If you need some inspiration on how to live longer and happier here are some books that inspired us and our clients:

There are groups of people living healthy independent lives who are over 100 years old.  The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner points out living lessons:​

• eat mainly fruits and vegetables grown in your own area.

• spend time outside every day

• take time to relax

• spend time with others   

• build your community

• rest well

• build your community

• move more

Discover how going outdoors and spending time in nature, from forest bathing to a walk in the park, provides a simple and powerful way to improve your health and well-being.

What we all know on an intuitive level is a scientific truth: the simple act of going outside is good for us—really good for us. It has been shown to have a positive effect on a huge number of health conditions and issues, from diabetes to depression, anxiety to arteriolosclerosis. 

Douglas W. Tallamy’s first book, Bringing Nature Home, sparked a national conversation about the link between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being. In Nature's Best Hope, he takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots, home-grown approach to conservation. 

Nature's Best Hope advocates for homeowners everywhere to turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. This home-based approach doesn’t rely on the federal government and protects the environment from the whims of politics.

Piet Oudolf’s gardens—unique combinations of long-lived perennials and woody plants that are rich in texture and sophisticated in color—are breathtaking and have deep emotional resonance. With Planting, designers and home gardeners can recreate these plant-rich, beautiful gardens that support biodiversity and nourish the human spirit.

An intimate knowledge of plants is essential to the success of modern landscape design and Planting shares Oudolf’s considerable understanding of plant ecology.

Nigel Dunnett’s gardens and landscapes have lifted the spirits of city dwellers for decades. They are beautiful, uplifting places that resonate with the energy of the natural world and stop us in our tracks. But how does he achieve these plantings with their successional waves of colorful perennials, elegant grasses, and pollinators at work with so few demands on irrigation and other natural resources?

For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Now that the American Birding Association has expanded its species Checklist to include Hawaii, the Peterson Guide is the first edition to include the wonderful and exotic species of our fiftieth state. In addition, the text and range maps have been updated, and much of the art has been touched up to reflect current knowledge.