WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY PLANTS: Make Your Garden a Haven for Beneficial Insects, Amphibians and Birds

Enthusiasm for attracting wildlife has influenced gardeners on both sides of the Atlantic with ecologically admirable results. Creeser, who lives in London and is active in organic efforts in Canada and the U.S., focuses on plants that attract helpful creatures in Britain and/or North America. Three succinct chapters give cursory but sound advice on "Creating a Haven for Wildlife," "How to Plant" and "Encouraging and Sustaining Wildlife." An alphabetical "Plant Directory" follows, listing desirable plants with general descriptions, recommended cultivars, preferred locations and suggestions for care. These are generally reliable, but there are problematic exceptions. The attractive color photographs, almost exclusively closeups of flowers in bloom, are seductive but uninformative. Readers learn what the flower looks like at its prime, but nothing of the habit of the plant. Cultural recommendations are inconsistent and often do not address local requirements. Esthetics are also at risk. Readers are exhorted to let spent flowers go to seed, leave the detritus from pruning on the ground for days and permit brush to pile up. This will encourage birds, amphibians and bugs, but probably won't make for an attractive landscape. For those who already embrace wildlife gardening, Creeser may have some useful tips. Newcomers, however, will find her guidance confusing at best. 180 color photos. (Oct.)