We had the chance to catch up with alumni and current faculty John Gidding '95 while he was on his North American book tour this month. 

What was your inspiration for the book? At Home With Nature represents the fruit of a period of introspection and reflection as the world came to a halt with Covid. I had spent a career installing lawns whenever asked, never seriously questioning the turf-grass mantra. I needed to shift my relationship to water-efficient landscaping. I went from passive observer into having a personal mission to replace lawns in suburban developments with native, pollinator-friendly ground cover.

What is At Home With Nature about? Initially conceived as a practical guide to designing with native plants, the book morphed into an historic exploration of the North American landscape. It charts a course from the pre-Columbian era's indigenous ecological cultivation practices to the present-day obsession with suburban turf grass, recognizing the sacrifices, victories, and absurdities along a journey of exploration, dominance, and control. Storytelling has always taken pride of place when it comes to propelling movements, and this story is so fascinating and easy to remember; I hope it will be used as ammunition when debates rage on the sanctity of turf-grass.  

What do you hope the impact of your new book will be? I’m striving to offer beautiful alternatives to the ubiquitous lawn; the book zeroes in on five temperate zones within the continental United States. For each zone, I propose an all-native design for typical lot sizes and homeowners' association regulations, with the aim of joining the growing legion of homeowners who have seen the writing on the wall for our current irrigation practices.  Many interesting native plant species are suggested as seeds of inspiration for a vision of the future where links of native landscapes form a broad uninterrupted lattice across the North American continent—a lifeline for all environments much diminished, and with clear financial benefits accruing to early adopters.