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by Steven B. Carroll and Steven D. Salt
Hardcover, 328 pages, 91/4" x 61/4"
 A thriving organic garden rich in diversity and abundance is a wondrous thing. It speaks to us of harmony and balance, rather than struggle and control. The finest gardens I've seen, seem to be as much about what nature intended for that particular patch of earth as they are about any kind of plan "imposed" by the gardener, even though the simple act of gardening is by definition a deviation from nature. We all know that establishing a healthy, productive garden requires a certain amount of labor, but it is usually a labor of love belied by the beauty of the place and the robust health of the gardener(s). What is less easy to see in the well-kept beds of flowers, herbs and vegetables is the knowledge and innate understanding that underlies the seemingly effortless plans and systems of the gardener.
In Steven Caroll and Steven Salt's new book, this kind of deeper knowledge and understanding of the garden ecosystem is brought ever closer to the inquiring gardener in an astonishingly concise fashion. While this book won't answer all your gardening questions, it will inform you about which questions you should be asking, and where you should be directing your gardening efforts, not only in the context of your backyard ecosystem, but in that of the community and global ecologies as well. At the same time, this book is not a theoretical treatise by academics: it's full of useful information for every level of gardener and is written in a comfortable and accessible style. The authors are experienced gardeners who are very knowledgeable, insightful and able to articulate complex concepts in a clear fashion for the lay person.
 Salt and Carroll begin Ecology for Gardeners with a thorough look at "The Nature of Plants," a basic primer on plant biology, including a discussion of the parts of plants and how they function, mechanisms of growth and reproduction, as well as how plants are classified and named. Next they examine other potential inhabitants of the garden, from large mammals such as elephants or deer down to the tiniest of the tiny such as nematodes, actinomycetes, slime molds, and protozoans. Once they introduce all the characters that play a role in this intriguing garden drama, they set the stage of the garden environment, including sunlight, air, natural waters, soil, the complex flows of energy and the cycles of materials.
Having set the stage, the authors get down to the most fascinating part of the book, examining the intricate interplay between plants and all of these various elements. They start with the interactions of plants with natural forces such as heat, light, gravity, and even vibrations, electromagnetic radiation and magnetism. Next is the interaction of plants with mineral substances including water, oxygen, carbon, the macro- and micro-nutrients, and finally with other plants, as the authors delve into the topic of biodiversity. This discussion evolves into investigations into how plants compete with their own species and with others, as well as the roles of herbivores, predators, and parasites, and the delicate balance of all that can be achieved in an evolved system.
 The final chapter of Ecology for Gardeners "Gardening as Applied Ecology," places the garden in a wider context and reveals the conscious gardener as a steward of soil, water, and air. It is a treatise on managing garden organisms, plant nutrients, soil amendments, and energy, with a final word on holistic garden management. 174 brilliant color plates (including fascinating photo-micrographs), a comprehensive glossary, extensive indexing, and a short list of further reading, round out this gem of book that is sure to find an important place on the bookshelf of organic gardeners for years to come.
Reviewed by Scott Vlaun
Photographer and Editor of Seeds of Change
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