The Savage Garden. - Review - book reviews

Whole Earth, Fall, 1999 by Mary Nisbet

THE SAVAGE GARDEN Cultivating Carnivorous Plants

Peter D'Amato. 1998; 314 PP. $19.95. Ten Speed Press.

Now here's a subject worth spending some time on. Carnivorous plants are bizarre and beautiful, and you can grow them yourself. These sterling qualities are nicely covered in The Savage Garden. You can't write a cultural manual this complete and clear-headed unless you have spent hard time With the subject ... over thirty years, in the case Of Peter D'Amato. And judging from the tone of the book, he's loved every minute of it.

The book is very well organized, with a thorough section on the general aspects of cultivation, soil, water, light, etc. Eleven genera have their own chapters, which include species, cultivars, hybrids, and explanations about where they come from and how they catch prey. Each chapter ends with more specific information about cultivation and propagation. By the time you finish you'll be digging up the yard to put in a bog or tossing the fish out the window because you need the tank. There are over 225 color photos and drawings, as well as resource and suggested-reading lists. Whatever your level of experience with "CPs," this book will educate and delight. You can visit D'Amato's commercial greenhouse, California Carnivores, in Forestville, CA, or find him on the Web (www.californiacarnivores.com).

"The trapping mechanism of the Venus flytrap is amazing, and prompted Charles Darwin to call Dionaea "one of the most wonderful plants in the world."

... A sweet nectar is produced by glands found along the inner base of the teeth that rim the trap. Insects, most often ants or flies, are lured by this nectar to enter the trap. As the insect moves about, drinking the nectar, it needs to touch or bend two of the tiny trigger hairs or one hair twice within twenty seconds to spring the trap. What occurs next is startling.

A mild electrical current runs through the trap. The cells on the outer walls of the lobes suddenly lengthen, doubling their size in less than a second. This quick growth causes the concave dished shape of the lobe to rapidly reverse itself. The trap snaps shut, causing the teeth to intermesh--imprisoning the insect in a cage.

"In mythology, Byblis was the granddaughter of Apollo, who fell in love with her twin brother. When he rejected and fled from her, Byblis wept bitter tears and turned into a fountain.

Glittering and often delicate, Byblis, the rainbow plants, can sometimes appear as frosted sprays of water, and in sunlight can sparkle with multicolored hues. Their shining leaves and pretty flowers mask their deadly nature, as they catch and kill countless tiny insects who make the fatal mistake of alighting upon them.

"CULTIVATION Soil recipe West Australian pitcher plants do best in a mix of one part peat to two parts sand and/or perlite.

Containers Plastic containers are best, but they also do well in terra-cotta or glazed clay....

Watering Use the tray method. Cephalotus dislikes long periods of being waterlogged, so it is best to allow the water in the tray to evaporate....

Light From full sun to part shade. The more sun, the more color in the pitchers.

Climate Cephalotus does best with moderately warm summers and cool to chilly winters....

Greenhouses Thrives in cool and warm greenhouses.

Windowsills Does well in partly sunny windows of fairly high humidity. Mist often.

Outdoors A fine potted specimen for partly sunny decks, patios, and porches....

Bog gardens Does well in deeper bogs that are not waterlogged.....

Feeding Small sow or pill bugs, tiny ants, or dried insects work well. Wingless fruit flies or baby crickets can also be fed to your plant.