In seventeenth-century Britain, a new breed of 'curious' gardeners were pushing at the frontiers of knowledge and new plants were stealing into Europe from East and West. John Tradescant and his son were at the vanguard of this change - as gardeners, as collectors and above all as exemplars of an age that began in wonder and ended with the dawning of science. Jennifer Potter's book vividly evokes the drama of their lives and takes its readers to the edge of an expanding universe. Strange Blooms is a magnificent pleasure for gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

This 'wonderful book' (Jane Stevenson, Daily Telegraph) describes the remarkable lives and times of the John Tradescants.

Now in paperback, this 'wonderful book' (Jane Stevenson, Daily Telegraph) describes the remarkable lives and times of the John Tradescants, father and son, immortalized in Philippa Gregory's bestselling novels Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth.

About the Author
Jennifer Potter is the author of four novels and six works of non-fiction, most recently The Jamestown Brides, The Untold Story of England's 'maids for Virginia' (Atlantic, 2018). Other titles published by Atlantic include The Rose, A True History; Seven Flowers And How They Shaped Our World; and Strange Blooms, The Curious Lives and Adventures of the John Tradescants. A long-time reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement and an accredited Royal Literary Fund (RLF) Consultant Fellow, she currently runs writing workshops for students and staff at British universities and was recently appointed one of the first RLF Writing Fellows at the British Library.

Reviews
A tour de force... We owe Potter a huge debt of gratitude for the tireless research and sifting of evidence that have allowed the Tradescants and their great legacy to emerge so clearly at last. -- Jenny Uglow * Sunday Times *
The Renaissance delight in the sheer protean variety of stuff in the world has met its ideal presenter in Jennifer Potter's open pleasure in details. -- Jane Stevenson * Daily Telegraph *
Forget Alan Titchmarsh - it's the Tradescants of Jennifer Potter's Strange Blooms we should really salute... Beautifully produced and meticulously researched. -- Andrea Wulf * Observer *
Masterly... Jennifer Potter's achievement in Strange Blooms is to have breathed life back into the Tradescant name. -- Alexander Urquhart * TLS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781843543350
Author Jennifer Potter
Format Paperback
Page Count 496
Imprint Atlantic Books
Publisher Atlantic Books
Weight(grams) 480g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 35mm