The Ever Curious Gardener:
Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden
by Lee Reich (pub 2018)
Lee Reich is an avid farmer with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. He worked for the US Department of Agriculture and later became a farmer, writer, lecturer, and consultant. His farm is in New Platz, New York.
Mr. Reich’s natural science is laid out under seven topical sections: Propagation and Planting, Soil, Flowering and Fruiting, Stems and Leaves, Organizations, Stress and Senses. From this, you can get an idea of the material in the book. A few of the topics covered in each section are listed below.
Under Propagation: The viability of seeds and how hormones affect seed dormancy; how touching and shaking plants can affect plant growth, Totipotence (the potential for almost any part of a plant to give rise to any other part of a plant) and how scales on a bulb are like leaves on a stem.
In Soil: Methods to speed up or slow the water traveling through soil, determining soil texture by hand or by sedimentation, hydroponics, etc.
In Flowering and Fruiting: Imperfect and perfect flowers, why some fruits are seedless, photoperiodism, ethylene and climacteric or non-climacteric fruits, and the good and the bad about hybrids.
In Stems and Leaves: Apical dominance and auxin; how to create an espaliered plant, what causes a burl, and blanching vegetables for better taste.
From Organizations: Plant families and flowers, classification of plants based on sexuality, the genus and species of plants, what are cultivars, and plant patents and trademarks.
In Stress: Plant transpiration of water, succulents and C4 plants, microclimates, viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
From Senses: Pigments in leaves, anthocyanins, carotenoid and tannins, cell acidity and stacking, the Fibonacci mathematical sequence in pinecones, sensitive plants, and the complexity of plant flavor.
Reviewers of this book praised the combination of science, history and personal observations of the author and his engaging style and humor. But I can give no better summary to this book than that provided by one of the reviewers, Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener.
“The Ever Curious Gardener explains some of the science behind what’s going on above ground and below ground in your garden and –most important—how you can work with these natural systems to grow plants that are healthier, more productive, and more attractive. “
Holly Sparrow, Headwaters Master Gardener