Native plants have earned a new status in the garden as people have come to appreciate how easy they are to grow and how good they are for wildlife and the environment.
Charlotte Adelman and Bernard L. Schwartz make it easier to incorporate native plants in the landscape with their new book, The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants.
The book names common nonnative plants and suggests alternatives that are native to this part of the country and resemble those plants in height, ornamental features and cultivation requirements. The authors note the native plants’ benefits to specific wildlife.
The plants are divided by season, making it easier to plant a garden with long-term interest.
The Midwestern Native Garden is published by Ohio University Press and sells for $26.95 in softcover.
— Mary Beth Breckenridge
