Insects and gardens : in pursuit of a garden ecology / Eric Grissell ; with photographs by Carll Goodpasture.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grissell, Eric.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Beneficial insects.

Garden ecology.

Physical Description:

345 pages : color illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Portland, Or. : Timber Press, 2001.

Summary:

If the estimates of some scientists hold true, there may be as many as 29 million species of insects still to be discovered. An entomologist (who was also a gardener) once spent a year counting the larger, more common insect species in his suburban plot and reached nearly 1500. Although our society has declared war on insects, to the tune of about 1 billion pounds of pesticides applied in the United States in a recent year, insects are not likely to surrender. In fact, author Eric Grissell warns that the average gardener is likely to suffer from combat fatigue -- or worse -- if he or she becomes dependent on pesticides to keep a garden "healthy." In this intriguing book, professional entomologist and amateur gardener Grissell suggests that it might be time to declare a truce with the enemy. Gardeners may be surprised to discover the hidden wonders of the insect world when these creatures are welcomed into the garden.

With a sound basis in science and a practical grounding in gardening experience, Grissell seeks to introduce the reader to insect biology and the role of insects in garden ecology. He describes the various orders of insects the gardener is likely to encounter, and writes knowledgeably about how insects grow, feed, and reproduce. Unlike other books on insects for gardeners, this is not a handbook on how to recognize and eliminate "pests." Instead, Insects and Gardens casts a more appreciative eye on the doings of the class Insecta and seeks to find a middle ground in which both humankind and insectkind can share the garden to mutual benefit. No absolute purist, however, Grisell guiltily confesses to having broken down and used pesticides in desperation more than once. Gardeners will find here a companionable friend with high ideals rather than an unyielding taskmaster.

More than one hundred of Carll Goodpasture's remarkable color photographs reveal the captivating beauty and vital energy that insects bring to the garden, and illuminate the intricacies of interdependence that characterize a garden's ecology. Even the most "bug-hating" gardener cannot fail to be moved by a gulf-fritillary sipping nectar on a passion flower or a colorful scorpionfly camouflaged on a leaf.

Contents:

Part I. Lives of the Insects 17

Chapter 1. What Is (and Is Not) an Insect? 20

Chapter 2. Orders in the Garden 34

Chapter 3. Some Basics of Insect Development 71

Chapter 4. Survival 98

Part II. The Ecology of Gardening 117

Chapter 5. The Function of Insects in the Garden 122

Chapter 6. The Interactions between Insects and Plants 146

Chapter 7. The Interactions of Insects with Each Other 176

Chapter 8. Conceptions: A View to the Garden 200

Chapter 9. Diversity: The Basis of a Balanced Garden 215

Part III. Insects and Humans: The Gardener's Perspective 233

Chapter 10. Increasing Diversity in the Garden 236

Chapter 11. Inviting Insects into the Garden 262

Chapter 12. Fear and Loathing: A Gardener's Guide 283

Chapter 13. Appreciating Insects 301

Chapter 14. The Realistic Gardener 316.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-330) and index.

ISBN:

0881925047

OCLC:

45276614