Book Review

Reviewed by Charlotte Hutchinson
UPdate Summer 2001


Noah's Garden
by Sara Stein
Houghton Mifflin Company, NY, 1993

For some years I've embraced the theory that an urbanly correct expanse of perfect lawn, whether chemically or organically maintained, is pretty darn boring. It is a wasted opportunity for discovery, experimentation and joy. I've been gradually making my small space into a habitat for birds, butterflies and other small critters. Noah's Garden is an inspiring and informative book. It chronicles a family's journey from maintaining a conventional yard with little alive other than grass, to facilitating a lively ecosystem. The book is devoid of photographs -- glossy, colour or otherwise. It only has a few sketches. But it contains a tremendous amount of information that will appeal to your soul and can help you turn your chunk of our earth into a very special spot.