Featured Book for September: WICKED PLANTS by Amy Stewart [ Edited ]

[becke_davis]

From the Ground Up

 

The Earth Moved I'm very excited to announce that Amy Stewart will be joining us this month to talk about her latest book, WICKED PLANTS. I have also interviewed Amy, and that interview will be posted on the Garden Variety blog this week (I think it will go up on September 1st).

Wicked Plants

I already had two of Amy's books and didn't realize it because I shelf my garden books by category. These are her other books:

Flower Confidential

Check out Amy's website here:

http://www.amystewart.com/index.html

Her blog is here: 

http://www.blog.amystewart.com/

Here's a fabulous video of Amy talking about her featured book:

[becke_davis]

Here's the book blurb about Wicked Plants from Amy's website:

A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.

Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.

You can read an excerpt of the book here:

http://www.amystewart.com/wpexcerpt.html

Check this out, too: http://blog.amystewart.com/2009/08/wicked-plants-on-cbs-sunday-morning.html

There's a fascinating interview here:

http://www.mercurynews.com/homeandgarden/ci_12571999

The New York Times reviews WICKED PLANTS here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/books/review/InsideList-t.html

Amy's at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/books/review/InsideList-t.html

And there are more interviews and reviews below:

http://www.abebooks.com/books/interview-wicked-plants-morrow-cribbs/amy-stewart.shtml

http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-wicked11-2009apr11,0,741600.story

http://www.tampabay.com/features/homeandgarden/article1019204.ece

http://www.bbg.org/exp/wickedplants/audiotour.html

http://www.examiner.com/x-11664-Salt-Lake-City-Lifelong-Learning-Examiner~y2009m8d1-A-pretty-poison-...

You can follow Amy on Twitter: Amyeureka  

and on Facebook: Amy Stewart http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=788363941&ref=ts

[becke_davis]

Amy, welcome to the Garden Book Club! B&N is doing some maintenace work on the site, so I hope you won't have any difficulties in signing in or commenting.

I'm going to hold off on asking you any questions until after the Garden Variety interview appears, but I wanted to introduce you to everyone. I'm very much looking forward to visiting with you this month!

[tonyak11]

LOL!!! I love, love, love her video! It is really funny-but REALLY scary. I had no clue about some of those plants I consider beautiful are really wicked in disguise!

Thanks!!

[becke_davis]

Hi Tonya! Isn't that a fabulous video? I think Amy could get a new career on television, too! It's a fascinating book -- I knew some of the stories but a lot of them were new to me, too. I kept reading the gross bits out loud to my husband, who was NOT thrilled. He's not a gardener, and after hearing about some of the plants in Amy's book freaked him out!

[Amy_Stewart]

Hi everybody--

I'm just testing this out to make sure I'm all set up to post.  Looking forward to chatting throughout the month!

Cheers,

Amy Stewart

[becke_davis]

I just found another great interview with Amy about this book: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/05/25/entertainment/doc4a1a88f051b7d003920743.txt

[becke_davis]

Tigger has already visited Garden Variety, where my interview with Amy is now posted. Here is a link: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Garden-Variety/If-Plants-Could-Kill/ba-p/386448

[becke_davis]

I first spotted this book on display at the Barnes & Noble store at Newport-on-the-Levee in Kentucky. I did a double-take when I read the title and started browsing through it. It is such fun (in a gruesome sort of way) -- filled with interesting anecdotes about the dark side of the plant world. 

It made me think of the garden mysteries John Sherwood wrote some years back. Did any of you read those? I'm not sure if any of them are in print anymore. In one of the books, the murder weapon was datura -- we know it as jimsonweed, and Amy explains how that name came about in WICKED PLANTS.

[becke_davis]

Hi Amy! It's quiet here right now, and I'm afraid part of the problem is due to the redesign of this board by B&N. Some people have had trouble signing in and/or commenting. I know B&N is working on the problem and trying to fix the glitches with the new look. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

In the meantime, maybe we can continue the discussion we started over at GARDEN VARIETY. Everyone I know who has read your book raves about it. Even my husband -- NOT a gardener -- was hooked. It's got something for everyone -- plants, murder, mystery, history, and some really gross bits! 

It read so much like a mystery, it made me wonder if you are a mystery reader, too? If so, what garden-related mysteries do you like best? Or maybe I should ask if there are any mysteries you've come across where plants were the murder weapons?

[Choisya]

I have ordered Wicked Plants and when I have read it, I will comment here - if it is not too late.  It looks a very interesting book.  One of the gardens I often visit when I go north is the Duchess of Northumberland's Alnwick Garden in the grounds of Alnwick Castle (cf Hogwarts Academy).  There is an excellent Poison Garden there.  The Garden also has a large bookshop and if your book is not already featured there, I suggest you try to get them to stock it.   

[becke_davis]

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Choisya wrote:

I have ordered Wicked Plants and when I have read it, I will comment here - if it is not too late.  It looks a very interesting book.  One of the gardens I often visit when I go north is the Duchess of Northumberland's Alnwick Garden in the grounds of Alnwick Castle (cf Hogwarts Academy).  There is an excellent Poison Garden there.  The Garden also has a large bookshop and if your book is not already featured there, I suggest you try to get them to stock it.   

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Choisya - I first heard about the Poison Garden at Alnwick awhile ago, so I was thrilled to see it mentioned in Amy's book.

This is the kind of book you might read cover to cover, but you'll still probably find yourself flipping through it again and again!

[Choisya]

I received Wicked Plants yesterday and I highly recommend it!   Not only is it full of fascinating information about poisonous plants but it is beautifully produced with absolutely delightful, quirky illustrations by Briony Morrow-Cribbs and Jonathon Rosen.  It would make a wonderful gift for anyone, not just gardeners.   The size, 14x19cm, is handy for carrying around, the green and gold 'old fashioned' looking cover and the (recycled?) 'aged' paper make it a delight to read.  Well done Amy Stewart and Thankyou!  (Sorry I couldn't buy it from B&N because of  postage charges but I will recommend it to my American friends.)

[becke_davis]

I'm so glad you liked it, Choisya! It's a beautifully produced book -- the cover is gorgeous, the illustrations perfect suit the text -- I even like the paper that's used. And, like you, I thought it was a comfortable size, too. Seriously -- check out this book if you haven't already. Here are samples of some of the illustrations:

[Choisya]

Can you copy some of the cartoon illustrations Becke - they are very funny!

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becke_davis wrote:

I'm so glad you liked it, Choisya! It's a beautifully produced book -- the cover is gorgeous, the illustrations perfect suit the text -- I even like the paper that's used. And, like you, I thought it was a comfortable size, too. Seriously -- check out this book if you haven't already. Here are samples of some of the illustrations:

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[becke_davis]

Choisya - These were the only illustrations I had access to, but I'll keep looking. In the meantime, I found this:

http://www.growingwithplants.com/2009/08/wicked-plants-and-tattoos-dark-side-of.html

Amy also has some interesting links on her website: http://www.amystewart.com/wickedplants.html

[becke_davis]

Choisya - I feel bad mentioning another book on Amy's thread, but I just remembered this book, which is connected to Alnwick's Poison Gardens:

Poison Diaries

[KathyS]

Hi, Becke and Choisya. 

Sorry, I've just now read your comments, here, about this book.  I plan to go to B&N, today, and check it out.  My brother and sister-in-law will be here next week, and I think this sounds like it might be the perfect birthday present for her.

Thanks,

Kathy

[becke_davis]

I hope you and your sister-in-law like each other, Kathy, or this book might give her some nasty ideas! 

[KathyS]

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becke_davis wrote:

I hope you and your sister-in-law like each other, Kathy, or this book might give her some nasty ideas! 

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No problem.    I just wrote my lament about trying to get this book, today, at B&N....on facebook.  Grrrrrrrrrrrr!  I wrote a title down that didn't exist!   What's with the "If Plants Could Kill"  header?