Noticing by Richard Louv

NOTICING by Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods, Vitamin N and more) is subtitled “Intimate Encounters with the Natural World” and once again Louv, a journalist and nature advocate, offers insight regarding our relationship with wildlife and the environment. He includes over two dozen chapters, loosely grouped into categories like the Neuroscience of Noticing or the Art and Music of Nature or Our Human-Nature Spirit. NOTICING is full of gentle observations, it feels almost cleansing, and frequently prompts images of one’s own childhood. There are many comments about children as when Louv writes, “Being new to the world and closer to the ground, children notice such details and create stories about them, or they paint or draw them.” He shares perspective from others, too, (like a soon to be forest therapy guide or a PhD student in marine biology) and intersperses some of his own photos of animals and trees. Several final pages list Suggested Readings and numerous Notes are also included. Overall, there is a sense of curiosity and awe.

The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend

THE BOTANIST'S ASSISTANT by Peggy Townsend is a fun mystery in a university setting. The main character, Margaret Finch, is clearly neurodivergent so this is a bit reminiscent of The Maid or Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. Initially, Margaret is so regimented that it is difficult to develop empathy, but it is wonderful to watch her grow (adopting a cat) and develop a sense trust with other people. She finds Professor Deaver (her boss whom she idolizes) dead and then struggles to convince school authorities that he has been poisoned. Her snooping is sometimes comical, but often effective, and whenever she thinks she clearly has a suspect identified, something happens to change that calculus. Deftly presenting interesting facts about botany and poisonous plants, THE BOTANIST'S ASSISTANT is an entertaining read with plenty of twists and surprises. Library Journal gave it a starred review while Publishers Weekly said, “sweet enough to charm cozy fans.”  Enjoy!!

The Texas Native Plant Primer by DeLong-Amaya

THE TEXAS NATIVE PLANT PRIMER by Andrea DeLong-Amaya provides valuable information about “225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.” DeLong-Amaya, the Director of Horticulture who oversees the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s gardens and nursery programs, has decades of experience and offers numerous suggestions. The first part of her text defines native plants and discusses growing or using them. One comment which struck me was: “I'm thrilled to have a platform to highlight standard reliable garden workhorses, and with luck, pique some excitement for the lesser knowns of the bunch. Some of these currently allude the trade and I invite you to share your interests and requests with your local growers and garden retailers.” I wish local gardens, as helpful as they try to be, had more reference materials like this one. The photographs of plants and wildlife (including birds, mammals, and hummingbirds) are beautiful.  DeLong-Amaya includes a helpful map showing ten “Vegetational Areas of Texas.” What follows is a series of Plant Profiles with a photo, plus names, size, flowers, duration, light/soil/moisture requirements, habitat/ranges, and wildlife attractions. Those are divided into the following sections: Groundcovers and Turf, Perennials and Annuals, Grasses, Cacti and Other Succulents, Shrubs and Small Trees, Large Trees, and Vines. However, I wish there were more charts and that all of these profiles could be searchable (like the Native Plant Database). Imagine asking for a colorful, flowering, low maintenance plant which grows well in full sun on the Edwards Plateau, attracts pollinators, and tolerates cold. I have planted for the last two years, and did find a page on Silver Ponyfoot (love the name and appearance, but it struggles to winter over), but had to browse through almost all of the entries trying to find lantanas since the index was not provided in the preview. DeLong-Amaya could definitely strengthen this text by providing a sampling of suggested combinations for each of the vegetational areas – her readers would gladly browse the book to learn more and to personalize choices according to their situation. A bibliography is included.  

Grow Great Vegetables Illinois by Bevin Cohen

GROW GREAT VEGETABLES ILLINOIS by Bevin Cohen is one in a series of about 15 state-related books. Each author is local and a well-respected expert on plants and vegetables, etc. in the area. The books are well organized and easy to use. The first section, Get Started, offers a general introduction to gardening and garden planning with helpful information on topics like watering with rain. The next section, Get Planting, includes a chapter for each month with detailed checklists for these steps: plan; prepare and maintain; sow and plant; and harvest now.  The planting and harvesting charts are a wonderful visual aid with growing zone-specific date ranges. The third section, Edibles A to Z, offers a page or two of text about growing and harvesting each of 50 vegetables and includes names and descriptions of particular varieties. There also is an excellent Resources section with addresses and websites for seeds and plants, tools and supplies, and soil testing; plus, further reading suggestions, including cookbooks (!) is included. A detailed practical reference, GROW GREAT VEGETABLES ILLINOIS would also make a thoughtful gift.  

Planta Sapiens by Paco Calvo with Natalie Lawrence

With all of the focus lately on sentient beings, including AI and chatbots (see, for example, Grammarly’s recent announcement), it might not seem so strange to be looking at “The New Science of Plant Intelligence.” That is exactly what two academics, Paco Calvo (professor of philosophy of science at the Universidad de Murcia in Spain) and Natalie Lawrence (writer and illustrator with a PhD in the history of science) do in their new book, PLANTA SAPIENS. They begin by urging caution, saying, “whether you are deeply skeptical of the possibility that plants might have intelligence or are an enthusiastic believer in the supernatural wisdom of other lifeforms, we all need to broaden our minds carefully. … What you read here will be a challenge to anyone’s preconceptions.” Next, they describe the science in support of plant intelligence; they ask their readers to think deeply about plants, contemplating, for example, whether plant behaviors are merely genetically programmed reactions or actual engagement with their environment. Calvo and Lawrence praise thinking creatively and embracing trial and error – arguing repeatedly for open minds and “a new approach of cross-fertilisation between different specialisms [disciplines].” Although a bit long-winded in places, the authors pose numerous intriguing ideas and conclude by saying that studying plants may help humans “to better comprehend the nature of our own minds.” Notes and sources, plus a helpful index, comprise roughly twenty percent of this innovative text. PLANTA SAPIENS received a starred review from Publishers Weekly which described this work as a “mind-blowing debut.”