A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future

In an era of climate change and mass extinction, gardening practices have significant consequences. While many books offer guidance on sustainable gardening techniques and plant selection, few explore why urban wildlife gardens matter for both human communities and animal populations. Our landscapes often exclude wildlife, which diminishes our innate connection to wildness. Benjamin Vogt examines how we can restore balance through gardens and reconnect with nature's language. He argues that we urgently need wildness in our daily lives, particularly as we spend time in buildings surrounded by lawns and concrete that negatively affect physical and mental health. Vogt explores the psychological dimensions of climate change and mass extinction, investigating how these crises affect our responses to global environmental challenges. He contends that growing native plants in gardens is essential to this work. According to Vogt, environmentalism is fundamentally a matter of social justice for species marginalized today and those facing extinction. By thoughtfully examining our built landscapes, we can develop compassionate activism that deepens our connection to nature and to each other.