The Seed Detective

August 1, 2022
British documentarian and "seed detective," or guardian, for the British charity Garden Organic, Alexander focuses here on some of the (mostly) vegetable groups at the foundation of the Western diet, including peas, beans, carrots, leeks, brassicas, asparagus, lettuces, garlic, tomatoes, chilies, squashes, and corn. He obviously delights in each of these, sharing copious but thoroughly engaging research on their origins, culinary uses, and growing conditions and practices, as well as, most urgently, how those groups can be rediversified--and their seeds preserved--in our modern world of monocultural farming. Citing the loss of some 90 percent of all varieties of fruit and vegetables in the last century, Alexander shares his excitement over the potential for rescuing this lost heritage. One reason is a home garden's potential as "the most biodiverse [space] for plants, wildlife and food production, [and] growing and saving seeds of local and culturally important crops." All of which makes this title worth a serious look.

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May 1, 2023

Lifelong gardener, dedicated seed collector, and film and television documentarian Alexander (A Year at Kew; A Garden for Eden) writes in mouth-watering detail about vegetables he treasures and why biodiversity matters, not just to taste buds but to an ongoing ability to feed ourselves. The history of human interactions with 14 vegetables (peas, garlic, corn, and numerous beans) accompanies Alexander's attention to botanical detail and his stories of personal connections to farmers and farms. VERDICT Fascinating for gardeners and ecology-minded readers. May induce a hankering to seek out or grow brown badger peas, Johnson's Wonderful Longpod beans, and Hanging Lobster tomatoes.

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