grow in my garden.
Obviously the author is an entomologist. He did write about native plants but it's mostly about native bugs and what they eat. In spite of my dislike of insects I really enjoyed this book. I read every word about the insects and it was very entertaining. If I want to have pretty songbirds in my yard they need those bugs to feed their young. And I need to learn to ignore those munched leaf parts where my native bugs had dinner. It's a trade off. I was so inspired by this book that I just bought a...more
reinforced my convictions to use mostly native plants...refreshing to hear another reason often unmentioned in the fight to restore native ecosystems- the leaf herbivores that are dependent on native leaves! Tallamy doesn't do enough justice to the edge effect, which may confuse readers with little knowledge of ecological principles, but the intentions are pure none the less.
A really good book. I'm convinced that using native plants in our landscaping is critical to saving biodiversity (number of different animal species) in North America, and that it's pretty easy to do. Very well written. Full of great photos and interesting facts about insects and the particularities that an animal can have for what it eats. The author also provides answers to common questions that people ask him.
We just read this as part of a nature book group. Loved the related discussion. The whole book centers on insects, which is rather interesting as it moves to plants and birds from there. The book will help me make changes in my yard and advocate more for native plants.
Nov 06, 2009
Cynthia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ecology-of-gardening
While I've always been attracted to gardening with native plants, this book provided a rare "Aha!" moment, emphasizing the importance of native plants as the underpinning of local food chains. The style was a bit dense, but still readily readable...and well worth the reading.
Excellent discussion of the scientific rationale for using native plants in the landscape. It is written in terms that people who are not botanists or biologists can easily understand. Good practical suggestions for getting started with natives.
So far, pretty good. The intro is interesting. The author show that he knows both side (the lure of exotic plants and benefits of native plants). The writing is clear, easy to understand, and speaks to the audience.
Update: Read it all the way to the end pretty quick. A book that talked about a very controversial and complicated issues in a simplistic but well-informed manner - not a easy task to do. Supports his book's perspective well with both scientific studies and previous events that happen...more
Update: Read it all the way to the end pretty quick. A book that talked about a very controversial and complicated issues in a simplistic but well-informed manner - not a easy task to do. Supports his book's perspective well with both scientific studies and previous events that happen...more
This is a great book to read if you are doing restoration work - lots of good background material about why we need native plants and the insects that use them.
This book has led people I know onto new paths in life. It is a must-read for anyone concerned about ecology, biodiversity and the health of the planet.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Feb 12, 2010 06:15am
Feb 12, 2010 02:03pm