Stalking the Wild Amaranth: Sustainable Gardening Guide for Endangered Plants | Eco-Friendly Home Gardening & Conservation Tips

I love this book. The author works for the wonderful Brooklyn Botanic Garden in NYC and if you haven't been--go. Ms Marinelli writes well, and I find her style pleasing. She is not preachy, but she does raise some hard questions. Unlike most writers warning us of our bad behaviour and it's affect on the future, she does not attempt to scare the reader, but rather she puts forth a reasonable discussion of the alternatives.Each of us must make some sacrifice for the greater good. And although that word has a negative connotation, until one gets the hang of delayed gratification one cannot realize the payoff is usually 5 times better than the result of immediate gratification.Think of the grassy lawn. Grassy lawns are not native to the U.S. They are bad, bad things. And although giving them up is hard to do, the alternative can be very pleasing. I have entirely replaced my grass lawn with ground covers and they look better most of the year than the grass ever did. Did you know there is a Creeping Thyme that looks like grass, grows in the hot hot sun, and needs no additional watering during the long hot summer. It looks fabulous next to a walk (especially white marble chips).The message of Ms. Marinelli's book is that there are alternaives ways of attaining gratification, and we will all be better off if we seek them.