Required Reading: The American Horticultural Society’s New Definitive Guide to Ecological Gardening

Since its founding in 1922, the American Horticultural Society (AHS) has published dozens of books, including deep-dive guides on single issues like propagation and starting seeds. The organization’s latest is Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening, a broad yet in-depth manual on ecological gardening practices. The book is part of many new efforts underway at AHS and the third in a new series focussed on sustainably minded gardening (AHS’s Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening and Essential Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening were published last winter). 

The new books’ timing coincides with both a wave of interest in organic and ecological gardening practices and a tsunami of less-than-reliable advice on the internet and social media. Matt Matthus, senior director of horticulture at AHS, says that the organization felt the need to offer a comprehensive guide that reflected the latest horticultural research. “Home gardeners really want more accurate information and less hacks,” he says. “We felt there needed to be a book that top-line addresses all of these ecological trends across the country.” And while it may be hard to believe, even as recently as five years ago most garden books weren’t talking about keystone species, fire-wise landscapes, and forever chemicals in fertilizers, just a few of the many topics covered in Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening. 

One thing that stands out flipping through the book is how many photos of birds, bees, butterflies, and even toads appear in its photos, a reflection of AHS encouraging gardeners to think of their gardens as a part of their local ecosystem. But this is a book for gardeners–not conservationists–so it’s not dogmatic about planting only straight-species native plants, nor does it shame gardeners for occasionally using pesticides. Rather, it offers advice for how to make better ecological choices while maintaining the aesthetics you prefer.

Essential Guide to Ecological Gardening is neither a garden design guide nor a dream book of garden tours (although we glimpse many attractive gardens in its pages): It’s a handbook and a reference book that gardeners can trust. Written by the staff of one of the oldest national gardening organizations in the United States and a team of professional consultants, its content was also reviewed by a horticultural advisory committee. 

This book will appeal to beginner gardeners, but there is much for advanced gardeners as well. Here are six tips that the Gardenista team took away from this helpful new guide:

Cut back halfway in fall.

By now many gardeners know that leaving old stems and leaves in place provides much-needed habitat for hibernating insects, but for gardeners accustomed to a neat and tidy cut back, this can feel messy. AHS proposes cutting plants back partially instead, writing, “Rather than cutting plants down to the ground, you can leave half to a third of the stem length in place, which provides plenty of habitat, but also gives a tidier appearance.” Come spring the fresh growth will also cover the old stems faster.

Look for the right label on fertilizers.

Native plants do not want to be fertilized, but AHS offers guidance for both vegetable gardeners and those who grow ornamentals. To ensure that you’re applying fertilizers and amendments without synthetic additives or processing, they say, look for the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) label, which indicates the products could be used in a certified-organic setting.

Use flowers as a “cue to care.”

Crisply edged beds and straight mown paths are excellent “cues to care,” but AHS offers another simple way to make a wild, native landscape more conventionally palatable: flowers. “Include flowering plants,” the authors write. “Even if it means putting some annuals in a container garden until your landscape perennials start blooming.”

Suppress weeds in winter.

Dense planting discourages weeds, but AHS points out that you need to keep the soil covered year round. “If your garden beds are packed full of plants in the summer, but bare in the winter when perennials are dormant, you might consider adding a low, evergreen ground cover layer or a winter annual cover crop to ensure the soil is always covered,” write the authors.

Skip commercial mycorrhizae.

It may be tempting to add mycorrhizae products to improve soil health, but AHS’s authors caution, “Research has shown that adding commercial mycorrhizae products is only really useful when you’re growing in sterile, soilless media, like the potting soil used to fill containers. In natural soil the beneficial soil organisms are already there; you just need to stop harming them and provide them with the organic matter they need to thrive.”

Plant little by little.

It’s easy for enthusiastic gardeners to bite off more than they can chew because new plantings are more work to keep weed-free than established ones. So, AHS suggests planting one small section at a time and paying attention to how much care it requires. If you feel on top of it, only then should you embark on another small area. 

See also:

• It’s Here! ‘Gardenista: The Low-Impact Garden’ Hits Bookshelves Today
• Required Reading: ‘Your Natural Garden’ by Kelly D. Norris
• Required Reading: 6 Ideas to Try From Landscape Designer Jo Thompson’s ‘The New Romantic Garden’