Marlene Condon will be  the featured speaker for May. On Monday, May 18 from 7-8 pm at the Grayson LandCare office at 104 Courthouse Street, Marlene—who has created nature-friendly gardens for 50 years—will provide a personal look at the backyard wildlife that informs and inspires her writing. In this photo and video presentation, you’ll see that there’s much more to a nature-friendly garden than birds and butterflies!

Many people approach gardening as a constant struggle against the outside world. They’re perpetually at war with nature, investing in chemical treatments to fight off mammals, birds, and insects in an effort to preserve their garden as a pristine, unspoiled patch of earth. Marlene proposes a radically different method of gardening: What if, instead of battling the natural world, we invite it into our yards? The result is a nature-friendly garden which attracts and meets the needs of numerous wildlife species while maintaining a thriving and varied landscape of flowers, vegetables, and other plants. You will discover the many “jobs” performed by wildlife that keep your yard functioning properly so you can enjoy it instead of worrying about it.

The sustainable low-impact garden described in Marlene’s book, “The Nature-friendly Garden: Creating a Backyard Haven for Plants, Wildlife, and People” is a model of environmental balance, fostering species diversity. Best of all, it offers a privileged look at the workings of nature, opening up a new and fascinating world for even the most experienced gardener.

Marlene’s wildlife commentaries are widely published, appearing in such publications as The Washington Post and Baltimore Sun and major newspapers throughout Virginia. Her yard was featured on Virginia PBS programs in 1994 and again in 2005. Following the Q & A, Marlene will sell and sign copies of The Nature-friendly Garden. More information can be found at her website: www.marlenecondon.com