*Tales of 100 plants recounted that will transform how we view and value plants*The author Chris Beardshaw is one of the leading lights in the world of gardening A tapestry of musings, rambles and 'I didn't know that' facts that document some of the diverse, fantastic and entertaining relationships that humans have forged with plants throughout the ages. These pithy stories span species celebrated as tribal fodder to delicacies elevated as some of our most valued possessions. From the ultimate symbols of devotion and love to campaigns that resulted in genocide, revolt and the shaping of the global political landscape the thousands of plant species that are irrevocably intertwined with our existence have been deployed in warfare, espionage and even space travel. Never again will a carrot on a dinner plate, the seductive scent of a woman's perfume, or a pineapple in a fruit bowl be viewed with indifference. The relations forged reveal details of miscellaneous human traits, from our instinct for survival to decadent aesthetic expression, from ingenuity and inventiveness to stupidity and greed encapsulating superstition, fear and the absurd.
Perhaps surprisingly many associations, no matter how historic and apparently disconnected, still have huge significance in our lives. Some of course were, and remain still, simple folly. What persists is our unquenched curiosity to unravel and unlock the secrets of the plant kingdom for our own ends resulting occasionally in absurdity but sometimes in mind-boggling technological advances. Includes fascinating chapters like "The Tomato Ketchup Fraud", "Devil of a Hangover", "Castor Oil and the KGB, "Spicy Footwear", "Sweet Beet", "Nettle Wig or Nettle Shampoo", "Morris Men and the Walnut Tree", "Meadows that Give Honey Bees Headaches", "Victory Wreaths and Cyanide", and many, many more.
First let me get the major problem out of the way:
The title totally lies. At best... 93. Nettles have four separate entries and at least one other plant has 2. There's an entry that covers the invention of the lawn mower. While most can be argued to have had significant enough impact to fall under "almost changed the world", some, like entry #1, fail to impress (although it does have the impressive name of "Fishy Goatsbeard", which, in my opinion, is a different kind of impressive).
Aside from those things, the book is gorgeous. Richly illustrated and easy to read it was chock full of interesting tidbits about different plants - not all of them the obvious run-of-mill plants, like roses, you'd expect (see Fishy Goatsbeard). The author is definitely a big fan of Stinging Nettle. Personally, I'm going to be googling bilberry jam when I'm finished writing this and quite a few of the plants I have in my garden have taken on a whole new importance. MT's dislike of my tansy plant has lost all ammunition and I'll definitely be looking for a mother-in-law's tongue this weekend.
Die hard gardeners might not enjoy it as much as I did; it's not an in-depth exploration of any plant, but merely several paragraphs of highlights, but for the enthusiastic, avid, or newbie gardener, I think the book would be a treat. Just don't pay any attention to the title.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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4 October, 2017:
Finished reading
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4 October, 2017:
Reviewed