Garden Jungle: or Gardening to Save the Planet
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If you have a passion for gardens and for the wildlife that you find therein then this is the perfect book for you. In fact, I will guarantee that no matter how knowledgeable you think you are about what lives above and beneath the soil, you will discover much that you didn’t know before. Dave Goulson writes in an engaging and accessible way, with a determination to spread the word about how we can all have a positive influence on the environment.
Goulson devotes chapters to moths, bees, ants, earwigs and other creatures as well as discussing peat use, garden centres and invasive (or not?) plant and animal species. Goulson is based in Sussex University and much of his research material is focussed on British gardens, though the US gets put under the lens too. However, much would apply in Ireland too, such as the use of peat in composts and battles with Japanese Knotweed for instance.
Even if you are squeamish about creepy crawlies, the life cycles and the natural places of a myriad of small creatures in the grand scheme of things is fascinating. It also really brings home just how much damage we do to the ‘good’ insects with indiscriminate use of pesticides in horticulture and agriculture. For instance the earwig, given half a chance will eat up woolly aphids and a whole lot of other insect pests found in apple orchards. Earwigs also have an interesting sex life…
But it’s not just about insects; it’s about what we grow in our gardens and from where we buy it. We need to be growing pollinator friendly plants, bearing in mind that it’s not all about honey-bees. Gardeners also need to be more aware of how the plants they buy have been grown. Ideally we gardeners should be sowing more from seed, swapping plants and cuttings with fellow enthusiasts instead of buying stacks of bedding plants grown in heated poly tunnels with the use of pesticides and peat based composts.
But overall, this is an optimistic read, as Goulson writes that we can each make a difference with our actions. Small things do have an effect such as making your own compost to improve the condition of the soil and offer habitat and food to thousands of beneficial creatures. Bonus additions to the book include a recipe heading each chapter (though I’m not so sure about making a squirrel pie) and lists of suggested plants to benefit bees and birds. There’s also a handy list of further reading and resources, although again the organisations (such as The Earthworm Society) are UK based. A book you can borrow but, we think you will want to buy and keep!