This is a book I've been wanting to read for a while and finally I treated myself when I found it reduced and then it's been sitting in my book mountain waiting to be read. It's a book you can dip in and out of, or as I did, read it from cover to cover. If like me you like plants, fascinating and mad facts and history then you'll quite possibly like this book.
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| A still life of history changing plants |
The author has chosen fifty plants that have changed the course of history, be they as a food, medicine, drug, causer of war or influencer of economy. Our earth is home to between 25000 and 30000 plants so to choose 50 is quite a feat! Plants have been around for around 470 million years and humans just a tiny speck of time in comparison and with our rapidly changing climate, our relationship with plants and our planet has never been more important.
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| Bamboo has over 1400 species in the world and uses from scaffolding to arrows, windmills to houses and medicine to cosmetics |
Arranged alphabetically by latin name this book takes you on a journey across the globe and through time. Form Agave to ginger via drugs, alcohol, food and medicine. It is a well written and illustrated book with many historical prints and illustrations and I've learned many interesting facts about common plants as I've read through the book. I also had a lot of fun doing the photography for this book review.
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| "Concerning the hop: as a result of it's own bitterness it keeps some putrefaction from drink to which it's been added so they may last so much longer" - Abbess Hildgarden of Bingen, Physica sacra, c.1150 |
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| Country people have been laying down their autumn wines for over 5000 years, it wasn't until the Romans took to exploiting the grape vine that wine went global |
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| Nutmeg, who knew such a little thing could cause so much trouble. The origin of the spice was a closely guarded secret from the Indian Ocean islands until the 1600s when the worlds first multinational, the Dutch East India Company elbowed their competitors out of the market using unscrupulous and colonial methods to the detriment of any who dared to try and smuggle nutmegs to other countries |
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| I love my nutmegs in their outer case, a gift from a friend, I've never used them, I like them as they are |
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| As well as being pretty in the garden or a vase, all these plant have changed the world and history |
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| From healthy seeds and cooking oil to modern art, the sunflower has a diverse collection of uses, but mostly I think it looks best in the garden |
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| Crab apples: from little apples come all the varieties we grow and eat today, cider, apple pies, myths and legends |
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| Spices, an expensive, exotic commodity for centuries, some worth more than gold at times. So many common phrases we use today also come from how or where these plants were grown. |
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| A cure for scurvy. a lucrative crop for californian settlers and a reason for lords and kings to build orangeries on their estates |
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| Opium poppies, from a medical break through to addiction and chaos |
Fifty plants that changed the course of history by Bill Laws, New Burlington Books, 2016.
ISBN - 978-0-85762-486-4
£14.99
Previous book reviews:
Gardens in Time and Space by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury
The Well Tempered Garden by Christoher Lloyd
Hummelo by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury
RHS Botany for Gardeners
The Jewel Garden by Monty ans Sarah Don
If you are interested to see what else is on my garden book shelves have a look at this blog
My Gardening book shelves. Happy reading!
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