Book Review

The Magic of Seeds: The Nature-Lover’s Guide to Growing Garden Flowers and Herbs From Seed

by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers

Publisher: David & Charles

144 Pages

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Regular Pagan Pages visitors will know that my love of plants is no secret. So, getting the chance to review any flora-related book is a win, in my opinion. This volume from Clare Gogerty with superb illustrations by Prudence Rogers is a gem, both a riveting read and a useful reference book.

The Magic of Seeds is about growing your own plants for magical and practical purposes — after all, most magic is a pretty practical affair! The book is split into three main sections: In the Kitchen Garden, In the Hedgerow, and In the Flower Garden. Each section is then split into categories such as moon gardening, creating seed mandalas, and how to make tisanes. Readers will learn how to identify and collect seeds and why each is used for its particular purpose.

Throughout, the book is beautifully presented with both in-page and border illustrations. The style is whimsical yet accurate, with leaves and flowers depicted correctly — ideal for beginner foragers and gardeners.

There’s a combination of fonts, including a handwriting-style font that some may find less accessible. Thankfully, this is only used sparingly, and doesn’t take anything away from the usefulness of the book even if you find these small embellishments more difficult to read. Usually,  these decisions are down to the publisher rather than the author — publishers, we can’t all cope with cursive text!

One of my favourite sections is The Joy of Compost, in which the author explains why compost is so magical but also exactly how to create compost in ways that actually work. The illustrations here are more than just pretty additions. They help everyone from absolute beginners to gardening experts really understand what’s happening inside the compost bin.

All in all this book is a great addition to any magical bookshelf but also great reading for anyone interested in plants and gardening. It’s lovely to get so focused on the seeds themselves and their magical properties, rather than the typical herbal-style approach which gives a little information about all the parts of the plant. The author has taken a fresh look at plant-based magic from a practical, accessible perspective. Highly recommended.

Clare Gogerty is an author and journalist, providing “scribblings from a smallholding in Herefordshire,” according to her website. She writes about magic, gardens, travel, and curious, mysterious, often overlooked things.

Author Bio

Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, poet, and musician, as well as a freelance journalist and content creator. She’s a nature-based witch, obsessed with Irish and British Paganism and folklore, plus she’s a massive plant nerd. Mabh is a long-time Hekate devotee and a newbie Lokean. She works extensively with the UK Pagan Federation, including editing their bi-annual children’s magazine. Mabh is also a passionate environmentalist and an advocate for inclusiveness and positive social transformation.

Mabh is the author of A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors,  Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways, and most recently, Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living. Search “Mabh Savage” on Spotify and @Mabherick or MabhLSavage on all socials.

Book cover image from publisher via Amazon, all other images copyright Mabh Savage © 2025.