Bringing Nature Home, by Douglas W. Tallamy

Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy. This book changed my life. I can not say it enough. This  book  changed  my  life.

I was newly retired and looking for something to fill in the free time I thought I would have, (be careful what you ask for)... In the weekly Master Gardener email sent to my husband, there was mention of a composting class being offered through SOCWA and Lillian Dean. My husband, at that point, was the master gardener and with our type A personalities we did not need two master gardeners in this household. So I signed up and I went. . . make Gardener's Gold or compost. I had a lawn, I had flowers and with a little fertilizer and water, they were doing fine.  So I thought.... the class was life changing.

I have told Lillian, numerous times, her class filled all the holes in my wanna be gardener/environmentalist existence. I have lived in Oakland County all my life. I have lived in Independence Township for 44 of those years. I have been witnessing such a huge change of the landscape, I hardly recognize some areas.

Phragmites prevalent throughout the county and the state overtaking the wetlands, turning them into monocultures. I don't see butterflies as numerous as they used to be and I read about the alarming reduction rates of our birds and wildlife. I mentioned in an earlier posting how I used to pick bouquets of Hepatica, not around this house, would I be able to find enough, if any, to pick to fill a small vase.  Shame on us.... shame on us for letting this happen and turning the proverbial eye to look the other way.

The class reading list suggested the book,  Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy.  I bought it and started to read.... I couldn't put it down. Why is his message not front page news and gone viral on the Internet?  It makes me sad. No it makes me MAD. The world and the landscape and all the creatures and critters I grew up with are in trouble.... and we have no one to blame but ourselves. . . and we need to take a stand and start changing the way we look at our surroundings. I took full responsibility for myself.  I am trying to get the word out. I am planting natives to balance the non-natives in my yard and have started providing food, shelter and nurseries(host plants) for wildlife, birds and insects. . I have started a blog. I have joined Wild Ones North Oakland Chapter and other organizations, please refer to the reference tabs above, to expand my contacts and learning opportunities.

Traditional lawn and landscape

I hope more of us will start listening to people like Tallamy. Let us each look around and see how our own yards can make a difference. Go buy the book, you won't be able to put it down either. I will bet that when you are looking at your yard (and your neighbor's yard), you will look at it with different eyes.What is it sustaining, who is it feeding, housing?  Try looking at it through the eyes of the Monarch butterfly, or the grasshopper, the vocal Spring Peepers and the soaring Cooper's Hawk, who all make up this beautiful and diverse landscape.

I often give the book as a gift. It is changing others. One back yard at a time.... and that is the next book I will share with you that has made a huge difference in my garden choices.  Noah's Garden, Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards, by Sara Stein.

Go walk around your yard. See if you can find a butterfly, listen if there is a singing bird.... what are you sustaining in your yard? What is missing?