Crossing the disciplines of history, ethnobotany, and horticulture, Sumner underlines how European settlers and their descendants made use of the "strange" new plants they discovered, as well as the select varieties of foods and medicines they brought with them from other continents.
In this fascinating book, celebrated author Judith Sumner rescues from the pages of history the practical experience and botanical wisdom of generations of Americans. Crossing the disciplines of history, ethnobotany, and horticulture — and with a flair for the colorful anecdote — Sumner underlines a part of the American story often ignored or forgotten: how European settlers and their descendents made use of the "strange" new plants they found, as well as the select varieties of foods and medicines they brought with them from other continents. From "turkie wheat" (corn) to "tuckahoe" (a Native American source of starch), Sumner describes the transition from wonderment to daily use, as homesteads were built upon and prospered from the plants of the New World. It is a remarkable story of the interdependence of plants and the American home. Historians, herbalists, home gardeners, and ethnobotanists will find American Household Botany a treasure trove of original research and insight.
Winner of American Horticultural Society Book Award 2005
“Well documented, authoritative, eminently readable, and a good resource for several disciplines.”
Sumner's findings make interesting reading. -- Suzanne Hively Cleveland Plain Dealer 20041007 Historians, herbalists, horticulturists, ethnobotanists, cooks and home gardeners will find many items of interest written in a delightful and useful manner in this comprehensive book. -- Joanne S. Carpender National Gardener 20041021 She has gathered often quite obscure information from a huge number of both primary and secondary sources for American Household Botany in order to tell utterly fascinating tales of ethnobotanical history. HortIdeas 20041216 Engaging and enlightening. -- Ilene Sternberg Wilmington News Journal 20041216 A fun and hearty read. -- Marion Owen UpBeet Gardener Newsletter 20041203 This is a treasure of original research and insight. -- Russell Studebaker Tulsa World 20041211 It is a remarkable story of the interdependence of plants and the American home. Historians, herbalists, home gardeners, and ethnobotanists will find American Household Botany a treasure trove of original research and insight. Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Newsletter 20050209 Historians, herbalists, ethno-botanists, and even home gardeners will find [this book] a treasure trove ... an absolute joy to read. -- Larry Cox Tucson Citizen 20050210 The book traces the history of the immigrant's dependence on these unknown resources and provides a very well written lively history of the settler's numerous ways of coping with and utilising plants. -- Michael Heinrich Journal of Ethnopharmacology 20050308 Readers will discover many intersting tidbits about the geographical origins, folklore, and uses of particular plants. ... Readers will gain a good general introduction to plant science and discover the multitudinous ways in which plants play a part in people's lives. -- D. H. Pfister Choice 20050322 It makes a great gift for anyone who loves history or gardens or both. -- Mary Ann Newcomer Idaho Botanical Garden 20050329 History underground is unearthed in Judith Sumner's latest contribution to American studies. ... isn't nearly as dry as its title implies. In fact, the subject matter can get a bit dirty. -- Suzanne Moore Wichita Falls Times Record News 20050403 Sumner is an accomplished storyteller who weaves together fascinating information about plants and people. -- Linda Askey American Gardener 20050520 The subject as presented here is more than a factual history; it places these plants in the daily activities of people, from chores to rituals, and anchors them in a realistic landscape that has room for beauty as well as utilitarian function. -- Kim Long Bloomsbury Review 20050524 A sprightly tome, well written, and well researched, covering a range of topics... fascinating. -- Marvin J. Caldwell Taxon 20050211 -- Joann Karges Sida, Contributions to Botany 20050923 The book begins with foods cultivated by Native Americans, then discusses garden plots of European settlers that provided wood, fiber, and textiles. It gracefully merges history, ethnobotany, and horticulture, all spiced with colorful antecdotes. American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter 20050101 American Household Botany is a great way to while away an afternoon. Each page is permeated with an abundance of fascinating facts and figures. ... [It] will amaze, delight, and inform. -- Lynette Walther Camden Herald 20060729
Judith Sumner grew up just outside of Boston and not only lived near meadows, fields, and ponds, but also had some expert local gardeners for neighbors who were never too busy to talk to a curious child. They were eager to impart their wisdom of the good earth. "In the relatively recent past, all humans had to be skilled practical botanists in order to survive; we had to know which vegetables would hold up during winter storage, which herbs to use for specific illnesses, how to prepare plant fibers for weaving, and how to select the right woods for construction or cooking fires. We now forget many of the daily interactions with plants that were taken for granted during the past three centuries." Judith is a frequent and popular lecturer for botanical and horticultural organizations, ranging from various garden clubs to the New York Botanical Garden, and the Plimoth Plantation. She was also a speaker at the 11th Annual Maine Garden Day. She served as the visiting lecturer at the week-long Star Island Natural History Conference, and she was a guest on Martha Stewart Living. Judith has presented a First Friday lecture at the Boston Museum of Science and was a featured lecturer at the Herb Society of America's annual meeting. Her column "The Gardener's Kitchen" (under the pseudonym Laura Craig) appeared in Horticulture magazine for several years. Judith Sumner teaches medicinal botany at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and at the Garden in the Woods, the botanic garden of the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham, Massachusetts. Her lectures are highly sought after by inquisitive students of all ages, and she has been honored with awards for excellence in teaching. She is the author of The Natural History of Medicinal Plants as well as numerous scientific publications.
This item is eligible for simple returns within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. See our returns policy for further details.
