We have several robins building nests in our yard. There are dozens of other birds as well, all busy scouting locations. Thanks to Notes from Madoo, by the artist Robert Dash, we started feeding multitudes of birds every winter, with the result that every single one of them nests in our garden, and, more importantly, grocery shops for bugs in our yard, to feed nestlings. By the end of May, there is hardly a mosquito left.

Notes from Madoo is a compilation of his columns about his garden on Sagaponack, Long Island. It is an amazing, beautifully designed garden, and well worth the time both to read about and to visit it. From Connecticut, it is a succession of three ferries, but on a beautiful day, it makes for a lovely day trip.