Book: “Nomads of the Wind” by Ingo Arndt, Claus-Peter Lieckfeld, and Peter Huemer

The full title of this book is “Nomads of the Wind: The Migration of the Monarch Butterfly and Other Wonders of the Butterfly World.” The copyright is 2008 and I’m not sure it is still in print, however, you can find it through Amazon or Barnes and Nobles’ affiliates on their websites.

I learned about this book when I went to the monarch tagging demo as part of the Monarch Monitoring Project in Cape May. (See my blog post about the demo.) During the talk and demo, they were showing photos from this book. I just had to have it.

You may be tempted to keep this as a coffee table book, but that would be an injustice. This book reads like a butterfly adventure story, taking you through the life of Monarch 148 and then 148a and 148b, helping the reader to understand the magical life cycle and amazing migration of the monarchs. The timeline along the left of each spread helps you to follow along the butterfly’s journey. Along this journey, you learn fascinating facts about monarch butterflies. The glorious photography of Ingo Arndt bring to life the long trek and perils along the way.

The book begins with Monarch 148 emerging from her chrysalis in the Richard Bong State Recreation Area, south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 148 faces many obstacles along her southern migration to Mexico: spiderwebs, rain, hungry birds, lack of food (nectar) make it a struggle to survive. Why go on this perilous journey? Monarchs can’t survive cold winters. Other butterflies can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults, but monarchs must fly south, like many birds. They are the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration.

These small insects are more hardy then they look. They fly hundreds of miles to reach their winter destination in Mexico. One thing that helps the monarch survive on this long trek is their orange color. This color means danger or poison to many predators. Monarch caterpillars feed only on milkweed leaves and therefore are impregnated with Cardenolides, so predators should heed that warning.   

How do these butterflies know where to go? There is much debate about that, however the earth’s magnetic field may play a roll. Millions of monarchs end up in the Transvolcanic Mountains of Michoacán in central Mexico every year. Why this particular place? And why specifically on Oyamel firs? That is still relatively a mystery.

In 1992, almost the entire population of one of the largest monarch colonies was killed by a cold front. Masses of butterflies lay dead at the feet of the Oyamel firs. 

As spring arrives and their bodies are warmed by the sun, the monarchs head back north, following a different route than when they flew south. Their purpose is to mate and find millkweed to lay their eggs. Just milkweed. No other plant will do. As mentioned before, milkweed is what makes them toxic to predators. They lay one egg per leaf and not more than a few on each plant, so several milkweed plants are needed.

Monarch 148 does manage to lay her eggs before meeting her demise. I will not spoil it by telling you how she dies. Monarch 148 never makes it all the way back up north. It is up to her offspring to do that.

148a is born as a black, white and yellow caterpillar. The main goal of the caterpillar is to eat fast and furious.

Once the monarch caterpillar gets big enough, he starts to molt. That is the sign to stop feeding and to find a place to attach himself to form his chrysalis. This is where the magic happens. This worm-like creature with mouth-eating parts turns into a winged beauty with a proboscis for drinking its nourishment.

When he emerges his goal is to finish the return trip north-east that his mother didn’t finish. It is the same goal for all other monarchs of his generation. He will mate along the way and 148b will be born. And so on and so on. What is truly amazing is this same flight plan south in winter and north in spring is an ingrained part of every monarch’s life.

The last few pages of the book are about other butterfly wonders. Some interesting photos and info there, but really the bulk of this book is about the monarchs.

I loved this book. Not only are the photographs incredible, but it’s a fun read. It gives a real glimpse into the life of monarch butterflies and is not a story you will soon forget. It is a reminder of how remarkable these little creatures are.

Monarchs are important pollinators, and like bees, their numbers are in decline. They are close to being on the endangered list and we need to do what we can to help. One easy way to help is to plant a garden, and in particular, plant milkweed. This is a photo of milkweed pods that I took when I was in Cape May last summer...

I planted milkweed in my yard last year and plan to plant more this year. As mentioned above, the monarchs really depend on more than one milkweed plant for laying their eggs.

If you want to learn more about the amazing migration of monarchs, check out the Nova video “The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies.” Beautiful footage and great to watch while reading “Nomads of the Wind” book.

To learn more about monarchs and what you can do to help:
MonarchWatch.org
Monarch Joint Venture
US Fish & Wildlife: Save the Monarch Butterfly

Reliable References

Yesterday I noticed that my Beautyberry Bush was getting totally out of hand. It is planted in the border of the kitchen garden and is really taking up way too much room. To be honest, it is a case of the wrong plant in the wrong place. But hey, I really, really wanted a Beautyberry Bush and at the time that seemed to be the place for it. The question now is, when do I prune it? It gets these fabulous, bright purple/pink berries in the late summer/early fall, but also gets small flowers this time of the year. I grabbed my trusty book, The Pruner’s Bible, for the answer. This got me thinking about the books in my collection that I use the most. I have a considerable amount of gardening books...I do love books AND I love gardening, so it makes sense. However, there are three books that I refer to the most often and would be lost without them.

The American Horticultural Society’s Encyclopedia of Gardening by editors Christopher Brickell and Elvin McDonald. This was my very first gardening book. I still refer to it at least once a year, if not more. It covers everything you could possibly want to know about gardening, from how to create a garden to how to maintain it. Want to know more about soil and fertilizers, coldframes and cloches, or water gardening? You’ll find it all in this hefty book. Reading it is like lifting weights.

An essential: “The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening.”

Month-By-Month Gardening in New Jersey by Pegi Ballister-Howells. I bought this book in 2005 and refer to it often. Sections include Annuals, Bulbs, Fruits, Ground Covers and Vines, Houseplants, Lawns, Perennials, Roses, Shrubs, Trees, Vegetables. Each section is broken down into months. For example, if you want to look up when to prune your roses, look up roses and browse the months and you will see that you should prune them in March, or April at the very latest. They have specific books for many states, if not all of them.

“Month-By_Month Gardening in New Jersey.”

The Pruner’s Bible by Steve Bradley. I bought this a few years ago because I had no idea when and how to prune certain shrubs in my yard. This book tells you when and how to prune pretty much any shrub you can think of, from Abelias to Wisteria. There are helpful diagrams and illustrations for each shrub type. This is the book I reached for when I wondered when I should prune my Beautyberry Bush. The only problem was, I didn’t know the Latin name and couldn’t find the common name in the index. I ended up looking up the Latin name online in order to find out that it is Callicarpa.

“The Pruner’s Bible” by Steve Bradley.

“The Pruner’s Bible” turned to the page on Callicarpa.

Out of all of my many gardening books, these are the ones that I use the most.

Book: The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan

I’ve always kind of had this secret wish to be a farmer, or at least a homesteader, and live off the land. A farmer’s work is never done and boy do they work hard. When I was a kid I remember visiting distant relatives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia who had farms and raised cattle. Maybe my desire to homestead has something to do with those memories of people long gone who raised everything they needed right there on their land. I don’t think Brian agrees with my idea of wanting to be a homesteader, yet maybe one day, if we move where they allow it, I can at least have a couple of sheep, goats or chickens.... One thing I know, I don’t think I will ever be without a vegetable garden. 

The Backyard Homestead (from Storey Publishing) is a basic guide on how to “produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre.” Everything from growing a vegetable garden to raising chickens and cows is in this book — or at least touched on. You can read about how to pick a good egg-laying chicken, make sauerkraut, milk a goat, harvest and save seeds, brew your own beer, make your own cheese, plant asparagus, prune blueberry bushes, grow hop vines, can applesauce, make apple cider or elderberry wine, dry herbs, grow and mill your own grains, raise your own Thanksgiving turkey, butcher beef or pigs (yikes!), make jerky or chorizo sausage, forage for food, tap a Maple tree for maple syrup, keep bees, and even more.

“The Backyard Homestead” book, edited by Carleen Madigan.

I have to admit that I don’t think I could ever eat an animal that I raised. Just saying. I’m sure there are plenty of people who grew up eating their animals, but I’m not sure I can eat something I’ve frolicked with. I eat mostly vegetarian as it is, and sometimes I eat seafood, even more rarely I eat chicken or pork. I haven’t had red meat in years. 

The vegetable and herb gardening sections of this book were mainly a refresher for me. One key thing I did learn, though, is that lettuce needs at least one inch of water per week in order to maintain a mild flavor. Finally I learned why my greens are usually bitter tasting! This year we had plenty of rain in the spring, so the greens were absolutely delicious. I also learned a trick to getting your pepper plants to produce more peppers: “When they start to blossom, spray the leaves with a weak mix of warm water and Epsom salts – a form of magnesium. The leaves turn dark green, and you will soon have an abundance of peppers.” I haven’t tried that yet, but really need to since I always have troubles getting my pepper plants to produce. There’s a section on how to freeze corn that I’d like to try, too. I had tried to grow corn one year, but I really don’t have the space for it. I buy my sweet corn from Hunters, a local farm market. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, they have THE best corn on the cob.

I found the sections on raising animals interesting, since I do hope that one day I will have at least some of my own farm animals. Eating eggs from your own chickens, using wool from own sheep, or making goat cheese from your own goat’s milk would be great – at least you would know EXACTLY where those products came from and how those animals were treated. There’s even a part in this book on how to build your own chicken coop.

“The Backyard Homestead” book, open to the section on chickens.

Here’s an excerpt from the section called “Turkeys for Thanksgiving” that I thought was interesting:

Traditionally, small farmers raised turkeys both for meat production and for pest control (gobblers are avid eaters of insects like the tobacco hookworm and the tomato hookworm.) By 1970, the production of turkeys had dramatically changed from small-scale farm production to large-scale confinement production on an industrial-type farm.

Today, industrial farms produce almost all of the 280 million turkeys required in the United States and Canada to meet the demand for holiday birds and turkey products ranging from turkey bacon to soup. Over 99 percent of the breeding stock, which is essentially held by just three multinational companies, is tied to merely a few strains of Broad Breasted White turkeys that can no longer breed naturally.

This movement toward industrial turkey production has left many of the old heritage turkeys, such as the Standard Bronze, the Bourbon Red, and the Narragansett, in trouble. In 1997, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) considered turkeys to be among the most critically endangered domestic animals and the most vulnerable to extinction.

Since that time, many of the heritage varieties have begun to make a comeback, thanks largely to interest from Slow Food USA*, which has encouraged small-scale growers to increase the numbers of these endangered birds. The irony is that by creating a market for rare breeds, these growers have been able to keep heritage turkeys from becoming extinct. 

Fascinating. I think Ben Franklin would be pretty upset if he learned that his pick for the national bird of the country was vulnerable to extinction at one point in time.

I had bought The Backyard Homestead because Carleen Madigan, the editor of the book, was doing a talk at Longwood Gardens in May as part of their Branching Out Lecture Series. Unfortunately, it ended up conflicting with the celiac walk in Baltimore that I have participated in every year for the past eight or nine years. I’m glad I still read it, though. Although I admit I took a break from it for awhile to read the book Succulent Container Gardens that I posted about previously. Will I ever actually be a homesteader? Eh, probably not. But maybe one day I’ll at least have a couple of small farm animals and my veggie garden to sustain most of my needs.

I think I’ll go make my own cheese press now (p. 314).

* Definitely check out the Slow Food USA website and blog. I had never heard of it before, but I’m diggin’ it. Seems like a great organization and the blog seems interesting. Just found an interesting post on fish emulsion and milk and molasses for nourishing the garden. I knew about fish emulsion, but milk and molasses is new to me. 

Book: Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin

The full title of this book is “Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants.” Debra Lee Baldwin is the author. This book has some great eye-candy for succulent-lovers.

It is broken down into four parts. Part One is “Pairing Plants with Pots,” which demonstrates how plant and pot relate to each other and how important your pot choice can be. The design and color of the pot should echo or contrast your plant, yet not overpower it. It also talks about top-dressing, such as using crushed stone or blue glass to enhance your potted plant.

Part Two is about “Plant Palette.” This section is about color and form and about what types of succulents are good for containers. From Aeoniums and Agaves to Euphorbias, Sedums and Synadeniums, it’s a good introduction to succulents for beginners. This section also goes over what make good companion plants to succulents, such as Bromeliads and Oxalis.

Part Three is “Creative Designs and Displays.” Grouping pots, planting succulents in unusual containers like a bird bath, bathtub or fountain, hanging baskets, miniature landscapes, living wreaths, topiary, and vertical gardening are covered in this chapter. Definitely a fun chapter, just for the pictures alone.

Part Four is “Planting, Care, and Propagation.” I have to admit that I skipped to this chapter first because I really was winging it on the succulents I already had and didn’t know much about them. Plus, I wanted to know how to take cuttings, which is super-easy. Sun exposure, potting and repotting, soil and fertilizer, watering, grooming, overwintering, pests and diseases, and creating new plants from old are all topics covered here – very useful to those of us who are relatively new to the world of succulents.

At the end of the book you’ll find plant lists sectioned off by height, texure, color, etc.

This book helped fuel the succulent fire that began last year. It’s a great reference for inspiration and good for gaining a basic understanding of succulents and how to use them in containers. I would recommend it to anyone who has discovered an interest in succulents and wants to learn more.

Book: “The Brother Gardeners” by Andrea Wulf

This is the second book I’ve read by Andrea Wulf and it was another interesting read. I read “The Founding Gardeners” first, although she wrote “The Brother Gardeners” before that one. This is a heavily researched book, as are all of Andrea Wulf’s books. I know I won’t do it justice in my fumbled, simplified description of it, but it will at least give a general idea of what it is about.

“The Brothers Gardeners” by Andrea Wulf

“The Brother Gardeners” are six plant collectors who changed the world of horticulture. Without these men, the gardens of America and England would not be what they are today.

John Bartram was a colonial farmer and plant collector who sent seed boxes to subscribers in England, contributing to England’s love of American plants. He would scour the American countryside for seeds to send overseas. He was also responsible for obtaining seeds from England, helping contribute to America’s love of English plants.

Peter Collinson lived in London and was Bartram’s biggest fan, despite the fact that their relationship could be rocky at times. In their decades of correspondence, they exchanged seeds, plants, and ideas. Collinson helped get Bartram his English subscribers. Many of England’s gardens became showcases of American trees and plants, thanks to Collinson and Bartram. England’s gardens were no longer clipped boxwood topiary and hedges, now they were informal landscapes designed to mimic America’s natural landscapes.

Phillip Miller wrote the very first dictionary for the average gardener, “The Gardener’s Dictionary.” It was written in plain English, not Latin, and was geared towards the “ignorant,” providing matter-of-fact advice that anyone could understand. He also transformed the Chelsea Physic Garden into a world-renowned garden of horticultural gems. Over the years, botany and gardening would grow from being an elitist hobby to the hobby of almost every citizen of England, all because of men like Miller, Collinson and Bartram.

Carl Linnaeus was a botanist and taxonomist from Sweden who became famous for his sexual classification of plants when he published “Systema Naturae.” It classified plants by observation of its reproductive organs – by how many stamens or pistils the plant had – instead of by medical or edible properties. Later he published his monumental book “Species Plantarum,” a “survey of all plants known to man.” He sent pupils all over to gather specimens to include in his book. Before this book, one plant could be known by many different names, and it also could be a very long name. He simplified things by giving every plant a two-word name. Linnaeus’ ideas didn’t catch on right away, but once they did they revolutionized the classification and naming of plants. Even today, the “Species Plantarum” is “the universally acknowledged starting point of modern plant names — those with the abbreviation ‘L’ after their name indicate that Linnaeus invented or validated them, while those without the ‘L’ were given after his death (but according to his method).” Linnaeus knew he was making history. He “declared himself the messiah of botany. His science, he claimed, was ‘the light that will lead the people who wander in darkness.’” He was overly confident and self-righteous, but he was right.

Daniel Solander was Carl Linnaeus’ pet-pupil, slated to take over after his retirement and to marry his daughter. However, after arriving in England he had plans of his own. He became a plant explorer and expert on classifying plants using the Linnaeus method.

Joseph Banks, along with Daniel Solander, became two of the most well-known plant explorers when they brought back many unknown plants and seeds from their expedition on Captain Cook’s ship, the Endeavour. Banks encouraged trading with other countries and turned Kew Gardens into a showcase of exotic plants from all over the world. He dedicated his life to the study of botany and became “the first Patron of Botany.” He believed collecting plants was essential to the country’s economy. One expedition Banks supervised was not successful, the Bounty, captained by William Bligh. Yes, this is the Bounty famous for its mutiny. During Banks’ lifetime, he “received seeds and living plants from more than 120 plant-collectors in addition to those he garnered from the twenty-one especially commissioned plant-hunters whom he had dispatched across the globe at either his own, the King’s or the country’s expense.” When he first published “Hortus Kewensis,” a catalogue of all the plant species at Kew, there was 5,600 species. But two decades later there were more than 11,000. 7,000 of those were specimens he had brought back from the Endeavour expedition. As Andrea Wulf says, “Banks had steered — stoically and with perserverance — the country in a direction that would shape Britain’s empire, economy and society for the next century. Plants not only changed the English landscape but the very fabric of the nation, contributing to the country’s global dominance and imperial strength.”

These men were essential in turning England into a nation of gardeners and beautiful gardens. Due to their influence, even Londoners had gardens in the back of their houses. Having a garden on your property made it more valuable and was a good selling point. Many of the plants these men collected became staples in the English garden and many continue to be even today. The nation’s fascination with gardening carried over into fashion, with ladies wearing dresses embroidered with flowers and wearing “mobile gardens” in their wigs. A funny little story: “In the midst of the flower frenzy, Banks gave his wife a piece of dried moss to wear as a brooch. While he thought it a gorgeous botanical specimen, his wife found it boring and unsightly. When she refused to pin it to her blouse, Banks called her a ‘Fool that She Likes Diamonds better, & Cannot be persuaded to wear it as a botanists wife Certainly ought to do.’”

Reading about the trials, tribulations and adventures of these men was fascinating. I particularly liked reading about John Bartram since I have visited his historic home and garden many times and go to the annual greens sale they have there every December. I was also engrossed by the story of Joseph Banks. If anyone has any doubt of what power or influence one man can have, all they need to do is read this book and see how these few individuals helped shape nations through botany and their love of plants.

Book: “Old Herbaceous: A Novel of the Garden” by Reginald Arkell

“Old Herbaceous” is a small novel that was originally published in 1950 by an author, Reginald Arkell, who grew up in the Cotswolds in England. (Molly decided she wanted to pose with my book again. Not sure why I can’t get Izzy to do it. She’s a little ADD and can’t sit still long enough, I guess. It may look like Molly is trying to read the book, but I know better. She’s actually trying to eat it.)

Molly “reading” Reginald Arkell’s “Old Herbaceous.”

“Old Herbaceous” is the nostalgic reminiscence of Herbert Pinnegar, an outsider who had a slight limp due to one leg being shorter than the other. He found his life’s calling after entering a flower in the local flower show and winning a ribbon. He was given a job at a grand English manor garden by a young widow, Mrs. Charteris. The story follows Herbert’s life from a young kid cleaning pots to working his way up to head gardener. He lives a small, quiet life and through the years he earns the respect of others as a gardener and flower show judge.

Much of the story is about the relationship of landowner and head gardener, and head gardener and worker. Herbert spends six decades lovingly tending his mistress’ garden — forcing early strawberries in the greenhouse, surprising his mistress by finding seeds/growing a beautiful blue morning glory she saw on a trip and fell in love with, and arguing with her over what should be planted where and when. We see a garden at its height during the Victorian and Edwardian ages and its slow decline as owner and gardener get older and the manor house and garden are sold after World War II. After the estate is sold, it looks like our cantankerous head gardener will lose his job and be forced to move out. This is a devastating prospect for Herbert, who “couldn’t face life without his garden.” I think any gardener understands that feeling. Lucky for our hero, he is able to stay in his cottage for the remainder of his days, even after the property is sold. His mistress saw to it in the sale of the estate that he would always have a home there.

Herbert never married. The one and only girl he tried to win over he wooed by trying to teach her how to be a proper gardener. I think it was probably the lesson on “The Use of Manures and Fertilizers in the Garden” that finally made her realize he wasn’t the one for her.

It was Herbert’s love of gardening that sustained him through good times and bad. Things happened around him, people came and went, but there was always work to do in the garden. Even though it wasn’t his own garden, he took pride in his work and thought of it as his own — which was the root of many of the arguments Herbert had with Mrs. Charteris, who saw herself as mistress of her own garden. As the author tells us: “There is something about a garden that brings out a fiercely possessive streak in the best of us. All our triumphs, to be really satisfying, must stem from our own individual efforts; and we look with a cold eye upon innovations for which we are not personally responsible. Even a suggestion, however tactfully introduced, is not always taken in good part. ‘Alone I did it,’ is the motto of all really keen gardeners; a sentiment which found its modern equivalent in the Army’s laconic warning, ‘Keep out! This means you!’ We gardeners should not be blamed for this defensive attitude, which is based on the intense interest we take in our work. Without it, gardening would become an undertaking so laborious, so frustrating, so maddening, that there would soon be no gardens at all. As with all truly creative pursuits, the appeal is to the mind and to the heart, rather than to the pocket; and unless we convince ourselves, beyond any doubt, that the credit is ours, and ours alone, we are like a singer listening to the applause for a song that someone else sang.” I can relate to this because I, too, suffer from the need to say, “Alone I did it.”

Herbert was difficult and Mrs. Charteris had her stubborn streak, however, they understood each other and it always worked out ok in the end. After all, no matter what happens, “…you can’t be angry, not for long, in a garden.”

One bittersweet final thought from “Old Herbaceous:” “You planted a tree; you watched it grow; you picked the fruit and, when you were old, you sat in the shade of it. Then you died and they forgot all about you — just as though you had never been…But the tree went on growing, and everybody took it for granted. It always had been there and it always would be there.”

Book: “Wicked Plants” by Amy Stewart

The full title of this book is “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities.” Intrigued? I sure was. I first saw this book in the gift shop at Longwood Gardens. I just had to pick it up and look at it. If the title isn’t enough to suck you in, the delicately beautiful copper etchings by Briony Morrow-Cribbs and the quirky drawings of Jonathon Rosen will win you over. Look, even my cat, Molly, looks intrigued. Or maybe she’s frightened...

“Wicked Plants” book. Cat sold separately. Actually, Molly isn’t for sale.

 

This encyclopedia-ish book describes various “wicked” plants, from the naughty to the downright sinister, combined with stories of unfortunate victims who fell prey to these diabolical plants. Poisonous, painful, intoxicating, invasive, illegal and deadly – they’re all here. If you are reading to find out exactly what plant killed Lincoln’s mother, prepare yourself to read most of it before finding out. No, I won’t give it away. No worries, though, this roughly 5” x 7” 233-page book reads quickly. I’m afraid it isn’t exactly good bedtime reading, though. I found myself only able to read two or three of the small “chapters” each night due to some of the gruesome descriptions of what ingesting or touching these plants can do to an unwitting victim. You could possibly develop a phobia of tropical places where some of these treacherous plants may lurk. Heck, you might not want to even brush up against a plant next time you take a hike in the woods. Better yet, this book may in fact make you afraid to plant anything in your yard ever again. Not even the innocent-looking lily of the valley is free from inflicting some nasty effects, such as headaches, nausea, cardiac problems, and even heart failure – if you eat it, that is.

I did find some solace in knowing that I wasn’t the only one who found out about Poison Sumac the hard way. Pioneering landscape designer extraordinaire Frederick Law Olmstead happened upon a patch and his face got so swollen he couldn’t open his eyes. He had eyesight problems for a few years after that, but it didn’t deter him from designing some world-famous parks, estates, and university campuses. In my case, when I was a teenager I fell into Poison Sumac while playing flashlight tag with some friends. My younger sister and I ducked into some bushes for cover and we found ourselves tumbling down a hillside of Sumac. Lucky for me, I landed on top of my sister. Unlucky for her, she got the worst of the Sumac while I only had it on my arms. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s very similar to Poison Ivy and just as itchy and uncomfortable.

A plant of particularly invasive and destructive nature is the Killer Algae. This algae was first noticed in an aquarium in Germany. Usually algae can’t live in colder temperatures, but this one was thriving. The algae ended up at the Jacques Cousteau Oceanographic Museum in Monaco where it supposedly was accidentally released when a worker was cleaning out an aquarium and dumped the waste into the ocean. That’s all it took. This algae now covers thirty thousand acres under the ocean, choking out all other aquatic life. Amy Stewart tells us that the Killer Algae is the “world’s largest – and most dangerous – single-cell organism.” It gets its name “Killer Algae” because it contains a toxin that poisons fish. In fact, this is what keeps fish from eating the plant and contributes to its widespread growth. It is one of the ultimate self-preserving organisms because not only is it toxic, it also can reproduce through propagation. If one small bit of the plant gets chopped off it can take root and form a new plant. It’s like the Terminator of the plant world: “That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.” Or at least until the fish and aquatic plants are dead.

In the category of intoxicating, is Ergot. Ergot isn’t exactly a plant, though, it’s a parasitic fungus that attaches itself to grasses like rye and wheat. It can be accidentally harvested along with the cereal and bread crops. It can infect anyone who eats it, causing seizures, nausea, gangrene and more – even death. Ergotism is rare today, however, “hysteria, hallucinations, and a feeling that something is crawling on the skin are all signs of ergot poisoning,” says Ms. Stewart. The drug LSD comes from an acid found in Ergot. It is thought that this fungus could be the cause of the bizarre behavior of the young girls of the Salem witch trials.

“Wicked Plants” was an interesting read, that happened to also make my skin crawl from time to time – or maybe I have Ergot poisoning. It’s amazing what the wrong plant can do to a person. Maybe it’s not that old chemical spill or mass hysteria that’s making those school girls in upstate New York have Tourette-like symptoms, maybe it’s actually some sort of accidental plant poisoning. You never know… just throwing it out there.

There’s another book by Amy Stewart with more of Briony Morrow-Cribbs’ etchings called “Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects.” Even though this doesn’t sound like relaxing bedtime reading, I may have to check it out anyway. It will most likely make me squeamish and have me checking for bed bugs every night.

Ok, I can’t resist one last picture of Molly posing with the book...

Even Molly agrees, this book is seriously “wicked.”
Not as wicked as her claws, though. Check out those talons!

Garden-Related Book: “Founding Gardeners” by Andrea Wulf

What do you do when it’s too cold to garden? You read about gardens. Yes, not only am I a garden geek, I’m also a book geek – and a bit of a history geek, as well. I blame my interest in history on two people: My mom for giving me an appreciation of American history and my art history teacher in college for giving me an appreciation of European history.

My mom grew up in Virginia and whenever we’d go there for a visit she would make sure to take us to somewhere historic. From president’s homes like Monticello (Jefferson’s home) and Mount Vernon (Washington’s home) to the many battlefields, we got a fine education in American history. So given that background, I think it’s pretty obvious why I was excited when I heard about Andrea Wulf’s new book, “Founding Gardeners,” which I recently finished reading. It’s about Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madison as farmers and gardeners – showing how their passion for gardening helped shape American history. Before I read the book I had gone to a lecture given by the author at Winterthur in Delaware. The lecture had me hooked and the book was simply fascinating – at least to this garden/history geek! I’m sure I’ll do a very poor job of explaining what the lecture and this book were all about, but I’ll give it a shot. 

I think it’s an interesting perspective to have an author who was born in India, raised in Germany, and moved to England write a book about America’s founding fathers and their gardens. Ms. Wulf had no idea that America had such a rich garden history until she was doing research about botanist/horticulturalist/explorer John Bartram for her book “The Brother Gardeners.” (Surprisingly, I have not read that one yet.) While following in the footsteps of Bartram, Andrea found herself in Virginia and decided to pop in and see Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello. In her words, she was “flabbergasted.”  Jefferson had crafted his grounds as carefully as he had planned his house – transitioning the wild forests into his orchards, vegetable garden and decorative gardens. Her real epiphany came when she saw his huge vegetable garden (1,000 feet long) that was carved into the hillside. She realized that here was a truly innovative gardener who successfully changed the landscape so that it was a perfect union of wild and rugged, ornamental and useful.

When America was still under British rule, we weren’t planting native plants in our gardens. Instead we were obsessed with European plants, while Europe was the one obsessed with plants from The New World. Most of Philadelphian John Bartram’s clients were Europeans. So it was pioneering thinking when Washington, who was busy fighting the war with Britain, wrote his property manager and told him to rip out the gardens and start over with native American plants. As you approach the bowling green at Mount Vernon, it’s trees and shrubs that are native to this country that you first see. The great American hero wanted a great American garden. It symbolized his patriotism and his dedication to the future of this country. These days we hear a lot about gardening with native plants, however, when Washington decided to start his garden over with native plants and trees it was a pretty novel idea.

The American Revolution instilled a want of independence on many levels. Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison felt that agriculture was the key to our survival as an independent country. We needed to be self-sufficient and our gardens and farms would help us stand on our own two feet. These men shared the idea that working the land was the most honorable pursuit, whereas industrialized cities could lead to corruption. An agrarian society would make America strong and independent. As Jefferson said in his “Notes on the State of Virginia” book: “Cultivators of the earth are the most virtuous and independent citizens.”

All four men were avid readers of any new book on agriculture and farming they could lay their hands on. They read the latest from Europe and tried to find ways to implement their ideas in America. They experimented with new crops, crop rotation, different types of fertilizers, and produced tools to make their plantations more efficient. They collected and exchanged seeds to find out what did well and what didn’t. They shared idea with other farmers, thinking of themselves as just farmers as well. 

Thomas Jefferson was an experimenter, a planner, and an obsessive note-taker. His vegetable garden is the best example of that. He would plant many different varieties of the same vegetables and record what did well and what did not. His home, Monticello, was also a constantly changing “experiment” – he was always designing, building, then tearing down and starting over. He was a man of many ideas. It’s as if the real world couldn’t keep up with his brain – as soon as he got an idea and implemented it he had another new idea. He believed in the “sublime beauty” of America and his house takes full advantage of that as it sits on a hilltop overlooking the mountains and valleys around Charlottesville, VA. He carefully planned the road that took visitors to his home so that they would transition from the wilderness, to tamed forests, to a working farm, to decorative gardens.

While Washington and Jefferson were visionary in gardening and farming, they weren’t usually the ones doing the “real” work. They rode around their plantations on horseback overseeing the work of others. They relied on their plantation managers to execute their ideas and their slaves to do the manual labor. In contrast, John Adams was a much more hands-on gardener. He was happiest while working the earth. In fact, he had a true obsession with manure. Yep, manure. He read about manure, conversed about it, experimented with it, and was constantly trying to find the formula for the best manure because he believed it was key to good soil. He had a much smaller plantation than the others, however, he felt his garden was essential to his happiness. 

Madison’s home at Montpelier was a model farm where he applied the many things he learned from reading gardening and farming books. Madison was also one of the country’s first environmentalists. As Americans moved westward, the wilderness and forests were seen as obstacles that had to be removed. Madison promoted the idea that our forests and lands were precious and should be preserved and treated with respect. After being elected as the first president of the Agricultural Society of Albermarle County in Virginia, he gave a memorable speech that earned him the reputation as one of the most respected farmers in America at that time. He spoke of soil conservation and chemistry, plant physiology, over-timbering, preserving nature, and more. His theories came from the many books that he had read, however, he was the first one to bring all of these ideas together. His approach was revolutionary.

All four men were thankful when they retired because it allowed them to do what they wanted to do most – be in the garden. They saw themselves as gardeners and farmers more than politicians or revolutionary heroes. However, they knew their homes and gardens would be part of their legacy and they wanted America to know they were patriots in every possible way.

There is much more fascinating history in “Founding Gardeners,” I only touched on a few key things. I can’t say enough how much I loved this book. I found it truly fascinating how it looked at history through the founding father’s gardens – such a new and interesting perspective. Almost a quarter of the book is “notes” with bibliographies and such, so it’s clear a lot of research went into it. I also really enjoyed Andrea Wolf’s writing style. She helped bring to life these men and their gardens. Not only were they revolutionary heroes, they were pioneering gardeners and farmers who made a lasting impact on America’s agricultural history.

Below are links to the homes and gardens of the four founding fathers featured in “Founding Gardeners.” All homes are well worth the visit:

George Washington’s Mount Vernon (VA) http://www.mountvernon.org/

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello (VA) http://www.monticello.org/

John Adams’s Old House at Peace (MA) field http://www.nps.gov/adam/index.htm

James Madison’s Montpelier (VA) http://www.montpelier.org/