We Are the Ark: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature with Acts of Restorative Kindness

In this impassioned plea to restore native ecosystems, landscape designer Reynolds (The Garden Awakening) sets out to recruit green “warriors” to build ARKs, or “Acts of Restorative Kindness,” on their land. Reynolds sees monocultural lawns as “a symbol of disconnection from and suppression of our wild nature,” and suggests that many of the best-intentioned gardens are actually “green deserts” filled with nonnative plants that “monopolize the attention of pollinators” and “sever the food web.” Those looking to turn their gardens into ARKs should overcome “the shame of having a messy garden”; abstain from using fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides; cut back on concrete usage in lanscaping so as to “let the earth breathe as much as possible”; and plant native flora. Reynolds emphasizes the importance of having a variety of plants (seeds, trees, and weeds all play a role in a healthy ecosystem), and fostering “different layers of ecosystem maturity” (including short grass, long grass, and scrubs). New gardeners might have a hard time getting on board with ideas such as ditching all nonnative plants, but for those passionate about having their backyards be “part of the solution,” Reynolds’s message will ring loud and clear. Gardeners intrigued by rewilding practices will find this worth a look. (Oct.)