The Devil’s Garden

An irresistible work. Peter Marren opens herbology’s chamber of secrets and teaches us all how to slay it with flowers. * Simon Barnes, author of How To Be a Bad Botanist *A bewitching botanical safari. This excursion into the intoxicating world of sinister-sounding plants is as unsettling as it is fascinating ­– at times I could almost feel planty tendrils creeping over my shoulder. * Leif Bersweden, author of Where the Wildflowers Grow *A deep dive into the dark – and often disconcerting – world of poisonous plants and fungi by a master naturalist and storyteller. * Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World *A wonderful tour through a garden of gruesome delights. Peter Marren explores the slimy, smelly, spiky and sinister in all their glorious awfulness. * Kathryn Harkup, author of A is for Arsenic *

Peter Marren is an award-winning natural-history writer and conservationist. A wildlife polymath, his writings extend from journalism, obituaries, book reviews and opinion pieces to humour and news summaries for the likes of Whitaker’s Almanack. He was a regular contributor to British Wildlife magazine for 33 years and is the author of more than 20 books, including Bugs Britannica, Chasing the Ghost, After They’re Gone, and Mushrooms and Rare Plants in the British Wildlife Collection series.