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Kew
Kew: The Witch's Garden: Plants in Folklore, Magic and Traditional Medicine
Wise women, apothecaries, witches, herbalists, whatever you call them, those who cultivate plants for their fabled mystical and healing properties have existed for thousands of years.
Witch’s Garden describes over 50 of the world’s most powerful magical plants and their uses, mythical and proven. From the screaming Mandrake to calming St John’s Wort, the history of these esoteric species is often as dark and elusive as the art of herbalism itself.
Including tales of remedies for everything from bad weather and broken hearts to protection from evil and the invocation of immortality, the book features exquisite botanical illustrations and fascinating specimens held within the archives of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, while archival images depicting occult practices evoke the bewitching nature of these mysterious species.
Witch’s Garden describes over 50 of the world’s most powerful magical plants and their uses, mythical and proven. From the screaming Mandrake to calming St John’s Wort, the history of these esoteric species is often as dark and elusive as the art of herbalism itself.
Including tales of remedies for everything from bad weather and broken hearts to protection from evil and the invocation of immortality, the book features exquisite botanical illustrations and fascinating specimens held within the archives of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, while archival images depicting occult practices evoke the bewitching nature of these mysterious species.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
99 people are currently reading
1,414 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 24, 2020
If you like plants, folklore and history, you'll enjoy this book! Loved the combination of illustrations and photographs which really brought the prose sections to life
March 7, 2023
The content was good, interesting, but the title really doesn’t warrant the witchy title. It’s basically a history of how the herbs and plants grown at Kew have been used in medicine. It wasn’t very detailed, so a bit disappointing.
April 19, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Such wonderful insight into herbal medical history, beautiful illustrations and just absolutely fascinating.
April 6, 2024
This book is misnamed, in fact I’m almost certain it was written under the concept of “the healer’s garden� and then changed to “the witch’s garden� to capitalise on the trend for all things witchy.
This is mostly descriptions of the medical history of plants, mainly from herbals written by men. It’s well written and interesting(!) but I felt misled by the lack of witching and women’s history.
This is mostly descriptions of the medical history of plants, mainly from herbals written by men. It’s well written and interesting(!) but I felt misled by the lack of witching and women’s history.
December 20, 2024
This book feels like you're walking through an exhibition looking at plants in a forest. Despite the title there is very little mentioned about witch's and witchcraft but I still learnt quite a bit!
My overall rating of 2.5 stars would have been higher if not for that one page about fly agaric :(
My overall rating of 2.5 stars would have been higher if not for that one page about fly agaric :(
July 1, 2023
Lovely illustrations and a good introduction to plant lore. Has very little to do with Witchcraft however, but a pretty book and a nice addition to the bookshelf.
February 14, 2024
Perfect if your interested in plants and folklore with the odd witchy reference. Really interesting!
January 18, 2024
An easy book to pick up and put down with beautiful illustrations. A great introduction into how plants and herbs have evolved medicinally throughout history, involvement with withcraft and interpreted through mythology and folklore all over the world. Some mind blowing stories and facts that sometimes made me laugh out loud that I had to share with friends. I plan on reading more from the Kew series!
February 4, 2024
Very interesting in a slightly dull sort of way.
January 9, 2021
This is an entertaining read for anyone interested in some folklore behind plants, even some very common herbs we consume widely today and flowers we favor for gardens. This is an instance where I love the design of the book as much as the content. It includes illustrations from various historical contexts as well as images from herbarium sheets of the dried plants being discussed, and overall is just laid out well and pleasing to view. While other cultures around the world are featured, it leans a little heavily on European folklore, but that might be expected with the title and the image sources. I chose it as a fun and inspiring read before diving into gardening instruction books and was not disappointed.
March 19, 2022
A non fiction account of flowers and fauna from Kew gardens. This includes the fighting early physicians had to do to be recognized. I never had thought about it to be honest, where the occupation originated from. Each plant has one page dedicated to it, so your not committing to a huge read and it is summed up nicely.
January 7, 2021
Such an interesting book for whoever is interested about plant's world and want to know more.
Full also of pictures and legends from poisonous plants until love potion.
Full also of pictures and legends from poisonous plants until love potion.
March 26, 2023
Kew: The Witches Garden is an odd one. It feels more like an exhibition guide printed off and published rather than a book in it's own right. The book flits around through time periods, countries, social class, plants used for good and plants used for evil. In theory it covers a wide array of topics under the plantlore umbrella, but ends up feeling restrictive to just the work of a few renaissance era writers. This is understandable to an extent as the books of these writers have been preserved whereas earlier books or oral herblore traditions will have been lost to time, but it makes the quick non-European, or non-British specifically, lines feel more like underdeveloped asides.
A lot of the information also feels surface level or not particularly well proofread. Various plants or concepts are listed without explanation or example, and some terms (such as a vascular plants) are mentioned in one chapter but only defined in a later chapter. We get more in depth information at the end of each chapter where we have a page or two dedicated to talking about one specific plant, completing the exhibition like feel, where the beginning of the chapter is the information board at the start of that room and then the individual plant pages are a display case contents. Unfortunately a lot of that plant information starts to become very repetitive, there are only so many times you can read about how white flowers brought into the home are bad luck, or how almost any plant can be used by a girl to predict when she will get married. It's also a shame that there is barely any mention as whether, or if they do how, any of these treatments actually work, though unnecessary in the case of the husband predications!
There are some sections which get a bit more interesting. The one on Nicholas Culpeper is a standout, covering how social upheaval at the time affected medical treatment, as Culpepper railed against the College of Physicians to give medical information and affordable treatment to regular people. These social aspects are easily the most interesting, such as how the traditional role of women healers was restricted by male dominated medical establishment. Unfortunately, this is a minority of the book, but these more chronological sections show how a more engaging book could perhaps have been written.
Aesthetically the book is very pretty. As a coffee table book to glance into, or for looking up information on a particular plant, it works well. The book doesn't skimp on the illustrations and colour, with each page spread having one page dedicated to a large single image, with the other page often having smaller illustrations. It does cut down on the amount of information you get to in the 201 pages (again adding to the exhibition like feel), though given how repetitive the book was maybe that's a blessing.
A lot of the information also feels surface level or not particularly well proofread. Various plants or concepts are listed without explanation or example, and some terms (such as a vascular plants) are mentioned in one chapter but only defined in a later chapter. We get more in depth information at the end of each chapter where we have a page or two dedicated to talking about one specific plant, completing the exhibition like feel, where the beginning of the chapter is the information board at the start of that room and then the individual plant pages are a display case contents. Unfortunately a lot of that plant information starts to become very repetitive, there are only so many times you can read about how white flowers brought into the home are bad luck, or how almost any plant can be used by a girl to predict when she will get married. It's also a shame that there is barely any mention as whether, or if they do how, any of these treatments actually work, though unnecessary in the case of the husband predications!
There are some sections which get a bit more interesting. The one on Nicholas Culpeper is a standout, covering how social upheaval at the time affected medical treatment, as Culpepper railed against the College of Physicians to give medical information and affordable treatment to regular people. These social aspects are easily the most interesting, such as how the traditional role of women healers was restricted by male dominated medical establishment. Unfortunately, this is a minority of the book, but these more chronological sections show how a more engaging book could perhaps have been written.
Aesthetically the book is very pretty. As a coffee table book to glance into, or for looking up information on a particular plant, it works well. The book doesn't skimp on the illustrations and colour, with each page spread having one page dedicated to a large single image, with the other page often having smaller illustrations. It does cut down on the amount of information you get to in the 201 pages (again adding to the exhibition like feel), though given how repetitive the book was maybe that's a blessing.
June 6, 2023
The title is a total misnomer. Although this book does touch on the fact that herbalism has gone through phases throughout history of being misunderstood and labeled as magic or witchcraft, it isn't really about that. It is a good introduction and invocation for further research into herbalism and the folklore surrounding it. It is also just an enjoyable read with a fair amount of dark humor woven in, which I really appreciate. It is not super in depth but is a good and interesting starting point for further research. I did notice some inconsistencies/editting mishaps (such as referring to Isis as a god instead of goddes or sometimes confusing the latin names of mugwort (artemisia vulgaris) and wormwood (artemisia absinthium). BUT, overall, it is a compendium that opens the door for further research, and, as such, it is an excellent resource.
Aesthetically, it is a beautiful book with an incredible cover and lovely illustrations throughout.
Aesthetically, it is a beautiful book with an incredible cover and lovely illustrations throughout.
October 26, 2023
Interesting introductory glance into the historical use of plants within medicine and folklore. The pictures are definitely the highlight of the book, on every other page at least, making it a good book for a browse. I found the incorporation of plant meanings from a range of different cultures and places, rather than just focusing on the European perspective, a nice inclusion. I found that the structure of the book and the chapter divisions were a bit confusing and the book seems to jump around between topics without much reason. While an interesting introductory text, this is not a book that offers guidance in the usage of the plants and the title’s reference to the witch doesn’t accurately reflect the majority of the information laid out by the text.
December 11, 2024
The Witch’s Garden: Plants in Folklore, Magic and Traditional Medicine by Sandra Lawrence offers an enchanting exploration of the mystical and medicinal roles of plants throughout history. The book blends botanical knowledge with fascinating folklore, weaving a rich tapestry of the cultural significance of plants in magic and traditional medicine. The stunning illustrations and engaging anecdotes make it a visual and intellectual delight, perfect for both plant enthusiasts and history buffs.
It’s an inspiring and beautifully crafted read that will deepen your appreciation for the plants around you. A solid 4-star recommendation for anyone intrigued by the intersection of nature and folklore!
It’s an inspiring and beautifully crafted read that will deepen your appreciation for the plants around you. A solid 4-star recommendation for anyone intrigued by the intersection of nature and folklore!
January 28, 2024
Fairly bite-sized information on a fascinating subject, looking at the connections between plants, folklore, myth and traditional medicine. There are pages on a few specific plants mentioned, with the information split into several chapters. It doesn't give much confirmation either way about most of the beliefs about the plants, whether or not there was any real basis for our ancestors to use particular plants for particular treatments (aside from a few examples), although this may be because there still isn't a lot of scientific proof either way about what medicinal value many plants may have. It's a well-laid out, interesting book, with gorgeous illustrations to enhance the information.
April 21, 2021
This is such a beautiful book about so many beautiful things: plants, history, folklore, magic - definitely my cup of tea.
I learned so much from this read. The illustrations and photographs are a wonderful accompaniment to the pages of information and anecdotes, and Lawrence has a perfect balance between informing and entertaining in her writing. I also realised that I have a real interest in the history and wonders of plants and herbalism that I'd love to keep exploring - and I'll certainly be returning to this book in the future!
I learned so much from this read. The illustrations and photographs are a wonderful accompaniment to the pages of information and anecdotes, and Lawrence has a perfect balance between informing and entertaining in her writing. I also realised that I have a real interest in the history and wonders of plants and herbalism that I'd love to keep exploring - and I'll certainly be returning to this book in the future!
July 26, 2023
More accurate rating: 7.5/10.
This is basically the botanical equivalent of Sandra Lawrence's other book The Magic of Mushrooms, and thus a nice and very colourful publication about plants in culture and folklore. It is divided in different thematic chapters (plants for healing, witchy plants, plants for different phases of life, etc...) and presents both general information about botany, or rather ethnobotany, as a whole, and more precise information about different species of (mostly vascular) plants.
I would've appreciated a little more raw botany, was a little disappointed a couple of personal favourite plants were absent from the book, and I'm pretty sure I spotted one or two mistakes in the text... but the book otherwise contains what is advertised in the title, with lots of beautiful illustrations to boot! It's definitely a solidly enjoyable publication for botany and ethnobotany aficionados alike!
This is basically the botanical equivalent of Sandra Lawrence's other book The Magic of Mushrooms, and thus a nice and very colourful publication about plants in culture and folklore. It is divided in different thematic chapters (plants for healing, witchy plants, plants for different phases of life, etc...) and presents both general information about botany, or rather ethnobotany, as a whole, and more precise information about different species of (mostly vascular) plants.
I would've appreciated a little more raw botany, was a little disappointed a couple of personal favourite plants were absent from the book, and I'm pretty sure I spotted one or two mistakes in the text... but the book otherwise contains what is advertised in the title, with lots of beautiful illustrations to boot! It's definitely a solidly enjoyable publication for botany and ethnobotany aficionados alike!
November 30, 2023
Interesting content
This book held so much promise and does have lovely illustrations but the format hasn't been struggling to easily read on Kindle making it virtually impossible to read the words. For make text bigger the words are a bit blurry all in all if you can put up with the format the content is interesting,
This book held so much promise and does have lovely illustrations but the format hasn't been struggling to easily read on Kindle making it virtually impossible to read the words. For make text bigger the words are a bit blurry all in all if you can put up with the format the content is interesting,
December 17, 2023
Loved this book, perfect night read with a cup of herb tea before I go to sleep. I liked the illustrations and all the pictures that were included. There is so much information for all the plants and herbs and folklore, and I loved the writing. I chucked a few times by the witty comments on the use/beliefs of certain herbs.
February 11, 2021
Difficult to read
The type in the kindle version overlaps and has sporadic spaces which makes reading difficult and gave me a headache. I haven't seen the print version but I wouldn't recommend this version to anyone.
The type in the kindle version overlaps and has sporadic spaces which makes reading difficult and gave me a headache. I haven't seen the print version but I wouldn't recommend this version to anyone.
April 21, 2022
I just wish a few more common plants were included
Fascinating book and the pictures are lovely to look at
The mythology and folklore is all very interesting and unique and it is nice to see it coherently written through comparison and detail
Fascinating book and the pictures are lovely to look at
The mythology and folklore is all very interesting and unique and it is nice to see it coherently written through comparison and detail
June 20, 2022
This book was a gift and a wonderful one. A charming compendium on plants through folklore. I learned plenty about my own plants, and it has inspired me to grow more (and perhaps look at installing a stillroom). The illustrations are gorgeous, too.
October 8, 2022
My only criticism of this book is that I wish it were longer than 200 pages. I would have loved more detail and more plants listed. I would happily have read it if it were twice as long, and given it 5 stars.
July 11, 2023
The author appears to have no expertise in witchcraft or herb use. Very broad stoke repetition of whatever she found elsewhere including some stand out errors (e.g. on raspberry leaf tea).
Misleading title.
A massive disappointment!
Misleading title.
A massive disappointment!
December 20, 2023
Sorry to finish this one. Excellent references. I must have researched every other page. So much historical information. This was fun to read. I learned a lot in these short pages. I’m sure it will get a second reading.
January 18, 2024
A gorgeously illustrated book with pithy summaries of each plant's folklore and herbalist associations. Entertaining and informative. My only complaint would be the simplistic treatment of 'the church.'
December 4, 2024
The information is good written well but it reminded me of Hermetic herbalism by Jean Mav’eric just written differently .colpepper was mentioned a lot. But would I buy it? Probably not 📖📖 it it’s worth a read
December 24, 2024
Libro interessante che dà un'infarinatura generale sulle piante medicinali, i loro usi nella storia e il loro folklore. Essendo un'opera divulgativa, non vi sono reference per ogni aneddoto raccontato, cosa di cui ho sentito la mancanza. In ogni caso una lettura carina.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
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