The Master Gardener’s Bookshelf
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy
Review by Susan Hepler, Extension Master Gardener
Doug Tallamy’s latest two additions to his collection of lively writings are thoughtful explorations of how homeowners can support conservation efforts in their own yards.
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees (Timber Press, 2025) explores month by month what oak trees are up to throughout the seasons. He packs in very readable winter notes when we might think nothing much is going on, but we’d be wrong. He traces the lives of specific insects, animals, and birds within and on the oaks. His discussion of entire ecosystems of the oaks within forests both urban and wild reveals how several oaks together work to help growth. And his information is so absorbable and readable. Did you know bluejays are one of the best acorn spreaders of oaks far from the drop zone where squirrels usually function? In the back matter, he lists species of oaks that do well in particular zones and ecosystems, a helpful guide for anyone planting trees in a neighborhood, city, or forest.
Image use granted by Timber Press
Photo © Elaine Mills
Photo © Mary Free
Photo © Elaine Mills
Image use granted by Timber Press
How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard (Timber Press 2025) is essential Tallamy. The graphic organizer here is nine chapters, each featuring questions he has been asked in his numerous appearances and academic settings. Categories include biodiversity, invasive species, pests, restoration, home landscape, and some history. Since the questions offset the text, you can browse and explore the debate over native and non-native species, how to get started creating a yard with less grass, or hundreds of other topics. He mentions his organization Homegrown National Park (HNP), which many Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are participating in, and includes another 15 online resources.
While The Nature of Oaks seems specific to oaks, Tallamy works in so much information essential for understanding nature as a whole. How Can I Help? includes much of the same information but on a wider scope. He uses up-to-date research, articles, and references helpful if a reader wants to explore more.
Tallamy respects the educated reader with scientific knowledge, some research by his students at the University of Delaware, and most by scientists around the country. Pictures with information-bearing text draw the reader into the topic at hand rather than being merely decorative
All told, these titles are perfect resources for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the whys of planting natives, and they deserve a place in any library catering to gardeners. Which ought to be all libraries! Both books are available from the Arlington County and Alexandria public libraries.