Monday, May 25, 2009

The Poison Garden





Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities (which I plan to purchase as soon as I finish this post) is living my dream. In a plot of ground behind her house in California, she's growing her very own Poison Garden filled with killer plants such as hemlock, foxglove, jimson weed, and castor beans. She's even decorated her garden with tombstones, skulls, and half-buried books.

I'm so jealous I could spit. But at least I can visit the Stewart-inspired “Wicked Plants” exhibition that's coming soon to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I'll try not to nibble anything while I'm there.

Read more (and take a peek at Amy Stewart's garden) here.

20 Comments:

Anonymous Black Cat said...

Ever heard of nutmeg?
It's a very commonly found spice. Most people have it in in thier kitchen.
Weird, since in large amounts it can cause convulsions, nausea, and dehydration, don't you think?

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Black Cat said...

Belladonna isn't very friendly either. It's one of the most toxic plants in the Western hemisphere...

...and looks like any other part of a good salad.

MWAHAHAHA!

9:08 AM  
Blogger Thumb Biter said...

that is amazing! Why didn't I think of that??
PS: Another Knitta is coming. I haven't decided where yet, but it's finished.

10:19 AM  
Anonymous liltomboyblue said...

Sweet! I'd like that garden. My parents love to garden, but they grow a lot of our food, so mixing poisonoues plants withe edible ones doesn't seem to smart....

Kirsten: I was driving back from my granny's (shes moving) & we stopped in Asheville for some dinner! We went to the Early Girl (if I remember correctly) We were going to go to the laughing seed but they had a really long wait. It was cool, I was wearing my irregulars t-shirt! xP

11:58 AM  
Blogger Kitty said...

THAT'S SOO COOL!! 8D I'll try making one later XD

1:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that's is....well...... AWESOME!!!! so cool, but i am not sure my mom would be happy with poisonous plants mixed in with our watermelons and mint leaves... oh well!

2:50 PM  
Blogger andalucy said...

I just reread Hawthorne's short story Rappaccini's Daughter and the setting is a very atmospheric poisonous garden. Awesome!

3:37 PM  
Blogger Orchid said...

That's actually kind of really cool.

4:07 PM  
Blogger Kirsten Miller said...

Liltomboyblue: Thanks for showing off your Irregulars shirt in the great city of Asheville!

4:53 PM  
Anonymous liltomboyblue said...

XD np!

5:13 PM  
Anonymous Hazel said...

That's so cool! I bet it's illegal in my city, along with chickens and sparklers and grass over 8".

5:46 PM  
Anonymous EQ said...

Hazel: Why would they outlaw tall grass? It makes a house look mysterious and sad.

On the subject of dangerous plants, did you know that a lot of people think mushrooms are plants? And wow, there are a lot of poisonous mushrooms.

Of course, since I wouldn't eat a mushroom even at gunpoint, I don't think I have much to worry about that...

--EQ

7:21 PM  
Blogger Reel Dancer said...

haha Black Cat for a play i was in the girl got high off of nutmeg (in the play)
Happy Memorial Day!!! i'm so tired my cousins and i had a sleep over (awake til like 5 am) then we were playing volleyball all day. now i look like a tomato :(

8:50 PM  
Anonymous UU said...

That is really cool in a creepy way!

11:10 PM  
Anonymous ~chanel~ said...

man, i want a poison garden! there are some people i know who i can live without...

7:21 PM  
Anonymous xXxHeartOfStonexXx said...

Omigosh! I want one!!! Can you imagine how cool that would be to go outside and read, like, dracula in your own "Garden of Death"??!!

4:02 PM  
Anonymous dangerous said...

HAHAHA oh, the fun I could have with one of those. Ya know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic...... (if you can catch the reference you will get a cookie in a random flavor)

4:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

actually EQ, for my science class we had to research all the kingdoms, and mushrooms are a fungi, not a plant :]
-LD
P.S. i agree, never had a mushroom, never will, although my dad loves them!

5:40 PM  
Anonymous 8yearsoldandcute said...

that is my screan-saver

11:46 AM  
Blogger MorethanMe said...

Scary... I WANT THOSE!!!!

5:24 PM  

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