Humane Gardener - by Nancy Lawson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"This gorgeously written, well-argued title will help backyard gardeners see all creatures, from insects to elk, as visitors to be welcomed rather than pests to be removed. . . . Highly recommended for gardeners at all levels in all regions." --Library Journal Starred Review

A philosophical and practical guide for the gardener who wants to create a backyard garden in harmony with nature.

An eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, The Humane Gardener "does the important work of speaking for the trees--and the bees, butterflies, and other living creatures that need healthy ecosystems" (BookPage). In these beautifully illustrated pages, master naturalist Nancy Lawson uses engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the United States, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists to demonstrate how and why to welcome wildlife to our backyards and how we can apply 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
• Encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden
• And much more.

A BOOK FOR GARDENS OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, AND BUDGETS: Everyone with a garden--whether it be a windowsill of fresh herbs, a container garden ablaze with wildflowers, a suburban yard filled with salad greens and cucumbers, or a large property with planting beds and fruiting trees--can benefit from the guidance in this book to successfully support the planet's plant, animal, and insect species.

INCLUDES A GETTING STARTED SECTION: Complete with general information, suggested further reading for specific regions, native plant information and regional databases, and native plant retail sources and suppliers.

WHO IS THE HUMANE GARDENER? The humane gardener practices compassionate landscaping. They attract wildlife and peacefully resolve conflicts with all the creatures that may inhabit their garden. They see the garden as a meeting place for all creatures, not a territory to be defended.

Review Quotes

"[W]e give Lawson a lot of credit for writing a very important book that everyone with a container gardener to a postage stamp yard to a large piece of property should read....Lawson's passionate plea to be humane includes practical and low cost solutions to enable us to cohabitate peacefully with wildlife in our yards." -The Plain Dealer

"Anyone with a yard, a balcony, or even a windowsill can help support the planet's plant and animal species. Even a tiny garden attracts wildlife and pollinators and peacefully resolves inter-ecosystem conflict....[The Humane Gardener] breaks down exactly how to select native species, optimally cohabitate with "pests," encourage natural processes and evolution in the garden, and provide habitats capable of sheltering butterflies, birds, bees, and baby animals." - sierraclub.com

"In The Humane Gardener, Lawson does the important work of speaking for the trees-and the bees, butterflies and other living creatures that need healthy ecosystems. It's telling that Lawson opts to use gendered pronouns when referencing animals: Her goal is to show us the wisdom of living in harmony with, and dissolving boundaries between, our habitations and the diverse wildlife that surrounds us....With luxe, matte pages and plentiful full-color photographs, this book is as much a beautiful object as a passionate and well-researched rallying cry." - BookPage

"The Humane Gardener defies casual note taking, because, along with its compelling argument for welcoming wildlife, it is packed to the gills with relevant facts and fascinating arguments....Humane gardeners are fortunate to have a spokeswoman as eloquent as Lawson."
- Wild Ones Journal

"The Humane Gardener is a dreamy book with ribs of steel. Evoking native plants by color and fragrance, as the author Nancy Lawson does, conveys a palpable sense of beauty. But when describing cruelty to wildlife, Lawson doesn't mince words....With her eloquent and engaging plea, Lawson makes the important case for compassionate treatment of the backyard wildlife with which we share our increasingly diminishing natural world." - The Blazing Star

"This gorgeously written, well-argued title will help backyard gardeners see all creatures, from insects to elk, as visitors to be welcomed rather than pests to be removed....Highly recommended for gardeners at all levels in all regions." - Library Journal starred review

"Each year opossums, often seen as nasty nuisances, helpfully ingest thousands of disease causing ticks. That's just on of the good-to-know facts in Nancy Lawson's book, The Humane Gardener, which reveals how you can make your private green patch a safe haven for all creatures." -O: The Oprah Magazine

"From Nancy Lawson, a columnist at the Humane Society's All Animals magazine, comes this important, insightful and beautifully produced book that sets out to explain why it's hard to call yourself a truly accomplished gardener without paying special mind to your plants and the beneficial creatures that help them grow. With chapters dedicated to topics like choosing the right native species for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, the main takeaway of this is: a garden teeming with, not devoid of, critters is ultimately a healthier and more harmonious one."
- Mother Nature Network

"Give Lawson a lot of credit for writing a very important book that everyone with a container gardener to a postage stamp yard to a large piece of property should read," says The Plain Dealer. "Lawson's passionate plea to be humane includes practical and low-cost solutions to enable us to cohabit peacefully with wildlife in our yards."
- Gardenista

"What in the world could be inhumane about gardening? Plenty, it turns out, thanks to this beautifully produced and incredibly important book by Nancy Lawson: The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. The Humane Gardener makes a persuasive case for rethinking conventional knowledge about what a garden or yard should look like and how we should care for it....I highly recommend this book to any and all gardeners. It might challenge your assumptions about what constitutes a "pest," but what is gardening without challenges."
- Eco-Lit Books

"With this guidebook in hand, learn how to landscape in harmony with nature - and how to attract and keep different, beneficial species in your outdoor spaces." - Fresno Bee

About the Author

Nancy Lawson is a habitat consultant, nationally known speaker, author of The Humane Gardener and Wildscape, and founder of Humane Gardener, LLC, where she pioneers creative, animal-friendly landscaping methods. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, she partners with Howard County Bee City and Audubon Society of Central Maryland and recently helped launch a community science project, Monarch Rx, based on scientific discoveries made in her own garden.