It’s Halloween — the season of all things spooky and scary — from horror movies, to haunted mansions and potentially even gardens. It turns out there's an unexpectedly sinister side to gardening, according to writer and gardener, Marta McDowell. She says many mystery writers use gardens in their tales of deception:

"I think most gardeners understand this feeling of you're always sort of a detective. Why did this plant die? What is bothering this plant? I mean, you're even sometimes out there with a magnifying glass, trying to figure out what pest is on your petunia," McDowell told Under the Radar. "And there are quite a few crime writers who also dabble in the garden, so they have that at their fingertips for various plot devices."

McDowell explores the link between mystery and gardening in her book, "Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers."

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Marta McDowell, author of "Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers."