Gardeners Manifesto

In this groundbreaking book, published in hardcover as Tending the Earth, popular gardening expert Lorraine Johnson looks at the way that gardens affect every aspect of our society-not only the natural world, but also the communities in which we live.

She visits a garden that filters stormwater en route to Lake Ontario, and considers the effects of different types of gardens on the quality of groundwater. She looks at the links between gardens and urban communities, and discusses controversial topics such as the backlash against pesticides and the "lawn outlaw" movement.

The Gardener's Manifesto also explores the personal motivations that people have for gardening. In her trademark down-to-earth and witty style, Johnson discusses ways in which gardeners can have a positive effect on the world around us: in the choices we make when watering, fertilizing and controlling pests, but also-and perhaps most importantly-in the ways the gardens we create can strengthen and nurture our neighbourhoods and communities.

Lorraine Johnson is the author of a number of books on gardening and environmental issues, including Grow Wild: Native Plant Gardening in Canada, Tending the Earth: A Gardening Manifesto, Balcony and Apartment Composting (co-authored with Mark Cullen), and Green Future: How to Make a World of Difference. She is also a contributor to Canadian Gardening magazine, Gardening Life, and This Magazine, and is a member of the board of directors of the North American Native Plant Society. She lives in Toronto.