By Anne Milligan and Stephen Brown

Reviewed by Susan Harkins

When asked how to design a new garden, my favorite response is: Keep your camera with you everywhere you go. When you see something you like, take a picture of it. Later, match the looks you love to your property while considering sun, water, soil, and grading. It’s the best advice I can give because someone with no idea what to do needs a bit of inspiration before they can start buying plants.

If you’re thinking of restoring your property to nature—using native plants—and you need encouragement or inspiration, then Let the Earth Breathe should be one of your first resources. It will complement your stack of pictures because you’re following the authors on their journey while you start your own. This isn’t your ordinary gardening book with lots of information on culture, botany, and so on. The book does include a lot of information about the native plants they chose, but plant culture isn’t the focus of this book. Instead, this book chronicles one family’s journey back to nature.

The book starts with an introduction to the importance of using native plants and why you should avoid invasives. The rest of the book shares the route they took to return their new property to nature using native trees, shrubbery, and wildflowers. Throughout the book, you’ll see patches of gorgeous plants and some hardscapes. In fact, this book has inspired me to assess my yard for hardscape and that intention quality that appeases neighbors. Every fall and winter, I plan better paths but somehow that just hasn’t happened. After working my way through Let the Earth Breathe, I’ve decided that this is the year!

Their journey begins in 2010 when they put in a rain garden filled with native plants that love moist soils. Their reason for the rain garden was to help retain runoff. The book ends in 2016, but trust me, their journey has just started.

You gain the benefit of their decisions and as you turn each page, you get the joy of viewing beautiful swatches of their rebounding yard. So, back to what I said at the beginning—this book will inspire and encourage you. I know that I said, “Ooooo, I want to do that…” every time I turned a page.

Read how the authors did it knowing that you can do it too.  

You can purchase this book by visiting lettheearthbreathe.org.

Anne Milligan is a former Clinical Social Worker, an artist, singer/musician, and landscape designer. She and her husband, author and historian Stephen A. Brown, live in Southeast Jefferson County. Their Kentucky native plants sanctuary has been featured in The Louisville Courier-Journal and the Louisville Magazine.

Susan Harkins is the Managing Editor of The Lady Slipper. In real life, she is a technical journalist with 35 years in the IT industry, but her passion is native plants. A long-time member of the Capital Area Extension Master Gardener Association, she enjoys using her publishing skills to share her love of Kentucky’s native flora and fauna.

By John M. Gillett and Norman L. Taylor, Michael Collins (Editor)

Reviewed by Jonathan O.C. Kubesch, University of Tennessee—Knoxville

Author’s Note: True clovers (Trifolium spp.) are the focus of this article. All scientific names abbreviate Trifolium to T.

The World of Clovers, by John M. Gillett and Norman L. Taylor (2001), is a fantastic primer on the global diversity of the genus Trifolium. Conceived in concert with a world seed collecting effort, Gillett and Taylor work to describe the many known species of this familiar genus. The global distribution of the genus is discussed and the book highlights origins for these species. Native clover species form intriguing distributions. This book covers details in morphological diversity beyond the traditional field guide using photographs. Notes cover the trivial and surprisingly nuanced characteristics of each species. In the 20 years following publication, some new information has developed about these species in the genus Trifolium. However, the book is a strong introduction for the botanist to explore a wider world of clovers.

This book is especially relevant to Kentucky botanists. Norman L. Taylor sought to collect every known species of clover and seed bank them in Lexington, KY. This work led to a framing of the genus (~230 species) with ever-expanding global coverage. Clovers are native to North and South America, Africa, Europe, and the Near East. Surprisingly, clovers are not native to Australia! The Great Plains and Coastal Plain have few native clovers, but the woodland-grassland mosaic of the Southeastern United States supports a handful of native species, such as the running buffalo (T. stoloniferum), Carolina (T. carolinianum), and running glade clovers (T. calcaricum) in addition to the introduced Eurasian species, such as red (T. pratense) and white clovers (T. repens).

The World of Clovers appeals across disciplines and levels. Gillett and Taylor seek to make the diagnostic information as accessible as possible, using common language to avoid a technical glossary. The description and photograph accompanying each species’ seed suits the conservation mission. The black-and-white images on the pages are complemented by an enclosed CD. Moving beyond the traditional field guide or agronomic factsheet, the book gives reproductive biology information. This reproduction section of each species entry suits efforts to propagate plants in cultivation or to encourage success in the wild. The number of cross-pollinated species draws additional attention to the plight of pollinators.

Clovers have served primarily as forages for wildlife and livestock. However, the horticultural benefits of these species also come to mind. The authors mention Kura clover and buffalo clover as two prominent candidates for their ornamental beauty. Of buffalo clover, as an extension of Norman Taylor’s personal fondness, Clovers says, “Many consider this species the most beautiful of the clovers….” In addition to the technical details, these small comments offer some humanity to the often impersonal business of plant sciences. New finds in the taxonomy of the clovers have led to the identification of a new species, Kentucky clover (T. kentuckiense), which is closely related to buffalo clover (T. reflexum)(Chapel and Vincent, 2013).

In 20 years of scientific and economic advancement the world of clovers has changed. Taylor passed in 2010, and his collection was split between Washington State and Georgia USDA seedbanks. Similarly, the use of clovers in agricultural settings has expanded to develop living mulch and perennial ground cover systems. Clovers will hopefully reduce the use of synthetic inputs in agricultural to the benefit of adjacent natural ecosystems.

Dr. Michael Vincent’s 2001 summary of Kentucky’s Trifolium, complements the World of Clovers in further detail on the 11 (now 12 due to the subsequent discovery of T. kentuckiense) species seen in Kentucky (Vincent, 2001). Clovers are part of the historical herbivory and current cropping of the state. This book is a limited description at the species level which the ecologist may apply in conjunction with similar guides on the KY flora.

The World of Clovers is useful to professional and citizen scientists because it encompasses the diversity of the genus. This book goes beyond the traditional field guide, but also comes in an accessible form for the everyday user. Clovers exist under cultivation as well as in Kentucky’s natural areas. The genus Trifolium has grown in a small degree in the time since publication, but the book offers wider coverage that serves both the hiker and horticulturalist.

Acknowledgements

Norman Taylor deserves special mention to his dedication in preserving the native clovers of Kentucky. This article is part of the ongoing efforts of the Kentucky Clover Recovery Team. Will Overbeck provided helpful suggestions and strong editorial contributions. Special thanks to David Barker, Daniel Boone, and Ken Quesenberry for recommending this book. Thanks to Sarah Grace Holland, for her supporting my native clover research.

References

Chapel, K. J., & Vincent, M. A. (2013). Trifolium kentuckiense (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae), a new species from Franklin and Woodford counties, Kentucky. Phytoneuron 2013-63: 1–6.Chapel and Vincent 2013.

Gillett, J. M., & Taylor, N. L. (2001). The World of Clovers. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.

Vincent, M.A. (2001). The genus Trifolium (Fabaceae) in Kentucky. J. Ky. Acad. Sci. 62(1):1-17.

Jonathan Omar Cole Kubesch is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in crop science at the University of Tennessee. He studied evolution and ecology—as well as agronomy—at the Ohio State University. He works on forages, grasslands, and prairies with a particular passion for native clovers. 

Written by Heather Holm; Published by Pollination Press, LLC

Reviewed by Susan Harkins

I’m fond of saying that my favorite flower is the one I’m looking at. Similarly, my favorite book is the one I’m currently reading. However, when I say that Heather Holm’s Pollinators of Native Plants is one of my favorite books, I mean it. I keep just a few reference books close at hand, and this book is one of them.

It’s the most comprehensive, photo-filled book I’ve found on identifying the native pollinators that depend on our native flora. Every plant has a two-page spread that contains what you need to know about that plant to determine if it’s a good fit for your property and a full page or more of all the native pollinators it will attract. You get a full picture.

Its use goes beyond identifying pollinators: it’s one of the first books I pull out when wanting information about a particular plant, with or without consideration of its pollinators. However, when I want to identify a pollinator, it’s my go-to book. Often, I’m looking for host plants. This book supplies that information plus clear pictures of the pollinator in larvae form, which is invaluable when determining if I have an invading force in the yard or I’m seeing normal wear and tear by native beneficials.

The largest part of the book comprises the two-page spreads of 65 native plants. A few chapters in the beginning offer general advice from anatomy to ecothreats. At the end of the book, you’ll find visual botany glossaries, charts, garden designs, and more.

Pollinators of Native Plants is an outstanding reference on native trees and flowers that support our native pollinators. The detailed yet friendly layout make it easy to apply the information to your own property.

Heather Holm currently lives in Minnesota where she assists with native been research projects, the most recent being a study on native pollinators and cultivated blueberries. As a community supporter, she helps restore city-owned property for pollinators and people. You can keep up with Heather’s speaking engagements here: https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/.

Susan Harkins is the Managing Editor of The Lady Slipper.

Authors, Judy Burris and Wayne Richards; Publisher, Storey Publishing

Reviewed by Susan Harkins

When authors Judy Burris and Wayne Richards were kids, they spent most Saturdays in the woods with their mother. Those early adventures turned into a passion for bugs—lucky me! I say lucky me because Judy and Wayne channeled that passion into one of my favorite books, The Life Cycles of Butterflies.

This award-winning book, originally written for children, is a great resource for all ages. After an informative and creative introduction to butterfly anatomy and life cycle, the remaining book focuses on individual species. Four consecutive pages are packed with gorgeous photos and useful information on a single species. Within those four pages you’ll see pictures of the species’ egg, chrysalis, caterpillar, and adult. You’ll also see host and nectaring plants, and read interesting facts such as breeding range, average wingspan, and so on.

If you’re educating or entertaining children, you have all you need from the get-go. The book tells you what to plant to attract a specific species and then helps you identify what wanders into your yard and sets up a nursery. It’s easy to take this book out into the yard and quickly identify a species by egg, chrysalises, or caterpillar. But you don’t need to be a child to appreciate this book.

Perhaps the back cover is my favorite part; it’s covered with pictures of butterflies common to our region. Often, I don’t even open the book. Rather, a glance helps me identify an adult quickly with little effort, and before it flies away–that beats a traditional field guide in my book!

Even though this book is marketed as a children’s book, it is a tremendous resource in any adult library.

It’s important to note that not all plants mentioned in the book are natives, although an asterisk marks invasives. Be sure to do your homework before purchasing plants. The authors are available for public programming.

By Reed Noss

Reviewed by Jonathan O.C. Kubesch, University of Tennessee

I work in the space between traditional agronomy and ecology with my career in grasslands. While I refer to journal articles for the bulk of my work, a reference book holds an important place for my field. Generally, I go to the library or through hearsay to come across some obscure text with a great description of this species or that agricultural practice. Ah, the life of a graduate student! However, in the case of Reed Noss’ Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation, I could not have found a better time to dive into a well-assembled dissection of these oft-overlooked ecosystems. My copy comes courtesy of Dwayne Estes (Southeastern Grasslands Initiative), and came it to me while in the field looking for running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) in Davidson County, Tennessee. After an unsuccessful hunt, I poured over the book in concert with my own travels around the Southeast.

Noss thoroughly expands the conceptual grassland well beyond the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies of my background to include the glades, buffalo traces, and barrens. Following the author’s same journey as an Ohio buckeye gone south, I happened to visit Myakka State Park in Florida as part of my best friend’s wedding and got a similar feel for Southern grasslands that Forgotten Grasslands highlights in an interweaving description of basic ecology and applied conservation. While broad in geographic range, the book gives a great description of the Bluegrass Region and some of the floral diversity present within the relatively developed region. Having just sampled the native clover in the region, I then read into the magic of my travels within the wider context.

The grassland ecological model put forward is a strong one for natural systems and is explored in the context of systems dominated by fire, soil, water, and herbivory. Kentucky’s ecological diversity offers examples of all these natural processes. KNPS members might think of river scours in comparison to calcareous glades. Colorful plates showcase the diversity of ecosystems and the species richness within these systems. Land Between the Lakes and the inner Bluegrass are featured alongside Blue Licks Battlefield State Park.

Conservation is a key concern in Kentucky’s native plant sphere. In addition to the floral diversity of the Southeast, the economic opportunity, favorable climate, and social hospitality have led many to move here. Rather than running out these recent arrivals, highlighting this biodiversity and the backyard endemism is seen as a promising strategy to improve the future of these plant species. While not everyone will push through a Solidago key, we can all appreciate the various forms that grace the state. Even outside of the strict grassland context, Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork offer well-marked sandworts for beginners and a diversity of pignuts (Carya spp.) for the initiated.

Forgotten Grasslands of the South appeals to the reader as a primer on these often overlooked ecosystems. Most of us have a collection of carefully-chosen botanical curations and do not generally gather the wider system. However, Reed Noss has succeeded in seeing the grassland through the trees.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to John A. Lodi of Ann Arbor, Michigan for inspiration and suggestions on this review. Thanks to the Chance and Lodi family for giving me a relaxing time to read and discuss this book with a wider popular audience.

Jonathan Omar Cole Kubesch is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in crop science at the University of Tennessee. He studied evolution and ecology—as well as agronomy—at the Ohio State University. He works on forages, grasslands, and prairies with a particular passion for native clovers.

Book Review written by Nick Koenig

By Dan Dourson and Judy Dourson

With Important Contributions by Halard Lescinsky (Geology), Adam Rollins (Myxomycetes-Slime Molds), Alan Cornette (Cultural History), Tara Littlefield (Plant Life of Red River Watershed), Julian Campbell (Species List)

Illustrations by Elijah Hicks unless otherwise stated

Photographs by Dan Dourson unless otherwise stated

Published by South Limestone Books (an Imprint of the University Press of Kentucky), Lexington, 2019

Dan and Judy Dourson are avid botanists and naturalists, as well as active participants in the Kentucky Native Plant Society’s Annual Wildflower Weekend. In 2019, Dan and Judy co-authored a book that gives a reader an extensive snapshot into the plant life of the Gorge.

Wildflowers and Ferns of Red River Gorge and the Greater Red River Basin is an enjoyable book to throw in one’s hiking pack or place on a coffee table for perusing through after a day full of botanizing. Dourson and Dourson elude early on the purpose of their book — among many purposes — is to highlight this “lesser-majority” of organisms that may not be as eye-catching as eagles, but are often the overlooked yet the speciose majority of living things in the forest. While most of the book highlights the plant life, a prehistoric and cultural history lesson of the Gorge is first given, followed by an in-depth geological and biological background of the area.

The bulk of the book consists of pictures and drawings of the plant life in the gorge with a short description of the species following. The plants are broken down by taxonomic groups starting with the non-flowering organisms transitioning to the Fern and Fern Allies that have accompanying illustrations by Elijah Hicks that complement the pictures greatly.

The next part of the book makes it a great help if one is hiking in the Gorge and finds an unknown flower. Before the flowering plants is a color flower chart with the flowering time of the year, which can help narrow down the search to just a small chunk of pages to flip through. This makes locating the species much easier and more approachable than a traditional dichotomous key. The book ends with a glossary and an extensive species list.

Wildflowers and Ferns of Red River Gorge and the Greater Red River Basin is a wonderful addition to one’s botanical library especially for a naturalist looking for a deep understanding of the life forms in one of Kentucky’s most treasured natural areas.

Nick Koenig