Subject: Re: Great book: Noah's Garden (Sara Stein; ISBN 0-395-65373-8)

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1993 19:22:17 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>
[email-masked] (Hank Roberts) writes:
 
>
>This is a wonderful book, describing working on six acres (with
>much attention to what can be done even on the tiny urban backyard
>scale).   37 pages at the back of index, book list, and species lists.
>
>I just wanted to tell y'all it exists and urge it upon any librarians
>who may be reading these groups.
 
I was going to send a message about this book today myself.  I'm
just finishing it now and I think I'm converted!  Her arguments
for conserving and preserving our American ecological heritage
are so reasoned and convincing.  She basically posits that our
fascination with imported exotics and ornamentals, along with our
obsession with big, green lawns is destroying our environment.
I'd love to hear from those more knowledgeable about garden
ecology than I about this book and what Stein says.  I feel like
replanting the yard with native Illinois prairie grasses!
 
Leslie Troutman
VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU

---

From: [email-masked] (Bob Klebba)
Date: 24 Jun 93 22:42:01 GMT

> replanting the yard with native Illinois prairie grasses!

I can't say I'm more knowledgeable about garden ecology and I haven't read
Noah's Garden, but I have been planting natives on my property.  Two years
ago I started eliminating a half-acre of quack grass.  I have since seeded
with native grasses and forbs.  When I look at the "restoration" now, I see
a lot of thistle, sorrel and other weeds.  Of course when I look closer, I
see all the little plants that are going to be the foundation of the
restored prairie.

In any case, even with my transition weed patch, the diversity of small
animals that now frequent my property is amazing!  I see many more
dragonflies and birds than I use to.  It is clear to me that the damage
green lawns impose on the environment goes beyond the effects of the
chemicals we apply to the lawns. 

Bob Klebba
Nicolet Instrument Corp.
Madison, WI, USA USDA zone 4
"Submit to Barney"