All quiet on the garden front

THANK you for the wonderful article on the joys of discovering the value of not pruning your shrubs [“Quiet the Buzz Saws and Await the First Sweet Songs of the Season,” Feb. 10]. Gardens don’t have to be fussed-over lifeless sculptures; they can be living habitats that provide food, shelter and places to raise young for wildlife, including birds.

Native plants have evolved over tens of thousands of years to attract native birds and insects, so why fight the system? Plant natives and stop watering, stop using pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our rivers and oceans, and get rid of those pruners, leaf blowers and lawn mowers that pollute our air more than cars. Then sit back and enjoy life, especially the life that comes to your garden like the musical bushtits that Emily Green writes about so lovingly and beautifully.

Garry George

Los Angeles