December 15, 2010 • Category: Blog, Guest Authors, Promotions
39 COMMENTS
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As some of you know, I planted a poison garden while I was working on Wicked Plants. I’d never grown, much less seen, some of the plants in the book, and it’s just too weird to write about plants you don’t know. So I managed to come up with about 35 species that I could actually grow in my climate, in a small secluded garden, without inflicting too much harm on anyone (poison oak, for instance, was not invited).
And you know what? Some of those plants were very pretty. Castor bean! Datura! Opium poppy! Foxglove! Tobacco! Lovely, really. Not suitable as an entree, but lovely nonetheless.
So imagine my excitement when Botanical Interests offered to put those very plants together in a Wicked Plants seed collection. The impetus for this is the upcoming Wicked Plants exhibit at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers (more about that in the coming months)–this gives them a little something extra to sell in the gift shop and support their fine work.
(Botanical Interests, by the way, does a lot to support the fine work of botanical gardens. Have you seen their Botanic Garden Series in partnership with Denver Botanic Gardens?)
So. Here, just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping: the Wicked Plants Seed Collection. Here’s what you get: Datura meteloides, foxglove ‘Gloxiniiflora’ blend, Nicotiana sylvestris, two poppies (Double Peony and Hungarian Blue), and a castor bean ‘Impala’.
Oh, and let me just add–I’m not making money off this; I was just happy to see it happen so that the Conservatory would have a revenue-generator for their gift shop next year. If Botanical Interests does well with it, all the better. And if you happen to know a shop that would like to carry the collection, have them contact Botanical Interests and make it so.
–Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants
Want to win the Wicked Plants book and the Wicked Plants Seed Collection? Just leave a comment here or on our Facebook page to enter!
Tags: Amy Stewart, Botanical Interests, San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Wicked Plants
Daniel Kesel says...
your “Wicked” books were a great and interesting read. in fact i plan to take botany when i get to college! ^.^
December 8, 2012@ 12:49 PMim a 16 yr old sophmore at POLAHS.
~Danny
Bianca says...
These plants are really fantastic! The garden is splendid. I find it interesting that they are toxic, but present extreme beauty.
January 9, 2012@ 1:52 AMDeb says...
Intriguing! I would love to have such a unique garden
February 14, 2011@ 12:37 PMKevin says...
Please sign me up for the contest!! Would love to check out these “wicked plants”!! And I’m always looking for new and interesting things for my garden!! Thanks!!
January 6, 2011@ 4:14 PMAmelia Maddox says...
I’m so happy this book is around. People should respect, not fear these “wicked plants”. The best way is to grow them and appreciate them for their uniqueness and beauty!
December 24, 2010@ 2:47 AMChagas says...
You could follow up with a “medicinal plants” seed contest next year! Or, possibly more intriguing, a “Pyschotropic Garden” seed collection. Great idea, I hope it continues into the future.
December 21, 2010@ 9:45 PMDebbie McMurry says...
Would love to win the wicked seeds! Sounds like a interesting seed contest!
December 18, 2010@ 7:05 AMWould love to read your book!
Sonia says...
Brilliant! What a fun addition to the garden. Can we win that wonderfully creepy Poe-like arrangement in the top photo, too? Moo hoo ha ha haaaaaaaa!
December 17, 2010@ 11:10 AMEmily says...
I’m so happy this book is around. People should respect, not fear these “wicked plants”. The best way is to grow them and appreciate them for their uniqueness and beauty!
December 16, 2010@ 11:10 AM