The Untamed Garden: A Revealing Look at Our Love Affair with Plants

by Sonia Day

 In this charming gift book, master gardener Sonia Day brings together delicious tidbits from myth, history, botany, and plant lore to reveal how plants have seduced our hearts, minds, and bodies throughout the ages. Organized in thematic chapters that loosely follow the arc of a love affair, the book journeys from "Innocence" through such stages as "Flirtation," "Seduction," "Lust," "Deception," and "Rapture." Scattered throughout are love potions, examples from the Victorian "language of flowers," and charming anecdotes, all told in Day's delightfully irreverent and conversational voice. Gorgeously designed and featuring full-colour photos and illustrations throughout, this is a sumptuous tribute to our enduring fascination with plants.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2011

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have noted, this is a beautiful looking book, but there isn't much to the writing.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I admit that I'm pretty sure I was not the intended audience for this book. When the author used the term "hoity-horts" for people who might want to use the actual scientific name of a plant, I had to stop reading before I tossed the book into a wall (it is a library book, after all).
The book is lovely and very well produced, but there is very little to back up most of the author's needlessly salacious statements about the plants she covers. Most of the time she seemed to be trying much too hard to make it all about sex.

[JodiP · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is beautifully produced, and I truly enjoyed looking at all the images. However, Day's writing is juvenile and fatuous. She really, really wants us to focus on the sexuality inherent in flowers and for my taste she goes too far. She's flippant and I didn't find her amusing. I looked at the images, but quit reading after about 2 1/2 chapters.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

an enjoyable book that uses bits of history & cultural lore in describing various plants. I did skip a couple of chapters on plants I wasn't interested in, but overall found it a light but interesting read. The book itself is beautifully done, the typeface & illustrations really add to the overall feel I think she's trying to convey :)