LORE OF THE GARDEN

Press, 30 December 1978, Page 15

LORE OF THE GARDEN

Gardener's Delight. By John Seymour. Michael Joseph. 96 pp. $8.95. (Reviewed by Margaret Quigley)

It would not be strictly accurate to say that this book is aptly named. A delight it certainly is, but the restriction imposed by the first word of the title is unnecessary; even non gardeners could not fail to be charmed by this slim, attractive volume, containing “the description, place, time, names, nature, historie and vertues of all manner of fruits of the earth for the growing and consuming thereof.” The book deals with about 50 edible fruits, vegetables and herbs; each one has a full page colourful illustration by Peter Morter, one of Britain’s leading botonical painters; each one also has a separate page of text. These brief descriptions combine history, folk lore, ancedote, quotation, wry humour and succinct advice on planting, cultivation and preparation or cooking. The writing continually amuses, informs and delights —~ the only

problem one may have in reading this book is finding some-one to listen to all the bits that demand to be read aloud and shared. “A certain gentleman of Siena being wonderfully taken and delighted with the smell of basil, was wont very frequently to take the powder of the dry herb, and snuff it up is nose; but in a short time he turn’d mad and died; and his head being opened by surgeons, there was found a nest of scorpions in his brain.” John Seymour comments on this cautionary tale from Tournefort, “One cannot be too careful.”

Two important properties of dill seeds are revealed here, for we are told that besides being “a gallant expeller o' wind” the seeds were also eaten by long-suffering congregations to induce sleep during dreary sermons, hence their name of “Meeting House seeds.” Resisting the temptation to quote further I will say only that text and illustrations combine perfectly to make this compendium of gardening lors appeal to any gardener or cook.