bernd heinrich on 'the homing instinct' (win his new book!); easy asparagus supper   

Why does a phoebe choose the same light fixture above my shed to nest each year, or the first flicker each April home in on the very spot where a big anthill will form in June, as if he knows? Why do aphids (or tent caterpillars, or lady bugs) aggregate into big, tight groups -- and how in the world do bees find their way back to their hives (as in: "making a beeline")?

"Basically everything in the life of organisms relates to being in the right place," says biologist and bestselling author Bernd Heinrich, now 74, a thought that wove through our chat in my latest radio show and story about his fascinating new book, "The Homing Instinct." Learn more, and enter to win a copy.

easy asparagus-parmesan bake

I am on the Asparagus Diet, because that's what the garden has to offer at the moment: beautiful spears of tender asparagus. I like them tossed in olive oil and sea salt and roasted till nearly crispy, but sometimes I want not a side, but a meal, and here's my favorite: Easy Asparagus-Parmesan Bake, a fast concoction that's not quite a quiche nor a frittata, but does involve a nice fresh egg or two.

miss it last issue?

• easy-to-multiply wildflowers
• my may open-day recap