Published to rave reviews in 1993, Noah's Garden shows us how our landscape style of neat yards and gardens has devastated suburban ecology, wiping out entire communities of plants and animals by stripping bare their habitats and destroying their food supplies. When Stein realized what her intensive efforts at making a traditional garden had done, she set out to "ungarden." Her book interweaves an account of her efforts with an explanation of the ecology of gardens. Noah's Garden has become the bible of the new environmental gardening movement, and the author is one of its most popular spokespersons.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
What kind of grass is planted behind your house? What insects burrow in your soil, and what birds eat them? What's happening in that compost pile you're so proud of? This book may well change the view from your patio. A former old-style suburban gardener, Sara Stein writes convincingly of the ecological history of suburbia and the necessity of good stewardship of the land stolen from prairies and forests to make our back yards.
From Publishers Weekly
Suburban development has wrought habitat destruction on a large scale, notes the author; our tidy lawns and gardens have wiped out numerous plants and animals, including predators that keep pests in check. Science writer Stein ( My Weeds ) calls our attention to the critical role yards play in supporting biodiversity. She describes how she rebuilt her garden in Westchester County, N.Y., using native plants to create pocket woodlands, berried hedgerows and a meadow. Stein gives a fine explanation of the difference between cool-weather lawn grasses and the hot-weather varieties. She disdains the popular "Meadow-in-a-can," reporting that making a real meadow requires approximately three years, and discusses the need to attract the declining frog, toad and turtle populations. This is a valuable book. Illustrations. Author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 54 people found the following review helpful
By merrymousies
Format:Paperback
This book actually changed my WHOLE outlook and approach to gardening. I've never had a garden book change me like this. Its just so incredible. I ate up every chapter and couldn't put it down and when I was done I went out into the garden and got my hands dirty like never before. This author completely breaks through the mysteries of gardening and basically shows us how we need to simply plant with nature (i.e. planting native plants, planting them where they will thrive) versus fighting against nature. She also wakes you up to the horrible ways that we are poisoning the early in this fight against nature by using pesticides and not realizing thhe impact. Oh its just such an incredible book. It more subtle than I'm making it sound and its not preachy at all. It just woke me up in such a way that I can't express enough how incredible this book is. And by the way, by following the ideas expressed in the book we've got some fantastic gardens growing where birds and bees and butterflies all come to vist. Its a wildloife adventure right in our back yard. I've given this book as a gift to friends and relatives and they agreed with how incredible it is. Her second book is ok, not as good as this one but still good
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I wanted to learn some answers to some basic ecological questions of the "where did they go" and "how can I get them back" variety. This book answers those questions and more. What really surprised me was the emotions this book invokes. I laughed and I cried, sometimes on the same page. I think this is probably the best book I have read in several years, on any subject.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For "challenged" gardeners such as myself, what a relief it is to read that such chores as double digging can actually be harmful by creating conditions even more inviting to invasive weeds and pests. In addition to being a great inspiration for changing one's approach to that of "ungardening," Noah's Garden presents an environmentally based manifesto against suburban sprawl and the cookie cutter tract developments it has engendered. Sarah Stein presents many creative thoughts for encouraging the return of wildlife in the suburbs. Some ideas can be carried out individually on one's own property, but when one starts to look at ecologically impoverished neighborhood environments the way Sarah Stein does, it seems reasonable to start applying her principles to larger areas. Stein suggests, for instance, that the small wilderness of trees and shrubs an enlightened homeowner can set aside in a back corner can be joined with other small thickets created by like-minded abutting property owners to form a small suburban forest. The material presented here has as much value for the local planning board or environmental commission as it does for the individual gardener. Sarah Stein, like Noah, is warning of the impending loss of all signs of life in our own communities if we don't amend our ways. I for one will be building my ark!
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
It is rare that a book actually makes a change in your life but Noah's Garden did for me. Years ago my husband and I tried to explain to a landscape architect the natural effect we wanted. He did a pretty good job but suggested all sorts of exotic plants. If we had only had Sara Stein's book then! It is full of lower care native and natural planting tips and information. For those of you who find the sameness and sterility of suburban landscaping unattractive, Sara Stein has paradise waiting for you in this book. Do you wonder why you no longer have fireflys? Find out why and how to right this in Noah's Garden. A great, great book
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By "abujifan"
Format:Paperback
Noah's Garden is a lovely, gentle book that all home gardeners should read. I thought our over grown garden was an eyesore until I read this book. We now not only leave the "weeds" that grow next to our creek, we also do not mow the big patch of clover in the middle of our lawn. This is for the butterflies and bumble bees. Thank you Sara for a wonderful book.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
We are so disconnected from the natural world, we can't see the damage we are (maybe) permanently doing to our own backyards and other common areas. Sara Stein examines our disconnected state, and proposes some ways to reconnect and salvage our place in the natural world. This book is a breath of hope- read it and restore your own Eden!
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is that it is the story of one woman and her husband's journey toward unlandscaping and restoring their property. It chronicles their process of doing it but at least as much as the journey toward gathering the information, an ongoing effort. That can be the most difficult thing. It's really interesting and instructive to hear about their journey.
I read this book cover to cover in a few days. I found it truly rivoting. I read a lot of native plant related books and even research about plant allies and plant communities. I had even been planning to my shady backyard with more understory woodland plantings. So of course this book was right up my alley.
But what really impressed me and inspired me most about this book is her non-technical yet very instructional discussions of the interdependence of plants and animals on each other throughout the year for food habitat and precreation. This illustrates well how utterly crucial it is to have plant communities be as full abd widespread as possible. I plan to buy this book for several clients and friends.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Encouraging Book!
Author takes us through her own process of transformating both her yard & her personal awareness. If we all did a little something, the world would be a better place for future... Read more
Published 27 days ago by cj
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is for every gardener!
This is one of the best books I have ever read, about gardening or any other topic. It really changed the way I look at my garden, the world, and the ecology of plants. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Deb Lily
3.0 out of 5 stars
Showing its age...
While this book charmed many when if first came out. The current generation of suburbanites getting in touch with their place really leaves many older generation books in the dust. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jeff Schulte
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for anyone interested in a more environmental approach to...
As a lifelong gardener who has studied landscape architecture & read extensively on environmental gardening I believed I knew a lot about the subject. I was wrong. Read more
Published on May 19, 2011 by Karen Loughrey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Re-thinking the Suburban Landscape
I read this book recently, and much of what the author had written mirrored my own experience with what I call, non-garden gardening. Read more
Published on January 19, 2011 by Obi
5.0 out of 5 stars
eco gardening
I read this book many years ago and it left an indelibel mark on my gardening brain! When my youngest daughter herself became an avid gardener, I decided she really needed to have... Read more
Published on September 25, 2010 by bag
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of the genre
I've now read this work six times. Every few years I gain new inspiration from Sara's words, and my outlook on planting natives is always renewed with each read. Read more
Published on July 6, 2010 by J. Walsh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
I learned so much from this book. It sounds crazy to say this about a book about plants, but I almost couldn't put it down. Read more
Published on April 11, 2009 by E. Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars
required reading for every suburban homeowner
The author and her husband moved into a property that most realtors would describe as "having enormous potential for inprovement" and proceded to 'improve" it, clearing brush,... Read more
Published on February 16, 2009 by Joanna L. Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars
well written look at our impact on ecosystems
Stein is an excellent science writer who makes the major concepts of ecology come alive in this work. Read more
Published on October 8, 2008 by Redleaf Books
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 11
books:
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16
books
cite this book:
See all 16 books citing this book
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson on page 99, and page 253
- Gardening By Mail: A Source Book, Fifth Edition by Barbara J. Barton on page 223, and Back Matter
- A Gentle Plea for Chaos: Reflections from an English Garden by Mirabel Osler on page 18, and page 238
- The New York Botanical Garden by Gregory Long on page 160
- My Weeds: A Gardener's Botany by Sara B. Stein in Front Matter
See all 11 books this book cites
- Native Plants in the Coastal Garden: A Guide for Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest by April Pettinger on 6 pages
- Happiness and Education by Nel Noddings in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Insects and Gardens: In Pursuit of a Garden Ecology by Eric Grissell on page 213, and Back Matter
- The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from The Union of Concerned Scientists by Michael Brower in Back Matter
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference by Janet Marinelli on page 231
See all 16 books citing this book
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