The Landscaping Ideas of Jays: A Natural History of the Backyard Restoration Garden

About this book

Organized by season this lyrical yet practical guide to backyard restoration gardening celebrates the beauty the challenges and the rewards of growing California native plants at home. Judith Larner Lowry winner of the prestigious John Burroughs award here builds on themes from her best-selling Gardening with a Wild Heart which introduced restoration gardening as a new way of thinking about land and people. Drawing on her experiences in her own garden Lowry offers guidance on how to plan a garden with birds plants and insects in mind; how to shape it with trees and shrubs paths and trails ponds and other features; and how to cultivate maintain and harvest seeds and food from a diverse array of native annuals and perennials. Working in passionate collaboration with the scrub jays quail ants and deer who visit her garden and inspired by other gardeners including some of the women pioneers of native plant horticulture Lowry shares the delights of creating site-specific ever-changing gardens that can help us better understand our place in the natural world.