Garden of Marvels

<p>Combing the curiosity of <em>The Botany of Desire</em> and the playful spirit of <em>Wicked Plants</em> a witty and engaging history of botany and gardening memoir from the author of <em>Paradise Under Glass</em>--an easy-to-follow anecdotal tutorial on the fascinating science of plants.</p><p>In <em>Paradise Under Glass</em> Ruth Kassinger-- a self-described wanton killer of plants--recounted with grace humor and poignancy her moving journey from brown thumb to green sharing the lessons she learned building a home conservatory in the wake of a devastating personal crisis.</p><p>In <em>A Garden of Marvels </em> she enhances and extends her story. While Kassinger successfully created her dream conservatory and rectified her initial gardening mistakes--the over-watering and under-fertilizing that often kill plants--she realized she had no idea what to do to help them thrive. Until she completely understood how plants actually worked she couldn't know exactly what they needed.</p><p>In her friendly and reassuring voice Kassinger introduces the basic botany of plants--flowers roots stems and leaves--and explains how they function together. Combining science and botanical knowledge with reflections on her personal quest to become a better gardener and illustrated with more than two-dozen black and white drawings <em>Garden of Marvels</em> is a journey of discovery that offers fresh and unexpected insights into the natural.</p>