Laura Erickson

This is a lovely book written by someone who clearly knows and loves birds. It's a trifle ambitious for an average urban or suburban gardener, but if you read it as something like an encyclopedia, you should be able to find many ideas to test in your own outdoor spaces.

The book begins with a section called "Creating Habitat" which touches on all sorts of interesting things. Various birds are shown in very nice photos with a discussion of what they like. We are told to avoid invasive species and to keep our cats indoors, Choosing and caring for a birdbath is important too.

The second section is a listing of the 100 plants. They are arranged by kind of plant - coniferous trees, broadleaf trees, grasses, herbaceous plants (which I would have divided into perennials and annuals), shrubs, vines, and a few others. The plants are not arranged by planting zone or climate, a choice that might be frustrating for beginning gardeners, but which simplifies the presentation, About 30 of the 100 plants are trees and another 22 are shrubs. This seems a high number when most of us don't have enough planting space and sun to consider trees or more shrubs, even if we plan to stay put long enough for them to grow. The remaining 50 or so entries include lichens, parasitic plants, cacti, and desert plants which can only be planted in limited areas. Overall, though, there are plenty of ideas here.

I think this is a beautiful book and one that will be of interest to gardeners and birders alike. I can see it as part of the libraries of garden clubs and birding clubs in addition to public libraries. I could imagine study groups forming around it. It might make a nice housewarming gift for someone who would not be intimidated by the preponderance of trees and shrubs on the list.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.… (mere)