Synopses & Reviews
For fifteen years, The Savage Garden has been the number one bestselling bible for those interested in growing carnivorous plants. This new edition is fully revised to include the latest developments and discoveries in the carnivorous plant world, making it the most accurate and up to date book of its kind. Beautiful, exotic, and surprisingly easy to grow, flesh-eating plants thrive indoors and out, in a wide variety of climates. The Savage Garden is hands-down the most comprehensive guide to these fascinating oddities, fully illustrated with 200+ color photos. This updated edition covers changes in soil and fertilizer products; water quality updates; advances in artificial lighting; new information on transplanting, pot sizes, and plant grooming; and the many incredible new species of carnivorous plants that have been discovered and hybridized, including a dozen new sun pitchers and over 50 tropical pitcher plants. Whether you're a beginner with your first Venus flytrap or an expert looking for the latest specimen, this book covers everything you need to create and nurture your very own little garden of horrors.
About the Author
PETER D'AMATO has been growing carnivorous plants for nearly 40 years and his nursery, California Carnivores (CaliforniaCarnivores.com), houses the world's largest collection of carnivorous plants. D'Amato is co-founder of the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society and writes a column for the International Carnivorous Plant Society newsletter. He lectures on the subject nationwide, including at the University of North Carolina Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the California Horticultural Society, UC Berkeley, the San Diego Zoo, and Michigan's Fredrick Meijer Gardens. D'Amato has appeared on HGTV, the Travel Channel, The Martha Stewart Show, and CNN.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: What Are Carnivorous Plants?
Part One
The Basics of Cultivation
Soils * Water * The Water Tray Method * Pottery and
Containers * Natural Light * Dormancy * Artificial
Light * Feeding Your Plants * Fertilizing Carnivores * Carnivorous Plants as Pest Controllers * Pests and Diseases
Part Two
Where to Grow Carnivorous Plants
Growing Carnivorous Plants Outdoors * Bog Gardens * Windowsill Growing Terrariums and Tanks * Greenhouses
Part Three
The Plants AND HOW TO GROW THEM
The Venus Flytrap
The American Pitcher Plants
The Cobra Plant
The Sun Pitchers
The Sundews
The West Australian Pitcher Plant
The Dewy Pine
The Rainbow Plants
The Butterworts
The Bladderworts
The Tropical Pitcher Plants
Other Savage Plants from the Demented Mind of Mother Nature
Appendices
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Photography and Illustration Credits
Index