"Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard" a new book on an old subject, offers general guidelines for what such a yard in the eastern half of the country should contain. The text explains the whys and wherefores of various landscape elements — trees, bushes, shrubs, vines, flowers, garden formats. The emphasis is on plants native to the reader's location. There are illustrations of plants being used by birds, inspiration for the gardener, perhaps. As is often the case in books covering a broad geographic area, the lists provided of plants and trees focus on a portion of the country, here the eastern half, including Minnesota. The book makes a strong case for natural plants. Very good color photos give us a look at how a finished yard might look with a well-chosen variety of plant species, from trees to ground cover. Included are plants offering shelter, nesting opportunities, and food for birds. Sharon Sorenson wrote the text, she and Charles Sorenson took the photos. From Stackpole Books, softcover, large format, paperback, $24.95. Online at stackpole books.
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jim williams
It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.
