The latest
book by Emma Cooper, Jade
Pearls and Alien Eyeballs (Smashwords, May, 2014), combines two
of her favorite topics: gardening and unusual edibles. Cooper, author
of four unique gardening books – The Allotment Pocket Bible
(Crimson Publishing, 2011), The Alternative Kitchen Garden
(Permanent Publications, 2009), Growing Vegetables is Fun!
(Dennis Publishing, 2008), and the audiobook The Peat Free Diet
(Emma Cooper, 2012) – is an established author and expert in her
field. The recent addition of a Master of Science in Ethnobotany deepens what she
is able to share on her website and helped spur Jade Pearls
into existence.
Cooper states
in her introduction that Jade Pearls is meant to inform and
inspire gardeners everywhere to try growing unusual edibles. Many are
perennials, which makes them easy to incorporate into forest gardens,
regular landscape schemes, or anywhere a gardener might want to have
a reliable feature. She begins with a short history of global plant
movement (from Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt up to modern day plant
research in space) that sets the stage for how the unusual edibles
later profiled made their way to the gardeners she introduces in
subsequent chapters. Even if one is not a farmer like me, the stories
are fascinating.
Likewise, the
growers she introduces – a mix of amateur and professional
(including yours truly) – are as captivating. Some, like me, grow
for fun and by accident (plants given as gifts or normal for the new
place we find ourselves living) while others (like Owen Smith at
Radix Root Crops)
research how to grow these plants out of concern for a changing
climate or as a solution to other environmental worries. Regardless,
there is plenty to learn and inspire. Cooper provides plenty of links
to websites, books, and articles making her Jade Pearls an
ideal springboard for searching out more information on how to grow
some of these lovelies on your own.
Like any good
gardening book should, Jade Pearls had me jotting down
additions to the list of things I want to read (Stephen
Barstow's Around the World in 80 Plants springs to mind)
and the list of plants I want to grow (mung beans and the Japanese
wine berry) this year or next. It also has me thinking more deeply
about perennial edibles native to Japan that could be incorporated
into my new garden here in Kanagawa. One minor drawback was the lack of photos (Cooper says she prefers to avoid photos as
it forces readers to do some of their own homework. Read more of her
thoughts on that next week when she visits as part of her
virtual book tour.) It is,
though, by no means a deal breaker. Jade Pearls is a very welcome
addition to my library and even though it's in electronic form, I
expect it soon to be well-thumbed.
by Emma Cooper
Available for
preview and pre-order at Smashwords
Officially
available on May 1st
Look for an
extended interview with Emma next week along with a reading as part
of her virtual book tour. Check out the
whole calendar for even more fun!
2 comments:
Thank you so much for posting a review :) I'm looking forward to stopping by soon as part of my virtual book tour!
You're most welcome, Emma! Thanks for such an engaging and informative read.
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