The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature

Hartung (Homegrown Herbs) issues a call for gardeners to work with varmints and critters rather than view them as hostile combatants and offers a delightful guide for how to undertake the challenge simply and organically. Highlighted by whimsical color illustrations by Holly Ward Bimbo and armed with horticultural knowledge and common sense, Hartung makes a case, for example, for embracing the presence of skunks: “We’ve learned that skunks are not as problematic as people often assume,” she writes confidently. With section titles within chapters that express sentiments such as “Welcome the Predators!” and “Plant a Surplus and Share Some,” the author describes making simple adjustments to the garden and homestead that work with natural habitat to encourage the development of proper habits in would-be predators. At the end of book she includes a helpful Reference Chart for Remedies, which is invaluable, particularly if, as Hartung notes, “your resident insect and animal predators aren’t controlling the pests [and] you need to intervene.” (Dec.)