Wildlife of a Garden, A Thirty-Year Study (Signed first edition)

Signed by Jennifer Owen

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition, first printing. Hardback, in laminate boards. 25.5 × 17cm, 261pp.

Signed by the author to the ffep, "With thanks for your help, and love from Jennifer". Also included is a print out of an email from the recipient to the author on the subject of wildlife in the garden, particularly moths.

This was no wildlife garden; the term barely existed when Owen started recording in 1972. Hers was a standard family garden in suburban Leicester. In this unique long-term study she recorded 2,673 species ranging from plants to mammals. Wildlife she monitored included butterflies, moths, beetles, hoverflies (Owen's specialist area) and numerous other invertebrates as well as plants, mammals and birds. She discusses diversity, abundance and annual fluctuations and relates these to weather, changes in the countryside and other ecological factors. Numerous garden species, both common and unusual, are illustrated in full colour.

Owen's earlier book, The Ecology of a Garden (CUP, 1991), presented the results of the first 15 years of her survey. It was a landmark publication that became the standard reference for all those interested in garden wildlife. This new work brings the whole survey together by adding many new records and providing analysis of long-term trends. The author concludes that insect numbers declined over the survey period, although beetles and solitary wasps bucked the trend and increased. The declines are probably due to loss of suitable habitat in the wider environment but she remains optimistic regarding management changes in the countryside and increasing temperatures. She also finds that non-native garden plants are particularly good as food sources for insect larvae, particularly moth caterpillars, the best being buddleia (Buddleja davidii), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) and cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). Owen's work is published at a time when interest in wildlife gardening has never been higher but detailed data is scarce; this book fills the gap.

Condition

This copy is in very good condition, but with one small dent to the spine (just over the 'fe' of Jennifer).

ISBN

9781907057120