Plants from the Edge of the World: New Explorations in the Far East
Intrepid horticulturists Flanagan and Kirkham recount their travels throughout the Far East, bringing to light exploits of modern-day plant hunters. The storms of 1987 devastated England's Kew Gardens, felling thousands of trees and inducing Flanagan and Kirkham to seek seeds to advance and expand the gardens' collections of woody specimens. They now recount their expeditions in a rousing, first-person narrative replete with descriptions of magnificent forests etched in the silvery foliage of firs and ablaze with maples and rhododendron. The team faces all sorts of tribulations, from breakfasts of eel-head soup and pig's ears to swarms of mosquitoes, gale winds, and the plight of being lost in remote realms. Nonetheless, a rare and wonderful trove of plants encountered along the way is described enthusiastically amid the breathtaking scenery of panoramic gorges, pristine mountainsides, and monolithic trees. Armchair botanists will enjoy each fascinating journey to the outer reaches of distant continents and the authors' accounts of successful plant cultivation back in England.Alice JoyceCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved