The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants

Barry Rice reviewed the book for the September 1998 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter:^[12]

There are already several full-sized books on growing carnivorous plants. Granted, Slack's works are very hard to find, but Cheers wrote a fine volume. Do we really need another? In answer, I tell you to run, not walk, to the nearest bookseller and buy D'Amato's new book, The Savage Garden.

Rice praised the book's cultivation information, writing: "At no point did I disagree substantially with his cultivation prescriptions—with thirty years of experience, he knows his subject matter."^[12] He added that "what really sets D'Amato's book apart is his ability to bring across a sense of gothic fun".^[12] However, he identified a number of errors in the text:^[12]

The Savage Garden does have flaws. Some are minor but oddly consistent spelling errors (e.g. "N. bicalcurata," "U. reinformis," "U. humboltii," "thripes," and others). More significant is D'Amato's confusing use of a flurry of unpublished cultivar names. It is hoped these are mended in future editions.

Rice concluded: "The Savage Garden is informative, accurate, entertaining, and at $19.95 it is a bargain."^[12]

A reviewer for the American Horticultural Society wrote of The Savage Garden: "D’Amato writes with authority, passion, and humor—a winning combination."^[7] The Los Angeles Times called it an "exhaustive work".^[13] Jerry Williams of the Richmond Times-Dispatch also gave a positive appraisal of the book.^[14]