Introduction "Nigel, It is obvious you share my passion and knowledge of the species. Long may you continue to do so." --Adrian Slack, author, Carnivorous Plants and Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them , July, 2015 The preceding note came to me as this book was in production. I wanted it on the cover; the folks at Timber Press, my publisher, felt it was too personal, so it wound up here. Honestly, I'm thrilled that it feels personal. Adrian Slack is my hero, a preeminent figure in the modern-day cultivation of carnivorous plants. The fact that he considers my passion and knowledge of these species in remotely the same realm as his is deeply gratifying. His books fueled my early interest; in fact, Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them was the last book written by an Englishman on carnivorous plant cultivation, prior to this one. My interest in the botanical world (today I admit to a straight-up obsession) came at an early age. I grew up in the once-leafy London suburbs, where my grandmother, who lived locally, was one of those people who could grow virtually anything with a good degree of success. She had a small wood-framed greenhouse in her garden which was barely six feet (two metres) square. As a child, I would delight in accompanying her there to water the occupants within. Even at that young stage, I found the incredible variation of form and colour fascinating, and as I looked upward through the green canopy in this tiny Eden, I recall being awestruck by the beauty of the diversity. When I was seven, an uncle bought me my first Venus flytrap. At that time, such plants (almost certainly ripped from the wild, unfortunately) could be found in garden centres, protected under unnecessary plastic domes--further prompting the curiosity of my seven-year-old mind. This poor specimen, like millions of its brethren, was doomed to die. But for me, it was an introduction to a group of plants which was to become a fascination that has captivated and at times frustrated me for more than thirty years. The largest obstacle to overcome in the early 1980s was the lack of information available on the subject. Aside from a handful of dedicated fanatics, carnivorous plants were generally unknown to the wider public; even now there are many who could not name an example besides the ubiquitous flytrap. Back then, there was just a single English-language book on the subject that was up to date: Slack's groundbreaking Carnivorous Plants , published in 1979. This title not only (though predominantly) covered the taxonomic nuances of these plants, but also for the first time touched, albeit briefly, on cultivation. The paucity of information and available plant material meant that a grower's primary goal was to maintain plants in cultivation. Any experiment that might result in a loss was out of the question, and the suggestion that temperate species could be grown outside was the furthest thing from our minds. It seems there remains a gap in the market, however--a lack of information in print as to the general cultivation of carnivorous plants. I still hear this from people, as well as the problem that the huge amount of information available online is bewildering and often contradictory. The purpose of this book is to act as both a general introduction to the genre of carnivorous plants, and as a guide for the more advanced grower who may have had a few successes and wishes to delve deeper into this peculiar and somewhat alien world. Cultivation is the primary intent, and I will cover the more commonly and easily grown representatives of a number of different genera, relying on plants that can successfully be grown in the home and garden. Some dismiss carnivorous plants as novelties; many pass my displays at flower shows, declaring, "Oh, I don't like those things." When introduced to the intrinsic beauty and wide-ranging diversity of these plants, however, I find that most people can appreciate their grace and elegance. I will also challenge the outdated opinion that carnivorous plants are strictly greenhouse inhabitants. Indeed, a good many are candidates for the garden, and hence deserving of a place alongside today's favourite ornamental plants.   Excerpted from Carnivorous Plants: Flytraps, Sundews, and Pitcher Plants for the Home and Garden by Nigel Hewitt-Cooper All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.