Chemistry in the garden

Chemistry in the garden

J. R. Hanson

Cambridge: RSC 2007 | Pp158 | £14.95 | ISBN 978 0 85 404897 7

'Chemistry determines much of what happens in the garden' are the opening words of this wide-ranging book, which takes us through the subject in eight chapters. A chapter on the biosynthetic relationship of natural products has a useful overview of the pathways used to make this amazing cornucopia of molecules, including a reminder of the important roles played by the isoprenoid unit and by acetyl coenzyme A. 

An impressive feature of the book is its coverage of 'bread-and-butter' substances, such as the properties that make cellulose such an important structural material. In the chapter on soil we learn of its organic and mineral content, and of the important roles of pH, nutrients and microbial interactions.