Why not make your last summer book this story of the man who created so many of the wonders in your garden?Dusty D received this marvelous volume from her in-laws for my birthday. It details the rise of the (eccentric, natch!) Luther Burbank from humble origins to the maestro of a sprawling farm in California. The book is full of fascinating details about plants you grow that likely you never thought twice about, such as the fact that Burbank's potato is the one Monsanto chose to further tweak by adding the insecticide Bt. The gifted finaglings of an offbeat plant guy a century ago are still good enough for a giant food corporation.
Burbank's twiddling with walnuts, and the disappointing (yet humorous) experience most folks had with walnuts prior to Burbank, gave rise to the title of this post, not to mention [geek marriage] a printed-out motto on our fridge. The most memorable image in the book? Burbank's "mother trees" or "nurse trees" in his nursery--each one with over a hundred different slips grafted on, blooming with a hundred different-colored flowers in the spring--and they still exist today! Seek out this marvelous book before summer ends.
