When I was a child, I marveled at the hundreds of fireflies that lit up our backyard every summer. Today I continue to be mesmerized by their lights on summer nights, but there are less of them, and they are at risk of extinction.
If you
want to make sure your children and grandchildren have the privilege to watch
these stars on earth there is a lot you can do. It costs no money, but it does require
common sense and empathy: leave the leaves on the ground. There are no
excuses to kill their babies. When people rake leaves to throw them away, they condemn
their babies to death. The use of leaf blowers also leaves a trail of
devastation, disrupting the habitats of bees, moths, butterflies, birds and
small mammals.
Everything is interconnected in multiple
ways. When we allow the leaves to stay on the ground--where they belong—they
get decomposed and provide crucial nutrition for the trees. The leaves on the
ground are also the natural shelter of various living beings that are a source
of food for the birds. Why would anybody choose to starve the birds or to
poison them? It takes common sense to leave them in peace. Again, it does not
cost money but it does require empathetic attitudes.
To support birds and the ecosystems in which
they thrive, it is also important to avoid spraying pesticides and herbicides. By
avoiding these toxic chemicals, you will also decrease the risk of making your
pets and your children sick with cancer, and you will ensure that birds have a
variety of safe food sources. Last, but not least, make choices that help to
address climate change because global warming is also killing fireflies.
Avoid light pollution. I wrote about light pollution here, so make sure you
read it and share it. Turn off outdoor lights. You will save money and save the
lives of fireflies and other living beings.
I appreciate how this book dispels myths and
falsehoods that mislead people and make them behave in cruel ways toward
wildlife. It provides practical ideas and suggestions to coexist in harmony with
wildlife while supporting the healthy growth of your garden and protecting the
quality of the water, air and soil. The book contains photos that enhance the reading experience. It makes a good gift for your loved ones...
Opossums
Opossums are
not aggressive. They have no way to fight back when challenged. All they do is
drool, hiss and sway. Yet they are one of the most abused mammals by human
beings. Opossums are intentionally run over, set on fire and doused in
insecticides.
Did you know
that opossums eat the annoying ticks that cause Lyme’s disease?
Opossums, skunks and many other misunderstood
animals can be beneficial in the garden. Irrespective of the fact that they are
beneficial, the humane thing to do is to let them live their lives and to
respect them. It is not my intention to be preachy here, but I think we should
state the obvious sometimes. Why do human beings think they have a right to be
cruel to others?
Compassionate
ways of deterring wildlife
Lavender
keeps deer from devouring carrots and beets. Anisse hyssop can protect tomatoes
from grazing mammals. Spraying cayenne pepper deters ants and squirrels.
Avoid the purchase of commercial repellents
that may be marked as “humane” but are obtained by abusing animals. For
example, predator urine sold as a natural way to scare off wild visitors is
collected from coyotes, foxes and other animals raised in wire cages on fur
farms. Avoid purchasing these products if you don’t want to be complicit in
this abuse.
The information in this
book encourages the reader to make decisions that are rewarding not only to
the gardeners but also to wildlife.
It also
shares the experiences and stories of different people who changed their ways of gardening to support nature around them. Manicured gardens are gardens of death. Learn
how you can change your garden into one of life, kindness and compassion.
Observations
and reflections
With the heatwave we’ve had to endure, the grass
in the backyards of people who wasted money on chemicals became yellow. Our grass, on the other hand, is still vibrant
due to its diversity. Diversity engenders resilience. The clover thrives and
helps to feed the bunnies. Clover helps to fertilize the soil in natural ways
without polluting the water, the air and the soil. What is not to like
about this? With the richness of our grass, the birds find an important source
of food: a variety of seeds and insects they do not find in the manicured gardens
of death. Furthermore, our grass looks healthier than the grass in backyards with
pesticides and herbicides.
The charm of
a humane garden
A garden can be an oasis of hope and empathy.
It may not be the solution to all the problems, but it can be part of the
solution; it may create a gentle path to a more compassionate world. It may become the home of species that are endangered... have you thought about that?
Conclusion
The Humane Gardener offers invaluable information,
suggestions and ideas to support the web of life around us. It reminds us that
we share the Earth with other living beings. On ethical terms this means
that our actions matter. We are accountable for our actions toward the living
beings around us. When we make choices that support the health of the
environment and other living beings, we are supporting our own health. What is
not to like about this? Every choice, action and vote can make a difference, so
educate yourself and others and let’s create a more compassionate world
together.
You can learn more about the author and the topic by checking this site.
If you enjoyed this post, you can also check
my writing on the following books:
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Ocean’s
Menagerie by Drew Harvell
Relevant
links:
The
importance of planting trees:
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/07/kids-plant-trees-change-neighborhoods/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/23/space-datacenters-bezos-blue-origin
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/24/trump-canada-wildfires-smoke-scientists
