“What if we could learn to see the world from the perspective of other species, both plant and animal, and understand that they, too, deserve the chance to make a life here?” To answer that question I posed in my book, The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, I profiled six compassionate, pioneering gardeners across North America. My online series, “Humane Gardening Heroes,” continues to highlight inspiring advocates for our wild friends:
Indiana Humane Gardener Sharon Patterson
The ducks have eaten the water lilies. The chickens have eaten the vegetables. Raccoons and hawks occasionally try to eat the chickens. And dogs help keep them all in line in this garden oasis for domestic and wild animals alike. Learn the recipe for peaceful coexistence in Humane Gardening Hero Sharon Patterson’s urban farm.
Minnesota Humane Gardener Lisa Taft
She loves plants. She loves the animals who eat them. In this first dispatch of Humane Gardening Heroes, learn how tree frogs, butterflies, deer and many other animals thrive in Humane Gardening Hero Lisa Taft’s lush backyard.
Ohio Humane Gardener Paige Nugent
Conversion to a wildlife-friendly yard doesn’t have to be pricey. One seed at a time, this once-barren Ohio property has come back to life—for wildlife and pet chickens alike—in the nurturing hands of Humane Gardening Hero Paige Nugent.
Texas Humane Gardener Tait Moring
A fox family takes shelter under the deck while snakes slither in the stone wall. From the much-maligned mesquite trees to the misunderstood rock squirrels,  Humane Gardening Hero Tait Moring welcomes them all.
Virginia Humane Gardener Toni Genberg
A visit to this suburban property feels like returning to a land time forgot, a place where salamanders, hummingbirds, chipmunks, caterpillars, and deer thrive in their long-lost home, a quarter-acre space transformed by Humane Gardening Hero Toni Genberg.
Washington Humane Gardener Kelly Brenner
Why weed when there are spiders to be rescued and beetles to be photographed? Anna’s hummingbirds may be regular visitors, but it’s often the tiniest creatures who capture the imagination of Humane Gardening Hero Kelly Brenner.
The Original Humane Gardeners
Learn more about these humane gardening pioneers in my book, The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife:
Dennis Mudd of California, who traded palm trees and expansive lawns for a native plant garden of extraordinary beauty;
Loret Setters of Florida, who put down the power tools and let nature take over in the diverse wetland outside her mobile home;
Charlotte Adelman of Illinois, who created an urban backyard woodland and community prairie;
Jennifer Howard of Ontario, who rescues wildlife injured and orphaned by ever-encroaching developÂment;
Tammi Hartung of Colorado, who grows food for her family while also sharing the bounty with her wild friends; and
Eileen Stark of Oregon, who honors the dead and dying, leaving fallen leaves and logs to provide rich habitat.
Know a Humane Gardener? Tell Me About It!
Do you know someone who exemplifies the philosophies of humane gardening? Someone who has the courage to face long-held fears about misunderstood plants and animals, challenge cultural aesthetic standards, and view the world from the perspective of other beings? Please tell me about it here.