Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Eric Grissell (Author), Carll Goodpasture (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Professional entomologist and amateur gardener Eric Grissell suggests that it might be time to declare a truce with the insects in our lives. With a sound basis in science and a practical grounding in gardening experience, Grissell introduces the reader to the role of insects in garden ecology. His insightful account of insect biology is supported by gorgeous photographs, which reveal a captivating beauty and illustrate the vital interdependence between insects and plants. Now available in paperback, this book will be loved by anyone seeking a greater appreciation and understanding of these often-maligned garden visitors.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a thorough introduction to the biology and ecology of insects commonly found in North American gardens, as well as a guide to the principles of ecologically-sound gardening. Grissell, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, emphasizes that insects, as well as other invertebrates, play key roles in maintaining a garden's ecological balance; furthermore, he advocates that gardens be managed as balanced, biologically diverse "naturalistic" systems, since they are, for the gardener, more enjoyable and easier to maintain. The text is lengthy but engaging, and a very extensive list of additional readings is provided. The accompanying close-up of insects and other creatures and other photographs are beautifully composed and illustrate the text well. A good complement to other natural gardening books, such as Natural Gardening, edited by John K. Boring and others (Time-Life, 1996); highly recommended for all gardening collections. Brian Lym, City Coll. Lib. of San Francisco
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gardeners may love butterflies, but Grissell stresses a far more encompassing point of view--one that welcomes myriad insects into our cultivated spaces. With a captivating blend of humor and candor, this research entomologist describes in detail the insect orders residing in our gardens and their habits. Who would have guessed that female earwigs protect their eggs until they hatch? Next, Grissell looks at ecological aspects of gardening as he puts forth an erudite overview of the balance and interactions between plants and insects. Maintaining a delightfully readable style, Grissell concludes with an engagingly thought-provoking section devoted to relationships between insects and humans. Goodpasture's fine photographs befit Grissell's effervescent treatise; proposing a laissez-faire attitude that promises to have gardeners with an "us and them" mentality (and a dependence upon chemicals to kill insects) finding new ways of thinking about the tiny and essential critters found ambling about on leaves or creeping about the soil. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 345 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881925047
• ISBN-13: 978-0881925043
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,463,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stewardship of our gardens, June 15, 2002

By 

Janet Allen (Syracuse, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology (Hardcover)

I found the ideas in this book to be very exciting and the author to have a great sense of humor. I have a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, but I hadn't given enough thought to the role of insects in my garden. After reading this book, I am looking at my garden with new eyes. The author has provided some very good reasons for gardening the way I tend to do anyway - pack it with as many different plants as possible, leave it a little messy, and don't use pesticides. It's very nice to have this approach validated and especially to know why it seems to work! Now I just have to get an insect identification book ...

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Award winning book, May 14, 2002

By 

Susan McCoy (Kennett Square, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology (Hardcover)

Insects and Gardens is a double award winning book. It received two of the "Top 10" 2002 Garden Globe Awards presented by the Garden Writers Association of America -- one for Best Book and one for Best Writer, and comes highly recommend by the people who write about gardening. Author Eric Grissell, who is a research entomologist with the USDA, received Best Writing for his clear and concise look at the life of insects and how they "work" to our benefit in our gardens. Publisher Timber Press received the Best Book for an outstanding gardening book overall. Only five individuals and five companies were selected out of a field of more than 300 entries to receive a 2002 Garden Globe Award. The book was selected by a panel of garden communication experts - some Pulitzer Prize winners themselves -- who look for the best books, magazines, writers and photographers in the country. The book was evaluated on accuracy of information, ability to communicate, content, organization, style and originality. If you are interested in the relationships of insects to gardens, to each other and to humans, and how they benefit your garden, this is a must have in your library...

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for the serious gardener, October 5, 2003

By 

Y. Cunnington (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology (Hardcover)

Experienced gardeners are used to the idea that it's impossible (and not the least bit desirable) to have an insect-free garden. The main message of Eric Grissell's book is that a good garden teams with insect life, and that's how it should be.

This is decidedly not a book about how to deal with insect pests. In fact, the author urges us to stop thinking of insects only as enemies to be battled. "Plants and insects have interacted for hundreds of millions of years. Why should we gardeners feel compelled to change this situation in an hour or an afternoon?" he asks.

Grissell's aim is to show gardeners another way. Create a garden filled with variety, he urges. As you might guess, the ordinary yard with its swath of lawn, sprinkling of annuals, evergreen foundation shrubs and tree or two doesn't cut it when it comes to diversity. Instead, he suggests planting as many different plants as you can, and creating a variety of habitats; for example, adding water to the garden creates a new habitat that almost instantly attracts all sorts of life from frogs, toads to dragonflies and birds. If we gardeners achieve diversity, Grissell concludes, "We will have so many plants to think about that no plant will become sacred. And then we will be free of the garden and free to garden."