(7/17) Does your property impact nature in a good way? When you plant, do you consider whether you are doing your part to help preserve our natural resources?
Sixty some years ago, Rachael Carson, in her book, The Silent Spring, tried to warn us that the way we were treating nature was leading us to disaster. We were stripping our land of its native plants, covering much of the soil with concrete, and killing every insect in sight. In general, her warnings fell on deaf ears.
In the years since, several others have tried to carry on her work, and today Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor of AG and Natural Resources in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, has taken up the crusade to try to improve the way we garden, and finally, we are starting to listen.
In his newest book, Nature's best Hope, Dr. Tallamy points out that natural habitats have been virtually eliminated by humans in the name of progress, and the only way left to save our native insects and pollinators is to incorporate the plants they need in our home landscapes. For the most part, that means native plants.
Here’s another way to say it: "If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos, I doubt that the human species could last more than a few months." (E.O. Wilson c. 1987).
Today, other researchers are joining the chorus to tell us that the key to preserving our natural world is in our own backyards. Slowly, we are moving away from the traditional trophy lawns and adding something more ecologically valuable.
We need to learn a little about the world of organics, stop using general pesticides (and Bug Zappers) and begin planting native plants that will support our very important pollinators. In other words, we are beginning to see an "Attitude Adjustment" in what makes for a beautiful property.
Pollinators, insects that range from beautiful butterflies to nearly invisible micro-organisms, are responsible for supporting more than 2/3 of the world’s food supply; hence, Sir Wilson’s warning that we can’t exist without them.
Unfortunately, most people don’t understand that garden pests are rarely native insects. The pests have arrived here, usually by accident, from another continent. Our native insects and birds are our best chances to keep the undesirables in check. The major problem is that a huge percentage of beneficials have been destroyed by severe destruction of habitat, disease, and insecticides. This is why we, the home gardeners, have such important roles to fill in helping to save them by offering plant diversity in our backyards.
Diversity in the garden simply means having a wide variety of plant species. Different plant species attract different beneficial insects and pollinators. The more beneficial insects there are, the fewer destructive pests there will be. My personal experience substantiates this theory. I have not used any chemicals on our entire property for many years, and I have a large diversity of plants in my gardens. My insect pest and disease problems are slim to none.
