[APWG] APWG Digest, Vol 63, Issue 4

Thu Dec 4 15:29:13 CST 2008

You likely didn't hear back from E. O. Wilson because he was the closing
keynote speaker at the USGBC Green Build Conference in Boston. Another book
that dismayed me was Tough Plants by Sharon Amos. There seems to be a sort
of back lash from the horticultural industry and even from the permaculture
folks. Maybe, the best route will be thru the everyday gardener. Bowman's
Hill Wildflower Preserve in PA has a PSI (Plant Stewardship Index) online
database going that everyman can use. As library sources head for the web,
more information can be accessed provided it is presented as 'balanced' or
scientific (ironic, heh?). Check out www.BHWP.org PSI organized by zip code.
Good luck to all, Kim Yousey 

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Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:02 PM
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Subject: APWG Digest, Vol 63, Issue 4

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Today's Topics:

   1. Who educates library journal reviewers about alien plants?
      (gg lilly)
   2. letter to Yankee Magazine re Norway Maple essay (gg lilly)
   3. Re: Who educates library journal reviewers about alien
      plants? (steveyoung at aol.com)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 22:43:02 -0500
From: "gg lilly" <pembrokes at ne.rr.com>
Subject: [APWG] Who educates library journal reviewers about alien
	plants?
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Message-ID: <8EC55D7D0A6B49ECB597EC3C0D4E43B3 at HP1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Hi,

          The book described below by Derek Fell was published in 2007 by
Firefly Books. Fell has written many gardening books and won awards for
garden design. The book, in my town?s library?s collection, recommends such
plants as Scottish broom and oriental bittersweet. Seven of the suggested
plants are prohibited in New Hampshire. I wrote a letter to the library that
explained how alien plants would ruin a garden and explained several of the
poor choices that Fell had included in the book. I received the thoughtful
answer below. I plan to take the librarian up on her kind offer to print out
the NH Invasive Species List and paste it in the front of the book.

          That list will help the gardeners who take out the book at my
library, but she mentions how this book is spreading over North America.
Since the Library Journal starred the book in a feature article, the book
has had immediate status for most NE libraries.

          Do different Alien Plant Working Groups have a member who talks to
and educates the gardening book reviewers in journals as Booklist, Library
Journal, and Kirkus?  Since libraries everywhere rely heavily on these
journals, giving these reviewers knowledge would be far reaching. If they
understood the problem, they would be less enthusiastic to endorse a book
that praises oriental bittersweet, Norway maples, and euonymus alatus.

          Have any people on this listserv worked with reviewers or
librarians regarding gardening and plant books?

          The librarian also says that the library would consider a title in
addition to the book Invasive Plants; a guide to the identification and the
impacts and control of common North American species, by S.R. Kaufman.

          What book or books would you recommend?

Thank you for your help.

Grace Lilly

Dear Grace -

Thank you for the information concerning the book The Encyclopedia of Hardy
Plants which we have in our collection. As you know, we do order books
primarily based on their receiving a good review in journals such as
Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus. This particular book was in a feature
article in Library Journal entitled "Regional Gardening North by Northeast"
and was one of their starred reviews, and it stated that "starred titles are
core purchases for most NE libraries." On that basis, we ordered this book,
as did (at last count) 19 other N.H. libraries and 536 other North American
libraries.

I checked some of the plants that are listed in the NH list of invasive
species and I did find some of them in Fell's book. Three of these plants
have only recently been added to NH's list, after the publication date of
this book. Also, some of the plants on the NH list are not on other state
lists, and he was writing for any cold place on earth, not just New England.

One thing we could do is to print out the NH invasive species list and paste
it in the front of the book. I believe we did that for another book a couple
of years ago.

We do try to include gardening books written just for NH too. We have, for
example, Integrated Landscaping: Following Nature?s Lead by the UNH
Cooperative Extension and also their The Best Plants for New Hampshire
Gardens and Landscapes. And I am ordering the book Invasive Plants; a guide
to the identification and the impacts and control of common North American
species, by S.R. Kaufman.

If you have a similar title that you would like to recommend for purchase,
we?d be happy to consider it.

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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 23:10:33 -0500
From: "gg lilly" <pembrokes at ne.rr.com>
Subject: [APWG] letter to Yankee Magazine re Norway Maple essay
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Message-ID: <EB813D7C04104EAB8CB4935847CC8DA9 at HP1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 Hi,

Last week I asked this group for help. I wanted to write a letter to Yankee
Magazine complaining about their choice of an essay for their Fall Edition
that extolled the joys of Norway maples and suggested that cities begin
planting them again. The Boston author admitted she knew how invasive the
plants were, but she really liked how drought tolerant they are and how long
lasting their autumn leaves are.

Although the Arnold Arboretum wasn't agreeable to saying that the Norway
maples they grow on their grounds hurt an ecosystem Contributors to this
listserv let me to much contrary information The Arboretum has a plant
policy for their collection that mentions invasives. Once again, I was in
touch with the Arboretum to find how they handle what must be many Norway
maple seedlings spreading over their grounds, but I received no answer to
that question.

>From your viewpoints, I also learned the many different issues that face
institutions who find themselves unwittingly growing alien plants and then
need to decide whether or not to be rid of them. The issue isn't as clear
cut as I had thought.

I even wrote a letter last week to the great scientist E.O. Wilson, the
Father of Biodiversity, and asked him to consider the effect of invasives at
his university. I haven't heard back yet.

I have decided to write the letter to Yankee next week. I'll send a copy for
you to read on this Listserv.

Once again, thank you for your time and help,

Grace Lilly

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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:47:37 -0500
From: steveyoung at aol.com
Subject: Re: [APWG] Who educates library journal reviewers about alien
	plants?
To: pembrokes at ne.rr.com, apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Message-ID: <8CB249295F55A63-C70-BEB at WEBMAIL-DC19.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

 I would certainly recommend Douglas Tallamy's book, Bringing Nature Home:
How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens. Cheers,?? Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: gg lilly <pembrokes at ne.rr.com>
To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Sent: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 10:43 pm
Subject: [APWG] Who educates library journal reviewers about alien plants?

Hi,

????????? The book described below by Derek Fell was
published in 2007 by Firefly Books. Fell has written many gardening books
and
won awards for garden design. The book, in my town?s library?s collection,
recommends such plants as Scottish broom and oriental bittersweet. Seven of
the
suggested plants are prohibited in New
  Hampshire. I wrote a letter to the library that
explained how alien plants would ruin a garden and explained several of the
poor choices that Fell had included in the book. I received the thoughtful
answer
below. I plan to take the librarian up on her kind offer to print out the NH
Invasive Species List and paste it in the front of the book.

????????? That list will help the gardeners who take out the
book at my library, but she mentions how this book is spreading over North
America. Since the Library Journal
starred the book in a feature article, the book has had immediate status for
most NE libraries.

????????? Do different=2
0Alien Plant Working Groups have a
member who talks to and educates the gardening book reviewers in journals as
Booklist,
Library Journal, and Kirkus?? Since libraries everywhere
rely heavily on these journals, giving these reviewers knowledge would be
far
reaching. If they understood the problem, they would be less enthusiastic to
endorse
a book that praises oriental bittersweet, Norway maples, and euonymus
alatus.

????????? Have any people on this listserv worked with
reviewers or librarians regarding gardening and plant books?

????????? The librarian also says that the
library would consider a title in addition to the book Invasive
Plants; a guide to the identification and the impacts and control of common
North American species, by S.R. Kaufman.

????????? What book or books would you recommend?

?

?

Thank you for your help.

?

Grace Lilly

?

?

Dear Grace -

?

Thank you for the information concerning the book The
Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants which we have in our collection. As you know,
we
do order books primarily based on their receiving a good review in journals
such
as Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus. This particular book was in a
feature
article in Library Journal entitled "Regional Gardening North by
Northeast" and was one of their starred reviews, and it stated that
"starred titles are core purch
ases for most NE libraries." On that
basis, we ordered this book, as did (at last count) 19 other N.H. libraries
and
536 other North American libraries.

?

I checked some of the plants that are listed in the NH
list of invasive species and I did find some of them in Fell's book. Three
of
these plants have only recently been added to NH's list, after the
publication
date of this book. Also, some of the plants on the NH list are not on other
state lists, and he was writing for any cold place on earth, not just New
England. 

?

One thing we could do is to print out the NH invasive
species list and paste it in the front of the book. I believe we did that
for
another book a couple of years ago.

?

We do try to include gardening books written just for
NH too. We have, for example, Integrated
Landscaping: Following Nature?s Lead by the UNH Cooperative
Extension and also their The Best Plants for
New Hampshire Gardens and Landscapes. And I am ordering the book Invasive
Plants; a guide to the identification and
the impacts and control of common North American species, by S.R.
Kaufman.

?

If you have a similar title that you would like to
recommend for purchase, we?d be happy to consider it.

?

_______________________________________________
PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconserva
tion.org=0
A
Disclaimer
Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the
opinion of 
the individual posting the message.

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