Recommended Read: The Garden of Invention

As summer slowly slips out of reach and the cool temperatures and spectacular fall leaf colors quickly reach their pitch there is no doubt our gardens will in time enter their annual slumber. For the discouragement of knowing I have to wait these several months of increased darkness accompanied by rain and snow and cold are significantly enlightened by knowing I can always grab a good book to dive into. Gardening books of course can always be found close to my bedside.

This weeks article is the first of what I plan on being many posts containing reviews and recommended reads. I share with you the perfect gardening book to be picked up during this time of year when perhaps we are not as consumed by the details of what temperature the soil should be before the peas go in, or how to prune that unruly Rhody, or what is causing those scarlet tomatoes to rot. Jane Smith's book The Garden of Invention: Luther Burbank and the Business of Breeding Plants is an exciting and most interesting leisurely read not on the details of how to garden, but on the life of Luther Burbank accompanied by a most delicious historical slice of America, agriculture, and plants during the early 20th century.


Although mostly long forgotten, Luther Burbank is responsible for the breeding and introduction of many of the plants that most gardeners work with on a daily basis and take for granted as a long time part of the plant buffet. Most famous of the more than eight hundred new varieties introduced by Burbank include: Shasta Daisy, Rainbow Corn, Elephant garlic, and the Russet Burbank Potato. The last of which is arguably one of the most used plants in the world. According to Smith, McDonalds restaurants specify only Russet Burbanks. It is hard to imagine a time when such a plant, or the french fries they represent, did not exist.

In this book you walk along with Luther Burbank in his Santa Rosa, California, garden as he nearly stumbles upon and markets the now well known Russet potato, breeds and grafts new fruit trees, pollinates poppies, and creates one of the largest gardening mail order catalogs in the world. A most welcome inclusion in the book are many original photographs of Burbank including him entertaining Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at his home in Santa Rosa as well as many great prints of magazine covers featuring Burbank, as well as original plant advertisements and seed catalog marketing efforts before the introduction of high quality photography and color printing.  One of my favorites portrays Burbank on the cover of Success Magazine in 1905 described as the High Priest of Horticulture.

I highly recommend picking up this book as a great fall or winter gardening read. Jane Smith's writing style is smooth and eloquent. She effortlessly keeps the attention and interest of anyone interested in plants, and you're guaranteed to finish your walk through Burbank's Santa Rosa garden more knowledgeable about the history of American horticulture as well as some of your favorite plants.