Book Review: The Garden of Invention

If you recognize the connection between a potato, a shasta daisy, and a walnut tree, then you may be aware of the impact of the work of Luther Burbank, plant breeder extraordinaire. Luther Burbank was responsible for "inventing" and improving many plants that we take for granted today, and in the early 20th century was regarded with the same awe as were his contemporaries and friends, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.





The Garden of Invention is the story of Burbank's life and the early days of plant breeding. It is a book I ordinarily wouldn't pick up to read had I not attended Spring Fling in May ( a gathering of over 50 garden bloggers). At the Friday night reception, I was milling about before dinner, trying to meet as many bloggers as possible. A petite woman introduced herself as Jane Smith, and we began talking. I found out that she was not a blogger, per se, but a writer who had written a biography of Luther Burbank. It wasn't until after dinner that I found out that each of us was given a copy of the book, courtesy of Prof. Smith, which I later had autographed. I appreciate not only Prof. Smith's generosity, but also the chance to read a fascinating book I might otherwise have never read.




Luther Burbank was born in New England in 1949 to a brickmaker, not a farmer, and was a shy child who enjoyed reading Emerson, Thoreau, and Longfellow. Although his family recognized his superior intelligence, as he reached adulthood they feared he would never learn a trade and no doubt never envisioned the career path he would eventually take. Inspired by the writings of Charles Darwin, he eventually decided to raise vegetables to market. After a few years, he discovered one of his potato plants produced superior potatoes and began to market them, the humble beginnings of what would be Burbank's most famous contribution to agriculture--the Russet Burbank potato.

Below: One example of a Burbank creation, the

Shasta Daisy, "Becky"

While still a young man, Burbank moved to the warmer climate of northern California and eventually purchased land in Santa Rosa where he began his adventures in plant breeding by careful observation, plant selection, and experiments in cross-breeding. As his sales of plants and seeds increased, so did his fame, eventually drawing visitors from across the world to his garden where he became known as "The Wizard of Santa Rosa." Although well-respected for his botanical genius, Burbank never achieved the wealth one might expect. Because the U.S. Patent Office did not grant patents to natural products, he was unable to patent any of his new varieties of plants, preventing him from receiving the kind of royalties that surely would have made him a rich man.



The Garden of Invention is more than just a biography of Luther Burbank, however; it is a fascinating history of the end of the 19th century and the early 20th. Meticulously researched, the book provides a wealth of information to explain the impact of Burbank's work and the reason for the reverence accorded him by the public. Prof. Smith reminds us that in the late 19th century, the economy in the U.S. was based primarily on agriculture. It was a time when land grant colleges intended to promote the study of agriculture had only recently been established. Institutions like the University of California at Berkeley, a land grant college, and a small private school, Leland Standford Junior University (later Stanford University) were very interested in Burbank's experiments with plants.

Below: One of my favorite annual for containers, "Raspberry Blast"
petunia, which is a variegated pink. Note the solid fuschia
blooms--perhaps a reverting to one of its parent genes?

It was also a time when food had to be shipped to California around the tip of South America. That fact certainly explains the significance of Burbank's contributions to the development of orchards and vegetable gardens in that state.



It was a time when the word science was first coined, and a controversy began as to whether Luther Burbank was a true scientist, since his studies were not founded in academics but through personal observations. Of course, it also
didn't help that Burbank never revealed to anyone the exact details of HOW he created a new plant.

Burbank liked to talk to his plants, which some found rather eccentric. But nearly everyone who met him was impressed by his basic goodness and decency. He was a philosopher as well as a botanist, and as his reputation grew, people were eager to hear his views on many subjects.


One of the more interesting insights into Burbank's life is Chapter 10, "The Training of the Human Plant." It was a surprise to me to find out that this childless man wrote a book about child rearing at a time when the eugenics movement was gaining popularity. However, anyone frightened by the implications of that term—eugenics—is reassured by quotes from Burbank and Smith’s explanation of his beliefs. In short, he believed that it was the nation’s responsibility to ensure that all children received “the wholesome food and healthy environment needed to make [them] strong” (192). Rather than support any kind of artificial genetic manipulation, Burbank promoted helping every child to reach his or her potential.

“Give them nature. Let their souls drink in all that is pure and sweet…Let nature teach them the lessons of good and proper living, combined with an abundance of well-balanced nourishment. Those children will grow to be the best men and women. Put the best in them by contact with the best outside. They will absorb it as a plant does the sunshine and the dew.” (191-192)

One of the few notable Burbank failures: trying

to develop a spineless prickly pear cactus for cattle feed.

I don't read much nonfiction, and I skim rather

than read gardening books, but A Garden of Invention was a book I truly enjoyed. Jane Smith is an eloquent storyteller whose attention to detail and background information makes this an engrossing story. Gardeners and non-gardeners alike will enjoy reading about the man who changed the world of gardening forever.

Left: The legacy continues . . .

For other reviews of all types of books, check out Barrie Summy's Book Review Club.