Customer Reviews

The Brother Gardeners: A Generation of Gentlemen Naturalists and the Birth of an Obsession (Vintage)

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The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf


I originally meant to alert a friend about this book and ended up being completely surprised by the scope of the book and it's rapt attention to history, which is my first love.

Prior to the dawn of the 18th Century and into the early 1700's scientists were of the notion that plants did not reproduce sexually. They held forth a myriad of scenarios by which plants were replicated.

Thomas Fairchild, a nurseryman in England, could not have disagreed more. Fairchild took it upon himself to cross pollenate a Carnation with a Sweet William and a new species was born.

By 1733 an enterprising cloth merchant in London received 2 cases of plants from the Colonies
and became the first real merchant of garden plants as we know them today. But this was just the beginning.

Ms Wulf traces the the English love of gardening through history- including the Voyages of Discovery by Sir Lord Banks and his journey around the world- only the 2nd Western vessel to round the Horn of Africa and on into the Indian Ocean, all the while gathering more plants and specimens.

Captain Cooks voyages are chronicled, as well as the acquisition by Lord Banks of the famed Linnaeuss collection from Sweden, all in a most readable style and engaging format.

The book is illustrated throughout and contains a superbly cross referenced Glossary for the uninitiated gardener. With an extensive Bibliography this is a book, that while about garening- is about so much more.

I highly reccommend this book for the Amatuer Gardener as well as the Armchair Historian.

The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession
One of the best written and organized books that I have read in quite some years. What could be a pretty esoteric topic becomes a wonderfully interesting and germane story. To some extent it reminds me of Kurlansky's Cod although this work is even better written.

The book comes alive because the author captures so well the personalities of the people involved. Bartram and Collinson are so human. And their problems in keeping up a relationship at such a distance is beautifully and sypathetically portrayed. Linnaeus is wonderfully and humanly portrayed. What a genius, what a jerk! Reminds me to some extent of Richard Wagner, one of my favorite composers, but one of the most
egotistical and sometimes downright nasty people that one is likely to
meet. The same sort of self-aggrandizing individual as Linnaeus. Banks, who, at first, seems (and evidently was) completely heartless, becomes more humane as he ages. And I love the irascible Miller who is a genius in his own way and knows best about everything (which often he does), but can be irritating to those with less knowledge and ability, and too dogmatic to see the virtue of Linnaeus' system. And the charming Solander, who has the guts to abandon Linnaeus, is amusing as the scholar and drawing room raconteur (some great scenes when Banks saves his life and they enjoy the splendors--and women--of Tahiti together).

I love the way the author naturally weaves into the story the personalities and events of the day--Benjamin Franklin, Lord Petre, James Cook, William Bligh; the American Revolution, the war with France, the colonial ambitions of the major nation players. What a treat to see history written as it should be, fascinatingly and compellingly.

The writing flows so well, the ideas are so well organized, and the pictures that Ms. Wulf paints are so vivid, that it all seems so effortless. However, after reading the acknowledgments and bibliography, I know that is not the case. I can only marvel at what Ms. Wulf has achieved. What a fascinating topic, marvelously presented!!!

Brother Gardeners is a delight to read. It is full of interesting stories about the major figures of plantsmanship in the eighteenth century. The illustrations are excellent. I am interested in botanical art, and I thought this would be a fairly dry read, but it is extraordinarily chatty and entertaining.

The Brother Gardeners is a compelling read, chronicling the colorful men who made their mark on the horticultural world in the 18th and 19th centuries. You'll meet John Bartram, the unsophisticated American who in collaboration with his English friend Peter Collinson (who he never met), changed the landscape of Britain with the North American plants he sent to that country. The clash of personalities, egos, and sensibilities are riveting as Wulf describes the English resistance to Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus system of classifying plants because it was based on a sexual system of ordering - and perhaps more importantly because Linnaeus was self-promoting and arrogant. Linnaeus was a genius, and ultimately he transformed plant classification and nomenclature, but he irritated people, and that caused them to resist his innovative ideas. You'll meet Daniel Solander, Linnaeus' protégé, who deserted his mentor in favor of his newfound British colleagues who were enchanted with his engaging personality as well as his botanical skills and knowledge. Another important player is Joseph Banks who built on the achievements of these people by consolidating practical horticulture, systematic botany and imperial expansion into a coherent enterprise. The people involved in the early years of horticultural exploration, classification, and plant trading are fascinating, and the stories and interrelationships of the key men are beautifully told in this excellent book.

This book should be read by everyone interested in the history of botany. In fact, it should be read by everyone interested in history period! Although it is non-fiction, it reads like a novel and makes the historical characters come to life. It gives a glimpse into the relationship between the American colonies and England prior to the Revolutionary War and beyond and also reveals insights into many historical figures. Who knew that Carl Linnaeus was not only brilliant but also petty, arrogant and self-centered?

If you think botany is a boring, dry science, this book will change your mind. Read about the rugged early adventurers who braved unexplored lands, unfriendly inhabitants, disease and dangers all in the pursuit of discovering new and exotic plants. If you like plants, discovering their history only makes them more interesting. Andrea Wulf has written a well-researched and interesting book. A must read for plant aficionados.

If you are a gardener who has a passion for plants in the landscape, you must add this book to your library! Andrea Wolf shares a wonderfully crafted story of an historic plant exchange and plant discoveries that have impacted gardeners around the world. Even though it is nonfiction, it reads like a novel. Furthermore,even the paperback includes beautiful pictures and an amazing reference chart. I love sharing my books with friends and fellow gardeners, but this one is not leaving the house!

When I first picked up the book given to me by my mentor, I decided to just read the first two pages being assured I would be bored very quickly. I found myself picking up the book every spare moment I had for the next 4 days. The book is an example of great story telling of true events. It tells of how plants moved from continent to continent and how this trade helped to shape our history. It recounts the stories of John Bartram (a founder of the American Philosophical Society), Peter Collinson, Carl Linnaeus, Daniel Solander, Joseph Banks, and how their lives involved the lives of many others such as Benjamin Franklin, Catherine the Great of Russia, Captain Cook etc...
If ever you longed for stories of plant hunting in unknown places and crossing great oceans to discover new lands here is a book to help satisfy your want. As I read the book I felt envious of the adventure the protagonists lived and thankful to them for the great variety of plants we now have available to us because of their work. I think this is an entertaining essential read to anyone who has ever had an interest in growing plants simply for its pleasure. You must read this!

This is a fascinating tale of well-known plant hunters two hundred years ago and their interactions with one another and with those who financed them. Some of our native plants were hot items in Europe and England long before we began to appreciate them. How could that happen? The Brother Gardeners I purchased at Amazon revealed the story behind it all.

I really enjoyed this book and had even ordered the second book in the "series" before I had finished this first one. Well written and researched!

This book was reviewed on public radio and because of it, I purchased the book. itis well written and enjoyable, especially if you are a history buff as well as a gardner.