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The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature
Promoting a holistic ecological view, Tammi Hartung encourages you to invite wildlife into your garden. You’ll be amazed at how a variety of natural pollinators, pest predators, and soil enrichers can promote vibrant and healthy vegetables. Discover how a slug problem disappears once you’ve introduced a pond housing bullfrogs, how wasps can take care of tomato hornworms, and why skunks aren’t so bad after all. Learn how to garden with animals, rather than against them, and reap your most bountiful harvest yet.
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2013
28 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Tammi Hartung
9 books16 followersTammi Hartung is an ethnobotanical herbalist and organic farmer with more than 42 years of experience working with plants.
She and her husband, Chris, own Desert Canyon Farm, a certified organic farm since 1996 in southern Colorado, where they grow more than 3200 varieties of plants. They grow all types of herbs, heritage and heirloom food plants, native and wildlife habitat plants, edible flowers and more. In their flower seed production field, they grow over 60 varieties of perennials for a German seed company called Jelitto Perennial Seed Co, so seeds from Tammi's farm end up being grown by gardeners and growers all over the world!
Tammi is an international speaker and the author of Homegrown Herbs, The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener and Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine. She blogs at desertcanyonfarm.wordpress.com
Tammi is passionate about plants and their relationship with people past, present and future. If a plant has been used by people or animals, Tammi is interested to understand that relationship. In addition, she is an avid hiker, a embroiderer of colored threads, loves to write, and enjoys life on her small farm with her husband, 3 very helpful cats, Cedar the farm dog, a sassy duck named Hannah and loads of wildlife.
She and her husband, Chris, own Desert Canyon Farm, a certified organic farm since 1996 in southern Colorado, where they grow more than 3200 varieties of plants. They grow all types of herbs, heritage and heirloom food plants, native and wildlife habitat plants, edible flowers and more. In their flower seed production field, they grow over 60 varieties of perennials for a German seed company called Jelitto Perennial Seed Co, so seeds from Tammi's farm end up being grown by gardeners and growers all over the world!
Tammi is an international speaker and the author of Homegrown Herbs, The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener and Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine. She blogs at desertcanyonfarm.wordpress.com
Tammi is passionate about plants and their relationship with people past, present and future. If a plant has been used by people or animals, Tammi is interested to understand that relationship. In addition, she is an avid hiker, a embroiderer of colored threads, loves to write, and enjoys life on her small farm with her husband, 3 very helpful cats, Cedar the farm dog, a sassy duck named Hannah and loads of wildlife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 29, 2021
Interesting ideas for planting in here. Utelizing insects, birds, small mammals and even other plants to assist in keeping plants healthy and uneaten by wildlife without harming animals, soil or groundwater. I really like some of the ideas and will definitely be using them in my garden this year.
September 21, 2013
I must admit that I'm not at all a gardener -- but I *am* a lover of animals and organic foods, which is what inspired me to pick up THE WILDLIFE FRIENDLY VEGETABLE GARDENER when I had the chance to read it for review purposes. I absolutely LOVE the author's attitude and perspective when it comes to co-existing with nature, and she had loads of fantastic ideas that never would have occurred to me -- like planting certain herbs around a garden to entice certain animals, or to use bright flowers to lure them from the vegetables.I also enjoyed the sensitive way in which the author described an openness and willingness to observe nature as the real start and root of organic gardening. This book really reads as a psychology-of-nature guide, almost. While I'm positive that there will be a certain niche audience for this book, I absolutely loved it and am so glad to have had the opportunity to review this handy little guide!
August 30, 2016
This book may be a guide to helping gardeners coexist with wildlife, but it doesn’t read like a reference manual. It is almost like a memoir of the life of a gardener.
It is full of wonderful ideas for attracting wildlife to your garden, and living cordially with them when you succeed.
The author suggests keeping a “nature journal”. The author will sit in the garden with the journal and jot down her observations-- what she did (fertilizing, trimming, planting), what she saw, problems noted-- so she can see how her actions affect the garden, and what changes she may need to make. She also notes wildlife spotted, and what can be done to keep them coming around without causing conflict in the garden, or where they may need to be deterred.
The author also gives examples of how nature will take care of things, if you just leave it alone and allow it. She relays an example of discovering horned tomato caterpillars. But when viewing them with a magnifying glass, she then noticed little white rice-shaped bits on the backs of the caterpillars. She realized that parasitic wasps had laid eggs on the caterpillars, and those eggs had hatched into larvae which were now feeding on the caterpillars. Problem solved!
If you are a gardener, or if you enjoy welcoming wildlife into your yard, but want to avoid conflict with it, this book is for you! Interspersed with charming, homey illustrations, it is like taking a walk with the author through her backyard while she teaches you a thing or two about nature and living harmoniously with it.
It is full of wonderful ideas for attracting wildlife to your garden, and living cordially with them when you succeed.
The author suggests keeping a “nature journal”. The author will sit in the garden with the journal and jot down her observations-- what she did (fertilizing, trimming, planting), what she saw, problems noted-- so she can see how her actions affect the garden, and what changes she may need to make. She also notes wildlife spotted, and what can be done to keep them coming around without causing conflict in the garden, or where they may need to be deterred.
The author also gives examples of how nature will take care of things, if you just leave it alone and allow it. She relays an example of discovering horned tomato caterpillars. But when viewing them with a magnifying glass, she then noticed little white rice-shaped bits on the backs of the caterpillars. She realized that parasitic wasps had laid eggs on the caterpillars, and those eggs had hatched into larvae which were now feeding on the caterpillars. Problem solved!
If you are a gardener, or if you enjoy welcoming wildlife into your yard, but want to avoid conflict with it, this book is for you! Interspersed with charming, homey illustrations, it is like taking a walk with the author through her backyard while she teaches you a thing or two about nature and living harmoniously with it.
November 28, 2025
3. Lots of useful information. I like the illustrations, too.
October 20, 2013
An inclusive how-to guide on gardening with nature. As the introduction states "...this book invites you to expand your relationship with nature."
This book delves into making your home a productive animal habitat while providing food crops for yourself. With tried and true methods and advice for everything from preparing your soil to attracting pollinators and welcoming larger animals into your outdoor space. I already employ a lot of the methods discussed in the book, but I found many new things to try also, including placing strawberries and asparagus together, building a home for mason bees, the idea of decoy plants and using herbs to attract or repel certain insects.
The added design ideas at the end were a great bonus.
I very much enjoyed the wonderful drawings throughout the book that would make great stand-alone artwork.
This Uncorrected Proof was provided through NetGalley as an Advanced Reading copy in exchange for an honest review
December 4, 2020
What a disappointment. While this book does provide some neat tricks to keep wildlife from eating the garden, it also includes a couple things that have no place in a book on living in harmony with wildlife. Bird-netting and glue traps are indiscriminate and cruel. It is nearly impossible to extract an animal caught in either without injuring them, IF you find them before they die of exposure or predation. I was shocked to see these methods recommended in this book.
October 8, 2020
One of the only gardening books I’ve read cover to cover rather than sporadically referencing. The anecdotes about her sprawling estate garden flourishing in harmony with the deer etc seem far out of my grasp...but there were a lot of practical tips that seem like they will be useful. The real test will be seeing how we get along with the rabbits next year.
July 31, 2013
The layout is simple and effective with plenty of information in a clearly presented format. The book provides inspiration for a well planned garden without resorting to chemicals that would harm nature. Definitely a good book to have and to read over each year.
June 30, 2025
I'd given it a star rating but wasn't going to write a review -- until I read so many here and on Amazon that I feel a) made it clear that they hadn't truly read the whole thing and b) hadn't been fair to the author.
This book is not about how to grow vegetables, and I think the title makes that clear. Some apparently expected otherwise. However, there are many tips about how to deter wildlife from eating the food before you get a chance and ways to enlist help of wild things to grow healthier, better-tasting food.
It does not read like a memoir as several have said. She gives examples from her extensive property as ways to implement ideas she mentions, but that is not at all the same thing. My only quibble about the whole book is that she gives too many examples of things specific to Colorado, where she lives, but it's easy enough to apply the principles anywhere else.
She's got the credentials and experience to write a book about plants and gardening and apparently does so professionally, too, with a focus on herbs. She covered all aspects related to what helps in growing food yet not barricading or poisoning wildlife rather than enjoying their visits.
CONTENTS:
Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature
Encouraging Friends in the Underground
Garden Elements That Welcome Wildlife
Attracting Pollinators and Beneficial Predators
Creating Habitats for Wildlife
Smart Strategies for Peaceful Coexistence
Blocking Access to Unwelcome Guests
Designing Wildlife-Friendly Food Gardens
It's clearly written, comprehensive yet reasonably succinct, well-designed, and has artful illustrations. I've been gardening for decades and knew a lot of it yet learned things that I shared with friends. I was also a professional writer for nearly 20 years, but I could not have done any better even if I'd had the same expertise and experience as the author does.
It's a book worth reading and buying to keep for reference and would make a great gift, too.
This book is not about how to grow vegetables, and I think the title makes that clear. Some apparently expected otherwise. However, there are many tips about how to deter wildlife from eating the food before you get a chance and ways to enlist help of wild things to grow healthier, better-tasting food.
It does not read like a memoir as several have said. She gives examples from her extensive property as ways to implement ideas she mentions, but that is not at all the same thing. My only quibble about the whole book is that she gives too many examples of things specific to Colorado, where she lives, but it's easy enough to apply the principles anywhere else.
She's got the credentials and experience to write a book about plants and gardening and apparently does so professionally, too, with a focus on herbs. She covered all aspects related to what helps in growing food yet not barricading or poisoning wildlife rather than enjoying their visits.
CONTENTS:
Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature
Encouraging Friends in the Underground
Garden Elements That Welcome Wildlife
Attracting Pollinators and Beneficial Predators
Creating Habitats for Wildlife
Smart Strategies for Peaceful Coexistence
Blocking Access to Unwelcome Guests
Designing Wildlife-Friendly Food Gardens
It's clearly written, comprehensive yet reasonably succinct, well-designed, and has artful illustrations. I've been gardening for decades and knew a lot of it yet learned things that I shared with friends. I was also a professional writer for nearly 20 years, but I could not have done any better even if I'd had the same expertise and experience as the author does.
It's a book worth reading and buying to keep for reference and would make a great gift, too.
June 18, 2020
Recommended
Really enjoyed reading this book with its easy to understand text and charming illustrations. Its focus is more on wildlife and how to garden and choose plants without harming wildlife instead of what vegetables to grow and where to grow them. There are several garden plans that will guide you in choosing and arranging plants that are not your typical row crop arrangements. It also does not provide growing specifics for vegetables. If you are looking for such information, this book is not for you.
Really enjoyed reading this book with its easy to understand text and charming illustrations. Its focus is more on wildlife and how to garden and choose plants without harming wildlife instead of what vegetables to grow and where to grow them. There are several garden plans that will guide you in choosing and arranging plants that are not your typical row crop arrangements. It also does not provide growing specifics for vegetables. If you are looking for such information, this book is not for you.
August 4, 2025
I wanted to give this more stars, but it didn't give me the information I wanted. This felt like a blog post, and not a gardening guide. The illustrations were lovely. The last pages with garden designs were neat, and I would have enjoyed more of those practical pieces instead of personal stories about animals in their garden.
August 2, 2019
An excellent resource I’m sure to be referring to in the future as I continue to extend and edit my garden, which, from the beginning I planned to create with wildlife in mind.
I recommend this book to any gardener who is interested in gardening gently and effectively.
I recommend this book to any gardener who is interested in gardening gently and effectively.
January 13, 2021
Good treatment of how to be a little more critter friendly, less aggressive with chemical use by encouraging natural pest controls and have better yields through rotation and careful selection of varieties. Fun artwork.
May 5, 2024
This book is a good introduction to wildlife friendly gardening for people who are starting to get interested in it.
It has beautiful illustrations and plans to help with that first step to a wonderful adventure.
It has beautiful illustrations and plans to help with that first step to a wonderful adventure.
March 9, 2025
It’s not groundbreaking and the author lives in CO, which is a very different climate to the Southeast, but it describes excellent general principles for pest control and wildlife management. Art is absolutely stunning
May 4, 2019
This lovely little book was nice to sit down to peruse a few evenings after work. The author's anecdotes about wildlife in her garden were adorable, as were the illustrations.
September 5, 2019
More of an inspiration than a how-to manual, but (or rather therefore) very enjoyable.
March 3, 2020
Lots of great ideas and out of the box things to try in order to live peaceably with wildlife. I loved the watercolor illustrations, and the garden designs in the back we loads of fun to look at!
February 28, 2021
Fun read with beautiful illustrations and great info
August 3, 2021
I'm obsessed with the illustrations in this book--absolutely beautiful!
September 15, 2021
Pretty drawings. I wish there had been more focus on the importance of native land locally adapted plants.
March 9, 2022
Excellent book! The writing is lovely with we funny anecdotes and I made a ton of notes for starting our garden this spring.
December 23, 2024
I wish this one would’ve been more comprehensible and beneficial.
May 13, 2022
Finally(!) finished reading this book. Not great, but some good information
January 23, 2014
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener was a fun, easy read with many organic gardening tips and suggestions offering a variety of ways to live in harmony with the environment plus plenty of cute, whimsical illustrations. The author uses her years of gardening experience on her small farm, a certified wildlife and botanical sanctuary in Colorado, as a basis for the book.
The author begins by urging the gardener to observe and understand the wildlife that visit the garden, to rethink our relationship with nature. Not every bug is harmful, not every bird is destroying the crops. By observing we learn which are good and how to identify them. Those green caterpillars on your parsley? They won’t eat a lot and in a few weeks will be on their way to becoming the beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly. In my own garden I plant a few extra parsley plants especially for them and when I find a caterpillar, I move it to their plant.
Becoming wildlife-friendly is not something that will happen overnight. Following the approach in this book requires patience and time to watch, wait, and learn. Take ten minutes here and ten minutes there to see what is happening around you. The author recommends keeping a journal, observe your yard, take photos – it’s time well spent in learning about your own garden.
Many of the techniques mentioned in the book are probably already known to seasoned gardeners. I’ve been gardening for many years and yes, some of these have worked well for me, others were new ideas. Plant parsley around my lettuce to deter rabbits? They’ll eat the parsley instead? I’ll have to try it but if the bunnies bring their friends, the wire fence goes back up!
Although I wouldn’t call this a reference book or how-to manual, it does contain a few quick reference charts and garden design suggestions. The book reads like a conversation with the author as she takes you on a journey through her garden. She explains why pollinators – bees, wasps, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds, bats even the housefly – are so important. She warns us to plant perennials carefully and pick the right variety for our part of the country. Just because the big box store sells it doesn’t mean it’s right for your yard. Sadly I made that mistake – my apple tree has contracted fire blight; I bought the wrong variety for my area.
The wildlife-friendly method of gardening is an approach that I have used for years in my own yard and I recommend it for the patient gardener. There is plenty of inspiration and information here for everyone although new gardeners will likely benefit the most.
The author begins by urging the gardener to observe and understand the wildlife that visit the garden, to rethink our relationship with nature. Not every bug is harmful, not every bird is destroying the crops. By observing we learn which are good and how to identify them. Those green caterpillars on your parsley? They won’t eat a lot and in a few weeks will be on their way to becoming the beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly. In my own garden I plant a few extra parsley plants especially for them and when I find a caterpillar, I move it to their plant.
Becoming wildlife-friendly is not something that will happen overnight. Following the approach in this book requires patience and time to watch, wait, and learn. Take ten minutes here and ten minutes there to see what is happening around you. The author recommends keeping a journal, observe your yard, take photos – it’s time well spent in learning about your own garden.
Many of the techniques mentioned in the book are probably already known to seasoned gardeners. I’ve been gardening for many years and yes, some of these have worked well for me, others were new ideas. Plant parsley around my lettuce to deter rabbits? They’ll eat the parsley instead? I’ll have to try it but if the bunnies bring their friends, the wire fence goes back up!
Although I wouldn’t call this a reference book or how-to manual, it does contain a few quick reference charts and garden design suggestions. The book reads like a conversation with the author as she takes you on a journey through her garden. She explains why pollinators – bees, wasps, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds, bats even the housefly – are so important. She warns us to plant perennials carefully and pick the right variety for our part of the country. Just because the big box store sells it doesn’t mean it’s right for your yard. Sadly I made that mistake – my apple tree has contracted fire blight; I bought the wrong variety for my area.
The wildlife-friendly method of gardening is an approach that I have used for years in my own yard and I recommend it for the patient gardener. There is plenty of inspiration and information here for everyone although new gardeners will likely benefit the most.
February 19, 2017
Beautiful illustrations and a contagious love of nature made this a very pleasant read. Great for a novice gardener needing some guidance (aka me).
February 10, 2015
I've always loved having a flower garden, but a few years ago I started growing vegetables and was quickly hooked. The problem is that I'm not the only one attracted to the edibles and I soon saw them disappearing just as they were ready to pick. Between tree rats and caterpillars and who knows what else, my garden sometimes became more frustration than relaxation, so I've been searching for ways to eliminate the pests – preferably in a safe way. And if I can attract the "flying flowers" – birds and butterflies – to my yard, so much the better.
There's not a lot of new information in this book that can't be found elsewhere, although I'm going to try some ideas like planting parsley to give caterpillars a place to munch and mint to see if it deters rats. The book is written by someone who operates a sizeable organic farm in Colorado and has found friendly ways of living with large animals like deer, coyotes, bobcats, and even bears. The wilds of suburban Los Angeles where I live aren't quite that exciting, but raccoons, skunks, and squirrels can cause problems in the garden. She talks about attracting birds and pollinators, and sounds a hopeful note that insect infestations can be handled with minimal losses. Unfortunately, I didn't find much to help with my rat problem. If I have to rely on hawks, owls, foxes, and mint to keep them away I'll probably never harvest another green bean.
The book is a bit memoir-ish, but not annoyingly so. The illustrations are nice – very cutesy! – and will appeal to some on looks alone, but I frequently thought an actual picture might have been more useful. Honestly, it's a beautiful book – I just suspect it's more hopeful than helpful. Fortunately, I know my way around the produce section at the grocery store.
There's not a lot of new information in this book that can't be found elsewhere, although I'm going to try some ideas like planting parsley to give caterpillars a place to munch and mint to see if it deters rats. The book is written by someone who operates a sizeable organic farm in Colorado and has found friendly ways of living with large animals like deer, coyotes, bobcats, and even bears. The wilds of suburban Los Angeles where I live aren't quite that exciting, but raccoons, skunks, and squirrels can cause problems in the garden. She talks about attracting birds and pollinators, and sounds a hopeful note that insect infestations can be handled with minimal losses. Unfortunately, I didn't find much to help with my rat problem. If I have to rely on hawks, owls, foxes, and mint to keep them away I'll probably never harvest another green bean.
The book is a bit memoir-ish, but not annoyingly so. The illustrations are nice – very cutesy! – and will appeal to some on looks alone, but I frequently thought an actual picture might have been more useful. Honestly, it's a beautiful book – I just suspect it's more hopeful than helpful. Fortunately, I know my way around the produce section at the grocery store.
March 8, 2014
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature by Tammi Hartung is a book that can help nature lovers understand how to make their yard and garden friendly to the wildlife around them while still maintaining a vegetable crop of their own. Co-existence
between man, animals, and the insect world is the goal here, and the book offers some great suggestions for working with nature rather than trying to tame it and trying to force it to fit our vision.
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener works to foster understanding and supports working with the surrounding environment instead of continually fighting it. The goal here is to reap a larger harvest with much less stress and effort. Solutions begin with a hardy and healthy garden, creating beneficial relationships through smart planting, attracting helpful insects and pollinators, intentionally creating habitats for wildlife, and much more. My only issue with the book is that most of the idea and issue dealt with are aimed at individuals with large amounts of land. Even mentions of 'smaller' gardening spaces dealt with spaces much larger than what my suburban home offers, however I do know people just a quarter mile away that could make great use of the information. I enjoyed reading about the efforts to work with rather than against nature and despite my very small gardening spaces, there was some information that I fully intend to put to good use this spring.
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener is a wonderful resource to gardeners that have large plots of land and/or have issues with wildlife taking more than they would like of their harvest. Offered solutions are simple and mindful or the greater good and environment.
between man, animals, and the insect world is the goal here, and the book offers some great suggestions for working with nature rather than trying to tame it and trying to force it to fit our vision.
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener works to foster understanding and supports working with the surrounding environment instead of continually fighting it. The goal here is to reap a larger harvest with much less stress and effort. Solutions begin with a hardy and healthy garden, creating beneficial relationships through smart planting, attracting helpful insects and pollinators, intentionally creating habitats for wildlife, and much more. My only issue with the book is that most of the idea and issue dealt with are aimed at individuals with large amounts of land. Even mentions of 'smaller' gardening spaces dealt with spaces much larger than what my suburban home offers, however I do know people just a quarter mile away that could make great use of the information. I enjoyed reading about the efforts to work with rather than against nature and despite my very small gardening spaces, there was some information that I fully intend to put to good use this spring.
The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener is a wonderful resource to gardeners that have large plots of land and/or have issues with wildlife taking more than they would like of their harvest. Offered solutions are simple and mindful or the greater good and environment.
August 6, 2014
Rating: 4 of 5
I knew there had to be a way to garden WITH bugs, birds, rabbits, etc. WITHOUT going medieval on said wildlife OR losing one's sanity, and this book offered great ways to do just that.
What I loved most was Tammi's obvious love of nature, gardening and wildlife - it was contagious and inspirational. She definitely walks the walk! (There's nothing worse than reading a how-to or DIY book and realizing its author probably never actually implemented the techniques they're writing about.) The book featured gorgeous illustrations and informative call-out boxes, and I lost count of how many new ideas I bookmarked.
I also appreciated that, right in the beginning of the book, Tammi encourages readers to have FUN gardening and to abandon the notion of "perfection." So many times I've seen people advise the "right" way to garden, which triggers my ever attentive inner perfectionist, but I've quickly discovered the most fun is had diving in and experimenting with what works best in MY garden. When the inevitable happens and a plant or flower doesn't thrive (or even survive), I make note of what I did, adapt, and test out another way.
Highly recommended to all gardeners - vegetable and flowers - who want to stop the war on wildlife and start gardening in peace.
I knew there had to be a way to garden WITH bugs, birds, rabbits, etc. WITHOUT going medieval on said wildlife OR losing one's sanity, and this book offered great ways to do just that.
What I loved most was Tammi's obvious love of nature, gardening and wildlife - it was contagious and inspirational. She definitely walks the walk! (There's nothing worse than reading a how-to or DIY book and realizing its author probably never actually implemented the techniques they're writing about.) The book featured gorgeous illustrations and informative call-out boxes, and I lost count of how many new ideas I bookmarked.
I also appreciated that, right in the beginning of the book, Tammi encourages readers to have FUN gardening and to abandon the notion of "perfection." So many times I've seen people advise the "right" way to garden, which triggers my ever attentive inner perfectionist, but I've quickly discovered the most fun is had diving in and experimenting with what works best in MY garden. When the inevitable happens and a plant or flower doesn't thrive (or even survive), I make note of what I did, adapt, and test out another way.
Highly recommended to all gardeners - vegetable and flowers - who want to stop the war on wildlife and start gardening in peace.
January 22, 2014
I chose to buy this book partly for the lovely, charming illustrations. I've read several books on wildlife-friendly gardening, and was happily surprised to find lots of inspiration in this, yet another, one. I'm planning to plant a fruit-and-nuts hedge, a wall of distracting sunflowers by the veggies, some wild cherry and plum trees, perhaps a nice decoy mulberry tree by a new Montmorency cherry tree...the author's friendly tone and personal antecdotes really sparks some enthusiasm . Since the author and her husband grow flower seeds commercially, their gentle ideas for both encouraging and redirecting wildlife in their gardens has been well- tested.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews