When it comes to understanding the vital relationships between native plants and the wildlife that depends on them, Doug Tallamy is the acclaimed expert. His passion for bringing nature home by exploring these interactions and how they affect animal diversity is tireless.
Gardeners have engaged in a long-term love affair with exotic and non-native plants. Their very presence, along with unchecked habitat loss from urban sprawl, is taking a significant but under-appreciated toll on important native species.
There is so much more to native plants than meets the eye. Although they aren’t marketed as widely, there is a world of spectacular native species waiting to be discovered by the curious gardener.
The hunt is worthwhile not only in aesthetics but for the critical habitat these plants provide to native wildlife. Oftentimes, native species provide a unique aspect of food or shelter which beneficial creatures can’t find anywhere else.
Building a landscape that is as biologically-balanced as it is beautiful doesn’t happen by accident. Doug and author of The Living Landscape, Rick Darke, show us new ways to select and layer plants to please more than just the eye. Gardening by these principles can reverse the alarming downward trend of our wildlife populations too.
Doug Tallamy shares valuable insight into how the plants we choose to add to our landscape impact all of our native wildlife and beneficial creatures.
In their own unique styles, Doug and Rich take on the topic of what we can and should do differently. Their insights will inspire you to bring more native nature home into your landscape and help you understand why that’s so important.
Additional Resources
The joe gardener Show: Episode 012-Beneficial Garden Insects – Bringing Nature Home with Doug Tallamy
The joe gardener Show: Episode 023-Attracting and Protecting Pollinators with Eric Mader
The joe gardener Show: Episode 071-Gardening for Wildlife: How-to Create an Inviting Habitat, with NWF’s David Mizijewski
The joe gardener Show: Episode 077-The Beauty and Importance of Native Plants: The Ethos of Mt. Cuba Center
Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in your Yard, by Doug Tallamy
Bringing Nature Home, by Doug Tallamy
The Living Landscape, by Rick Darke
List of Best Bets on what to plant
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Wildflower Center’s Native Plant database–an excellent resource on what to plant
Books and other product links are affiliate links.
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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Books and other product links are affiliate links.
