Insects and Gardens
by Eric Grissel (Timber Press, $29.95)
Entomologists are an
odd lot, let's face it. They often can't get past teaching the
reader Entomology 101, which is guaranteed to put even the most
devoted reader to sleep. Grissel is no exception, taking the reader
on a tour of the basic technical information. The author must
be forgiven, however, because midway through the book he gets
beyond the tedious details and puts it all into context:
"If we are to set things right in the garden,
to restore some semblance of ecological balance, then we had
best make an honest appraisal of how the garden works, who its
players are, what they are doing, and why they are doing it."
Part II and III of
Insects and Gardens begin the author's efforts explain what takes
place in nature and what takes place in the garden, and how to
integrate the two. Insects are a big part of this, of course.
Leaving no stone unturned,
Grissel covers the importance of diversity, how insects function
in the garden and their interactions with each other and plants.
He explains how to get beyond what seems to be the natural aversion
for insects, how to appreciate these sometimes irritating creatures,
how to invite insects into the garden and, most importantly, how
to be a realistic gardener.
In the process Grissel
isn't hesitant to take on trends and fads. Native-plant purists
are likely to squirm when he states that exotic plants are sometimes
more adapted to our gardens than natives, and as a result, less
problematic.
As further heresy,
he points out that butterflies, the darling of many gardeners
these days, aren't nearly as beneficial as other insects like
wasps. The author calls butterfly houses "utterly nonsense" and
a death trap for butterflies. In a study undertaken at Penn State
University, boxes placed along woodland trails where overwintering
butteries were commonly seen ended up attracting spiders, which
would undoubtedly love to invite a butterfly to dinner.
In another unpopular
stance, the author lumps biocontrols with chemicals, saying that
they both dangerously alter nature's balance. Grissel's approach
to pest-problems in his garden starts with "do no harm." Meanwhile,
he gathers information and, he admits, procrastinates. If the
problem doesn't resolve itself, he takes action that does the
least amount of garden-related harm, which sometimes involves
chemicals.
The arresting cover
shot of a gulf-fritillary sipping nectar from a passion flower
is just a sampling of the extraordinary photography found throughout
the book. More than 100 images by photographer Carll Goodpasture
work hand-in-hand with the text to share the beauty and energy
that insects bring to the garden. Goodpasture is a Norwegian-American
photographer who studied entomology at the University of California
and is exhibited internationally.
