- ISBN13: 9780976626619
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
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These are not good times to put out a book on edible wild plants. Unless you’re Samuel Thayer.
When I reviewed Thayer’s first book, The Foragers Harvest, I wrote that it is as good or better than anything available on the topic. It has since become the go-to book for students at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. His new book, Nature’s Garden, builds upon the high standard set by The Foragers Harvest and establishes him as the leading authority and author on edible wild plants that has ever published. It isn’t slightly better than other books on the topic; it’s in a whole different league.
The meat of the book is made up of plant accounts. These are in-depth profiles of edible plants, full of photos of how to identify, harvest and use them. The author bases all of his work on personal experience, so there aren’t the usual falsehoods handed down by authors of lesser works. Instead, you get what works, along with anecdotal stories of how the author got to know the individual plants and how he’s used them in the past. His writing style is conversational, and while there is a description for each plant that includes botanical terminology, the author writes it so as to make it accessible to the non-botanist. The numerous photos contribute greatly to aid the neophyte in identifying the individual species. The Harvest And Preparation section for each plant is where the author’s experience really shines. Whereas the Peterson’s Field Guide To Edible Wild Plants will list “starchy root” or similar descriptive term after a plant, Thayer has several pages of highly descriptive how-to information. To use a specific example, most books on edible plants have a sentence or two on acorns. Nature’s Garden has 50 pages.
Anyone who has read The Foragers Harvest would expect the Plant Accounts to be encyclopedic and accessible, full of great photos and useful information. On this point, they deliver. If the book contained just Plant Accounts it would still be a fantastic resource. But there’s more to outdoor living and foraging than how-to, and in the first section of the book the author gives a snapshot into the mind of living with wild foods. With sections on getting started, the ethics of harvesting wild plants, conservation, personal experiences on a wild food diet and a harvest calendar, he provides those new to foraging a great jumping off point. In a section titled Some Thoughts On Wild Food, he offers useful advice such as don’t make a wild plant fit the description in the book (which is a common pitfall), then expounds upon the myth of the instant expert. The last chapter of the section is titled “Poison Plant Fables”, where he discusses the story of Christopher McCandless and how his demise in Alaska, chronicled in the book and movie Into The Wild, didn’t occur as the famous author of his biography would have us believe. He didn’t poison himself by eating the wrong plant. Rather, he starved to death. By pointing out the facts, though, he doesn’t poke fun at McCandless like so many armchair survivalists like to do. Instead, he treats him with respect, saving his derision for the authors and movie producers for not telling the truth. The money quote from this section comes in a section titled “What Lessons About Wilderness Survival And Wild Food Can Be Drawn From The Story Of Chris McCandless?”
‘In a short term survival situation, food is of minor importance. However, in long term survival or “living off the land”, it is of paramount importance.’
Bushcraft continues to evolve for me away from skills and toward personal relationships with the land and people. While I’ve never met Samual Thayer, after reading this first section I feel that we’re kindred spirits.
There isn’t a better book on edible wild plants. Taken together with The Foragers Harvest, it is the last word on the topic in print. I don’t think more can be learned from any book; to go beyond what Thayer has written, you have to be out there actively foraging.
Rating: 5 / 5
Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced forager, you’ll find this book fascinating and a must-own. I have over 200 books on edible wild plants, and this is far and away the best ever published.
A visual and informative treat that is hard to put down, its 512 pages are well illustrated with 415 color photos. Sam brings us fresh insights on 41 new plants. (“New” because the first book in Sam’s series, The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants covered 32 other plants.) One of the great things about Sam’s writing is that it is absolutely authentic, based on first-hand knowledge. For instance, every one of the 32 plants in TFH is one that Sam has eaten at least 50 times.
A second thing that distinguishes Sam’s work from other authors is that Sam has a great curiosity. He doesn’t hesitate to question edible wild plant claims made by other authors. He delves into research reports and studies, experiments on his own and keeps track of his findings like a scientist. His “Nature’s Garden” account on acorns is 51 pages long, and contains information and a synthesis of material and insights that you’ll not find anywhere else.
One of the plants included in NG is garlic mustard, which I had written off as an edible that wasn’t to my liking. I’ve cooked and eaten the leaves, the flower buds, and the tuberous root. I’ve nibbled on the bitter, pungent seeds. In his chapter on garlic mustard, Sam writes that the young, succulent stalks, stripped of leaves before the plant blooms, are mild, sweet and juicy. He says that they are good in salads, snacked on raw, excellent boiled or steamed like asparagus, and that they add a nice flavor to soups. This may sound weird, but I can hardly wait for garlic mustard to come up again this spring, so I can try it!
Sam also has a chapter on autumn olive. He says that they are the berry of choice for making fruit leather. I agree wholeheartedly. He demonstrated how to make it several years ago, let me taste some, and I thought the fruit leather was awesome. Since then, I have made enough for my own use and have shared it with over 300 people in wild food presentations.
If you are concerned with how applicable this book might be to your part of the country, take a look at page 16 if allowed by Amazon. In the chart, Sam states a percentage of the plants covered that would be found for a given state or Canadian province or territory. Sam has done a masterful job of choosing the 41 plants, and comments in each plant’s chapter on closely related species found in other North American locations. Only three states – Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada – and two Canadian territories – Nunavat and Yukon – are below 50%. Even if I lived in one of them, I would still want to purchase this book for the insights that Sam delivers. Also, since I travel, it would allow me to pursue my hobby in other regions.
This book is definitely a must-own.
Rating: 5 / 5
Award-winning expert in wild foods Samuel Thayer presents his latest, up-to-date expert work in Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. Nature’s Garden lives up to its title with extensive information on harvest seasons for wild plants, and detailed instructions for preparing gathered foodstuffs. More than 400 color photographs on high-quality paper illustrate this compendium, helping the viewer see the difference more acutely in look-alike plants. From black oak acorns to ligonberries to cow parsnip and more, Nature’s Garden covers an immense diversity of edible plants – including some that require extensive preparation according to step-by-step instructions. A professional-quality reference, and an absolute “must-have” for anyone seriously contemplating “living off the land” for an extended period of time.
Rating: 5 / 5
Thayer has compiled another outstanding edible wild plant book with 512 pages that essentially has the same format as his first book, The Forager’s Harvest, which has 360 pages. Not only does Nature’s Garden continue to fill the void but the author listened to criticisms about his first book and expanded the coverage for the entire U.S. and Canada by including widespread species and genus-groups. A tutorial on “Plant Identification and Safe Consumption” provides the step by step lesson for those unfamiliar with how to go about getting started. The author has a nice 20 page chapter on “Poisonous Plant Fables” in which he puts to rest the twisted and incorrect notion that Christopher McCandless died from eating a poisonous plant that was perpetuated by Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild. There are 42 plant account chapters that are applicable to well over 100 species of North American edible wild plants. Every plant account has the common name(s), scientific name(s), family scientific and common names, an introduction covering some thoughts and experiences of the author, description, range and habitat, harvest & preparation, while others may include sections on ecology, history and lore, individual genus or species accounts, comparative tables, a dichotomous key (Lettuce-Dandelion Group only), line drawing (lotus tubers only) and an abundance of excellent photos. There are 50 pages dedicated to a fan-freakin’-tastic section on how to collect, process and utilize acorns from oak trees. He has added some very useful comparative photographs of some commonly mixed up poisonous and edible plants. For example, he clearly shows how to differentiate between Poison Hemlock (C. maculatum) and Wild Carrot (D. carota). In comparison to his first book, it contains a bibliography that is 4 times the size and a similar but slightly expanded glossary which is also very useful, as well as a handy index. A visually stimulating book with informative, enthusiastic words from an experienced, practicing forager who continues to research and experiment with edible wild plants. Without question, this book must be in the hands of those who are just beginning through to the accomplished foragers. Sam: thanks for taking the time to assemble this fabulous book and for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us so we can more easily and confidently enjoy the bounty that nature provides!
Rating: 5 / 5
I like that he has first hand knowledge and has (it sounds like) dedicated his life to this topic. It is nice that he goes into depth on each plant and shows poisonous look-alike plants. I find this book to be well written; interesting to read; and useful for this topic. It is nice that he spends time discussing the myths about harvesting wild edibles. It helps to allay some of the fear and societal pressure against it.
Rating: 5 / 5