The Weather Detective

April 1, 2018
A garden provides the key to the natural universe.In matter-of-fact prose with only occasional hints of poetry, Wohlleben (The Inner Life of Animals, 2017, etc.), who worked for two decades in the forestry commission in Germany, offers a guidebook on how everything we need to know about the weather can be learned by paying close attention to our natural surroundings in general and our gardens in particular. As the author writes, you don't need a clock to know what time it is. You can listen to "the bird clock" or watch for the telling signs of "the flower clock," learning when and how different species respond to the hours of the day. "What I'm really interested in is reclaiming our powers of observation which, up until now, have been buried under the surface of modernity," he writes in conclusion. "When we use our senses at full capacity, we access the wealth of thrilling and calming experiences waiting for us just outside our back doors, in nature and in our gardens." Wohlleben demonstrates the delicate balance between asserting human control over a garden and letting nature take its course. He ponders issues such as whether to have a bird feeder (he has some ambivalence but has switched sides) and whether to use artificial light on the garden at night--absolutely not: the author doesn't turn on lights inside unless absolutely necessary and closes the blinds tightly when he does. The author is ever aware of the biggest picture: "I find it especially fascinating to think that when we observe the night sky we are looking into the past. For the stars are nothing but very, very distant suns, whose light has taken centuries, if not millennia, to reach us." Most of the narrative is fairly pragmatic and offers specific advice on what we can learn from plants, insects, and animals and how the weather affects those interactions.You'll never look at your garden the same way again.

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May 15, 2018

Wohlleben (The Hidden Life of Trees) worked for the German forestry commission for more than 20 years and currently runs environmentally friendly woodland. In the beginning of this latest work, the author shares how readers can predict the weather in the short term by using natural phenomena such as sky color or the amount and type of cloud cover. He then discusses astronomy, the characteristics of the four seasons, the impact of climate change, soils and soil fauna, native vs. invasive plants and animals, and predator/prey relationships, all tied to a garden setting. The work only contains metric measurements, and the weather patterns and many of wildlife examples are native to England or continental Europe, though most of the information can be extrapolated by interested readers. Tristan Gooley's The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs offers a more comprehensive discussion of deciphering the mystery of the great outdoors. VERDICT An inviting and easily understandable look at weather and natural phenomena that will appeal to weather, nature, and gardening buffs, and all who want a better understanding of nature's processes.--Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove, IL

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