Grow Your Own Monsters

Here’s a DIY picture book that focuses on growing weird and wonderful plants, like the Walking Stick Cabbage, Venus Flytraps, Pitcher Plants, Lychees and The Voodoo Lily.

The first nine pages are full of clear, sensible advice and worthy make-do-and-mend equipment. Scoular Anderson’s illustrations, photos and diagrams contribute hugely to the clarity and visual appeal of the enterprise. A Glossary and where to buy seeds in the UK, US and Canada are a good inclusion.

One important section in every double-page spread is the troubleshooting box. What worries me as a gardener is that some of these plants are a bit pernickety, slow growing or downright difficult in our climate and patience, failure to germinate and outright death doesn’t seem to be very high on the cheery agenda. Worth a try. Give it a go!