May 2023 MBR The Gardening Shelf

The Gardening Shelf

A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators
Lorraine Johnson & Sheila Colla, authors
Anne Sanderson, illustrator
Island Press
2000 M St NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781642832990, $32.00, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Gardeners-Native-Plants-Pollinators/dp/1642832995

Synopsis: Few sights are as charming as a hummingbird hovering over cardinal flowers in your backyard or a butterfly lighting on the black-eyed Susans potted on your balcony. Yet pollinators do more than beguile us: they are key to a healthy environment. With many pollinators threatened and their habitats disappearing, gardeners can make a real difference by planting native species that support these amazing creatures. The trick is knowing what species to plant and how to help them thrive.

If you're a gardener (or an aspiring gardener) in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, or Great Lakes region, this beautiful 4-color guide will become your go-to reference to the most beneficial plants in your area. It includes profiles of more than 300 native plants, featuring lovely illustrations and photos, information on blooming periods, exposure, soil moisture, and good plant companions, as well as how each species supports specific pollinators.

You'll learn more about common plants you thought you knew and be introduced to species you may have never encountered before. Blooming flowers, native grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, and plants for rain and pond gardens are all included. White Baneberry, Woodland Strawberry, Boneset, Virginia Mountain Mint, Smooth Aster, and many others may find their way from the pages of "A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators" to your soil.

Critique: Informatively illustrated on every page, "A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators" is an ideal and comprehensive compendium that is throughly 'gardener friendly' in organization and presentation. An essential horticultural and gardening reference for both novice and experienced gardeners alike, "A Northern Gardener's Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators" must be considered a core and essential addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Gardening/Horticulture reference and identification collections.

Editorial Note #1: Lorraine Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. Johnson is the author or editor of fourteen books, including 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for American Gardens in Temperate Zones and Grow Wild!

Editorial Note #2: Sheila Colla is a Conservation Scientist working to conserve wildlife including native pollinators. She is part of York University's Bee Research Organization BeeC, which aims to address pollinator health and sustainable agriculture from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Editorial Note #3: Ann Sanderson has an undergraduate degree in zoology and biology from the University of Toronto and attended the Science Illustration program at the University of California in Santa Cruz. She is now a freelance illustrator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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