Product Description

A plain-English guide to the world of herb gardening

Starting an herb garden isn't free, but it certainly outweighs the growing costs of buying retail herbs. Plus, adding homegrown ingredients to your meals is a healthy and tasty way to improve upon any dish you whip up at home.

This friendly, hands-on guide is an excellent introduction to the world of herb gardening. It gives you tips and advice to grow a thriving herb garden that will add depth and flavor to home-cooked meals-as well as boost your health.

• How to choose, plant, and care for herbs
• Covers ready-made versus homemade soil mixes, starting plants from seeds, and other fundamentals
• How to prevent insects, pests, and diseases from invading your containers
• Over 30 herb recipes for everyday uses, including rubs, marinades, beauty products, and more

Whether you're interested in getting step-by-step instructions for starting on your first herb garden or already have one and want to learn new tips and techniques, Herb Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition has you covered!Amazon.com Review
A decent starting place for those new to the fascinating worldof herbs, Herb Gardening for Dummies covers everything fromgarden design (traditional knots to a simple window box) to propercare, feeding, and usage of these versatile plants. The plantencyclopedia is cleverly written, informative, and gives ideas on howto use these little critters once you've harvested them--the authorsare considerably more cautious than herbal guides written byprofessional naturopaths, which can be a good thing for newcomers tothe field. Organic methods of pest control and fertilization areemphasized, as these plants are often grown for humanconsumption. Choosing the right plants for your growing conditions andinterest level is important, and there's lots of helpful advice onthese topics.

The downside to this book is its lack ofpictures. There are lots of line drawings, but they tend to showparticular stages of a process, rather than each step. Color photosare limited to one section, and since the photos are separate from thedescriptions, they don't add much value to the book. With bullet-pointlists, icons for highlighting categories like "ecofriendly" or"time-saving," and simple tables and charts, how-to photos aren'tessential. For folks who learn best with straightforward reading, thepresentation won't be an issue, but if pictorial aids are what youneed for learning, look elsewhere. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Book!
This is a great book for someone planning an herb garden. There are descriptions of herbs, help in planning a garden, soil needs, plant diseases, ways to preserve herbs, info on medicinal herbs and more. I love the Dummies books because they're always well-written and informative and this book is no exception. A lot of fun to read and very helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
Everything you need to know about growing your favorite herbs using safe, natural, all-organic methods!

Practical tips and advice on all aspects of successful herb growing.

A wealth of great ideas and helpful how-to on using herbs in cooking, crafts, cosmetics, health care, insect repellents, and more.

Illustrated herb directory featuring all the most popular herbs-- from aloe to yarrow-- each with complete information on growing, care, harvesting, and uses.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

HERB GARDENING
Great reading.Just was a new gardener who is trying out herbs needs to get started.
Very happy with product and very happy with timely delivery and with the seller.

not enough on growing herbs
this was more of a cookbook then a book on growing herbs. it did touch on some goog basics but did not cover a lot of herbs.

Could cover more herbs, but other than that great guide!
The only drawback to this book is that many herbs are not included. If you are really interested in encycolpedia coverage of herbs, you will need to supplement this with another book. But, there are still over 50 herbs covered, and covered well here and all of the most common varieties are here. The book is easy to understand and very helpful when it comes to understanding the herbs and the conditions they need to grow so you can be sucessful. Many herb books spend too much time focusing on remedies and recipies - which will do you no good if you aren't sucessful growing the herb in the first place. The book also covers many general gardening tips, including both ground and container gardening. There are some crafts/recipies/remedies in here, and they are good, but the focus of the book is on growing herbs. Once you grow your herbs this book can be handy in coming up with gifts for people using your herb garden. While I wish more herbs were covered, I admit I have an exhaustive curiousity and most or all of the ones I would actually grow are included here. The book is clear and easy to understand, and I think even a novice gardener could be sucessful with this book. Highly recommended!

wonderfulbook and a perfect gift
This book is very beautifully made, and at the same time very interesting and informative: lots of useful info about planting and growing herbs, using them for various cooking, cosmetic, home styling and other purposes. It's a pleasure to just flick through the pages, the book is very pretty and would make a nice gift to someone who loves herbs and gardening.

Easy to use and very helpful
For not knowing anything about herbs and growing them, I praise this book.Easy to find information.Covers a vast number of herbs, edible and non edible.Has info about how to use the herbs for cooking.How to grow them and where.My basil is three feet tall and bushy. It has been very helpful and my herb garden thanks you. ... Read more

Product Description
This book shows you how to have a healthy soil and recommends environmentally safe products and even some homemade remedies to control pests and disease in your garden. You'll get nuts and bolts information on companion planting and the use of beneficial insects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

TX organic Gardening
I loved this book.It was very easy to read and organized in a way that was so helpful.I thought it was to late to plant this season but after reading this book I was able to sit down and pick all the fruits and vegetables that would grow well in our area and chosen season and plan a large scale garden.I felt much more prepared!Highly recommend this book for experienced and beginner alike!

All the information I needed compiled into one place I can take to the garden and actually ENJOY reading
Although my gardening has been going on for some time and although I've already been using some of the author's tips I got off the internet with great results on numerous gardening sites, it was time to get more information to help keep things going well and help solve any problems that crop up.(yes, I used the word "crop" intentionally.Sorry.)

I had been comparing other organic veggie garden books before I made my decision to finally order this one from Amazon but I never came across another one, locally or on the 'net, that was as highly recommended or had the amount of information I needed compiled into one place so succinctly as this did...and I shopped for awhile before I ordered this one.This is as enjoyable to read as it is informative.

I've become rather fanatic lately about our backyard.I've joined the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower center as a member, attended classes, read voraciously on the subject, and this author is always noted as the guru wherever I seem to go.The tips and instructions I am using have all resulted in great success both in my vegetable garden and my entire backyard which is chemical-free and growing like crazy in beautiful bloom with low-maintenance from me thanks to good organic gardening to start with.

The book ensures you do EVERYTHING right from the get-go, or are able to correct it now if you didn't.It has everything you'd plant in your bed or container that I can think of (at least everyhthing in my own each season and ensures you do it right every season, from veggies, to fruits, to herbs, to edible plants.It's written clearly and will help even a novice understand every step in beginning or correcting your garden naturally and beating any pests easily the natural way.

You can look up whatever veggie you have and instantly see a photograph of how it will look grown in the garden, tell you how far to space it, how deep to plant, what problems you might see (pests or growing probs) with it and how to correct them, and it gives you this info for both planting seeds or the plant so you know going in what to expect and do correctly either way.

The book is full of photos and info on the growth habits of all things veg.

Years ago I ate from a fertilized and chemically treated garden. There is no comparison in how much better organic tastes even if you don't consider the health benefits, if you ask me.(and I do consider those too, personally)

In a nutshell, I consider this my organic veggie garden bible. I have notebooks full of information but I keep turning to this...it's all here.

and yes, I really do read it by the garden.That was part of my goal for my landscaping and garden seating...it makes me relax and read every night now after work if I am not working in the garden, which is equally relaxing to me.It's my daily "staycation" and it is good advice like this that ensures looking at it doesn't stress me out in the least.It really doesn't...everything is growing and blooming so well and I swear to you I was a total novice who killed everything before I began this journey!My thumb was nowhere close to green!

p.s. It is a huge bonus to me that this focuses on Texas vegetable gardening.Our seasons, soil, and sun are quite different than many other places so its focus is doubly helpful

At last, Gardening Answers
This book has been really helpful as it details a multitude of crops indicating both botanical and common names, when to plant, sun or shade, uses, common pests and how to handle them organically. The book includes soil ammendments including what not to use. It helps you identify what is wrong with your crop and what to do about it. My garden has been far more successful using this information.

A must have
Anyone interested in gardening organically should own this book. Easy to read, great pictures, homemade recipes for natural fertilizers, pest control, etc.

Excellent information
I have referred back to this book several times when getting ready to garden. It makes for excellent info, budgeting practices, and such. Highly recommended. Austin, TX ... Read more

Product Description
This very popular book is now available in hardcover and paperback! McClure provides complete instructions on every conceivable aspect of herbs in the home and garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book for ideas and information
I am fairly new to all of this herb gardening stuff but this is one of the nicest books I have come across so far. It has alot of nice pictures and diagrams. My favorite parts of the book are the garden ideas/diagrams it shows. It shows a wagon wheel garden, knot gardens, etc. As well as gives potting ideas and helps. In the back is an index of herbs with descriptions and colorful pictures. The pictures do a good job of showing you what the herb looks like. It also have basic garden information on composting etc. I also like that it helps you plan a year round garden. Nothing worse than a garden that only blooms one season! I think anyone who needs help with herb gardening, or anyone in a rut, should check this book out. I really enjoyed it! ... Read more

Product Description
A veritable encyclopedia and easy how-to guide on all that is natural and necessary in the world of gardening and small fruit, vegetable, and herb preparation, in The Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide: A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia, Stephen Albert leaves no stone—collard green, leek, or potato—unearthed in this absolutely amazing field guide that greenhorns, old hands, weekend gardeners, and chefs should not be without. From the soil to the plate, this manual is exceptionally penned and easy to follow. It provides answers to basic and in-depth growing questions. It includes how to plant, how to grow and care for crops, how to harvest, how to store, and how to prepare vegetables and herbs. From asparagus and beet greens to Belgian endive and strawberries, this book helps readers organize a small garden close to the kitchen that offers their favorite, fresh-picked-at-the-peak-of-ripeness small crop—and the template on how to orchestrate the effort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great reference book!
I'm just starting to grow vegetables so I want all the information I can find to help make my efforts a success. What I love most about this book is that the description of each vegetable includes information on growing it in a cold climate AND in a mild climate.

I live in a mild climate so I can grow many things in the winter that would I not try to grow in a harsher climate this time of year. So many of the vegetable books and websites I've looked at assume that freezing weather in the winter is a given and that simply isn't the case here.

This book has been so helpful while planning and planting my new garden! I also recommend the book Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers: Using Ed's Amazing POTS System. My first batch of spinach is now sprouting in a self-watering container and I hope to grow many more veggies with the help of these two books.

Excellent Guide
This book is excellent. They have a complete descrpition for grow and care the most common herb and vegetables that we can grow in our garden. Is a excellent book for novice. Great Book

very helpful
I found this to be a very helpful reference ever after gardening for almost 40 years.I have learned new tips and been encouraged to try vegetables I never grew before.

Just What I Needed!
I was looking for a way to get myself motivated to start my little vegetable garden, and then this book appeared. A little inclination and a little instruction is all it took to get me going full speed. I liked the easy-to-follow advice this book gave me.Clear and concise, I felt like I was being led by the hand.
And, I love the cover!

Using this book now
This is a simple to follow book on growing vegetables. It is thorough and as the title suggests it is complete. The master gardener who wrote it does not gloss over details. I am using it right now to plant my garden. The bullet point format helps me get to the info I need. I received this as a gift and I will be using it often. ... Read more

Product Description

Food gardens are springing up in backyards across the country. Organic, homegrown tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers are being enjoyed at more family dinner tables than ever, bringing serious nutrition and delicious tastes to homemade meals. But why stop with vegetables? Herbs are perfect companions in the garden, and their bright flavors elevate the taste of nearly every vegetable. A handful of basil added to a tomato salad or a bit of chopped dill sprinkled on butter-sautéed carrots creates new layers of flavor and complexity.

The Beginners Guide to Edible Herbs helps every vegetable gardener realize the pleasures of becoming an herb gardener. Readers will find complete information on growing, harvesting, preserving, and using 26 of the most popular kitchen herbs, from basil to thyme. There are also food-pairing tips, simple recipes, and basic information on medicinal uses, all enhanced by beautiful, full-color photographs of every plant and many kitchen recipes and projects.

Whether they complement rows of asparagus and cauliflower or grow in a garden all their own, edible herbs are versatile, undemanding, and abundant. They’re winners in every garden.

Customer Reviews (3)

This is as much cookbook as gardening guide
This delightful book will benefit any gardener hoping to eat what they grow. Complete with tips on how to grow, where to grow, and lots of full-color photos, this guide book is an herb-filled education sure to enhance your garden. The book covers 27 herbs ranging from common basil and dill to the rarer hyssop and borage.

//Edible Herbs// is packed with expert gardener tips. You'll learn which herbs attract beneficial insects, how to propagate and spread herbs, the difference between varieties, and the best time and soil in which to plant. This is a truly comprehensive guide as the author also imparts kitchen wisdom, telling you how to use and preserve each herb, and providing recipes for each. In fact, this is as much cookbook as gardening guide. You'll find instructions for preparing basil pesto, pizza, refreshing beverages, marinades, and even a mustard recipe. Preservation techniques range from dehydration to making jams.

This well-written, easy-to-navigate book also provides interesting historical facts about herbs, and tips for getting the most from them. This claims to be a beginner's guide, but most gardeners will find practical use from this book.

Reviewed by Amber K. Stott

review by www.beachbrights.blogspot.com
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3FJBN17PYPCPF God has been good to my little garden. I planted MINT, BASIL, PARSLY, STEVIA, ROSEMARY, LAVENDER & CILANTRO.I just wish I had read this book before I planted my herb garden. You see, my MINT is over taking my garden and had I read this book, I would have known this was going to happen. So today, I am going to dig up my mint and plant it in a container.

This book spares no punches. Right away in the introduction the author is quick to discuss - Where to Plant the herbs, Tending/Attending, How Many Plants you Will Need and Harvesting.Make sure to pay special attention to the Garden Hun section. Hence, my MINT debacle.

The next section of this fantastic book talks about 26 herbs. I like how the author devotes a few pages to each herb, discussing in detail the species, how to grow it, harvesting, planning & quantity and most importantly uses.

The book also has herb recipes which I found throws off the flow of the book just a bit. One minute you are reading recipes for a herb cheese spread and then the next you are reading about Catnip. It was probably just me :)

The book concludes with a "Herbs at a Glance" chart that makes a good reference for planning your garden.

~XOXO~

Beginners Guide to Edible Herbs
It seems like more and more people are becoming interested in gardening. Whether it is because they are trying to save money at the grocery store or just prefer the taste of a home grown tomato, this book will help accent all your favorite recipes with herbs that were picked fresh from the garden.

I am not going to list every herb included in this book since that would take up too much space. I WILL say that they range from the common (dill, mint, oregano, basil) to the more unusual (Hyssop, Bee Balm, Borage, and Calendula) and many more in between.

The introduction includes helpful information on growing herbs in the garden. How much sun should they get and what types of soils do they prefer? Which herbs start well from seed and which ones should be started from plants you buy at your local garden center? There is also a small section on drying and freezing herbs for use once the gardening is done for the summer.

Each chapter is broken down by herb and includes not just gardening information but also suggestions on how to use them. For example, some herbs have medicinal purposes, some are great in certain recipes, and others are wonderful when placed in a muslin bag and added to your bath to relieve stress. The book also makes numerous references to which herbs are actually beneficial to your garden in terms of repelling pests and attracting bees.

Since the book is broken down by herb, the recipes are scattered throughout the book as are the various uses for them such as medicinal uses and flavored vinegars . I thought it might be better to arrange the book in chapters such as gardening, recipes, preserving, medicinal uses, etc. Despite this, there is a handy index in the back which includes Recipes as a subject as well as Healing Uses, Oils and Vinegars, etc so you can find the information easily by using the index.

I thought that this was a wonderful book for any gardener who wants to start growing their own herbs. Have you ever looked at the price of fresh herbs in the grocery store? And what do you do when you only need 2 or 3 basil leaves for a recipe and the package has 10 times more than you need? Growing herbs in the garden allows you to pick whenever you like, even just a sprig or two of Rosemary to throw on the grill with your chicken!
... Read more

Product Description
"Lucinda Hutson's garden is something of a legend in Austin. An invitation from Lucinda, an authority on ethnic herbs and an accomplished cook, to sample a new dish or special punch in her flamboyant setting is a guaranteed fiesta. . . . And her gusto for entertaining and cooking is exemplified in her recipes [in] The Herb Garden Cookbook."--Southern Living". . . a classic. . . . Making use of both traditional and little-known regional herbs, it's a cookbook for contemporary tastes, emphasizing Oriental and Mexican flavors. . . . The photographs sparkle with the spirit of Hutson's Texas herb gardens and bright kitchen."--Herb CompanionIndulge your senses with the lively flavors, vivid colors, and tantalizing aromas of fresh herbs. This comprehensive guide gives you creative, festive recipes as well as valuable gardening information. With Lucinda Hutson's expert advice you'll discover how to:* Grow robust and flavorful herbs using organic gardening techniques.* Harvest and store herbs.* Prepare more than 150 delicious and innovative recipes.* Create intensely flavored herb butters and savory vinegars.* Garnish and flavor recipes with beautiful edible flowers.* Grow and use exotic herbs from Mexico and Southeast Asia.* Design menus for special occasions such as a fiesta for friends or a feast for two.* Find the best sources, including websites, for buying plants, seeds, and gourmet products.Savor the Tuscan-inspired Panzanella, the continental Celebratory Niçoise Salad, or the Southwestern-spirited Pollo Picado. Lucinda's suggested recipe variations will turn you into a kitchen quick-change artist. Ideas for dazzling presentations make your meals as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. From rosemary and thyme to Mexican mint marigold and Thai basil, this is an essential guide for cooks and gardeners alike! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great for herb lovers
I gave this to my daughter who recently started her first herb garden. She and her roommate have used the recipes and she enjoyed the growing, cultivating and harvesting advice.

THE HERB GARDEN COOKBOOK

This is a very beautiful lady who has done the reseach for this great Herb book. If you have never experienced food with the addition of many of these herbs you haven't lived. If there were a book that you could find new adventuers in culinary delights, this is the one.

WM JONES
ARIZONA

The Herb Garden Cookbook
Beautiful book. Lovely pictures and wonderful information.I want a garden like Lucinda..

A nice combination of gardening and cooking.
Lucinda broke new ground with the first edition of this book, and she's done an excellent job of refining the territory with the second. She obviously loves her herbs and loves cooking with them. A great complimentto the kitchen and the garden. ... Read more

Product Description
The visual recognition guides in this series are designed to make identification as simple and accurate as possible. Each volume contains clear photographs and artwork with text. This title focuses on herbs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Smithsonian Handbooks: Herbs
Great book to buy and use.Nicely color pictures of herbs that makes them really easy to identify in the wild. Also much information on the herbs themselves and what they are good for. Would recommend this book to anyone who is serious in doing herbs themselves or for future preparedness.

awesome identification guide
there is a ton of info in this little book.i like its size for hiking and its harder cover so it takes a beating.

good addition to library...
Got this for my wife as an added addition to her gardening library. She loves it. Excellently done with accurate illustrations...

Smithsonian Handbooks:Herbs
Beautiful condition of a wonderful book.This book has everything you should know about Herbs.It will be a gift and I am sure that the person will enjoy it.Thanks a lot

Very informative
This is a great book, very informative but simple and quick to read. Has real pictures which make it so much easier to identify the herbs and sums up the plant and its properites too. ... Read more

Product Description

"This is a must-have book for everyone who loves gardening and cooking. I'm Jekka 's biggest fan."
-Jamie Oliver (on the previous edition)

The Complete Herb Book is a comprehensive A-Z guide to the fascinating world of herbs, providing practical information on each herb's organic growing requirements, use, mythical properties and historical background. This new edition is updated and revised to include complete entries for 40 additional herbs.

The A-Z directory features a full double-page spread for each herb, with details that include:

• Natural habitat
• Species and related plants
• Soil properties
• Watering requirements
• Weather protection
• Container growing
• Strategies to eliminate pests
• Best harvesting times
• Culinary, medicinal, cosmetic and other uses
• Recipes.

The how-to section features step-by-step instructions and best practices for herb gardening. Included are sample plans; month-by-month checklists; drying, freezing and storing guides; tips for making oils, vinegars and preserves; and information on propagation.

The Complete Herb Book is the ideal handbook for growing herbs and provides hours of browsing pleasure for gardeners, cooks and natural-healing practitioners.

Customer Reviews (4)

The Complete Herb Book
I have a lot of herb books, but this is the best one my daughter and I havefound yet.Shows you actually pictures of each herb, its origin, what uses it can be used for (cosmetic, medicinal, culunary.Would highly recommend.

Great Herb Growing/Using Book
This is another book I checked out of the library and had to add to my permanent collection.This is a great book with color pictures of each plant outlined, how to grow it, how to harvest it, and how to use it.That sounds trite and boring, but let me assure you, this book spends time on each plant, the left page deals with the planting and harvesting and the right page deals with the storage and use of the herb.Each herb has a recipe of some type (for food, for cosmetics, for aromatics, etc.) that has a picture of the completed item.I have a couple of other herb books that I like, but this one I LOVE to look through and will be adding a few more herbs to my garden each season based on this book!

The Complete Herb Book
What an extensive encyclopedia of information from A-Z!Complete information in easy to use format with information from propagation, pests and diseases, maintenance, garden cultivation, harvesting, companion planting, container growing, medicinal uses, other uses, and culinary applications & more! I made the Chive Butter and it's hmmmm, hmmmm, good on sweet corn on the cob! Next I plan to try the Sweet Marigold Muffins. It also has info on planning a herb garden with 10 sample plans, beautiful photographys throughout, how to preserve herbs by drying and freezing, and making and using natural dyes!It's a 5 star addition to my extensive herb library.

Wonderful
This book has it all -- great pictures, great ideas, even great recipes.A good resource for those who want to build their own herb garden. ... Read more

Product Description
Complete instructions for successfully growing 101 medicinal plants using totally organic techniques.Hartung, a certified organic grower and board member of United Plant Savers, shares all the secrets of propagation, soil preparation, natural pest management, harvesting techniques, and even garden design for both beauty and highest yield.Also includes herb-by-herb profiles and a guide to making medicines and delicious healing foods.Amazon.com Review
An excellent guide for novices and experts alike, Growing101 Herbs That Heal combines gardening, cooking, crafts, andnatural healthcare into one sturdy manual.The author's care andconcern for healthy plants and people are evident on every page, andthere's an astonishing amount of detail in every section. Simple plantlistings cover multiple pages, outlining everything from drainagepreferences to the size and color of blooms. The different gardenstyles presented range from formal knot gardens to carefree wildgardens, with lots of choices for raised beds and containers.Organicmethods for fertilizing and pest control are emphasized--time to getfamiliar with beneficial nematodes!

If you've already got anherbal garden in place and are now wondering what to do with yourharvest, look no further. Delicious recipes for breads, soups, andsalads are here, along with medicinal tinctures, creams, and bathsoaks, which are great for gifts or home use. There are alsostraightforward tips for starting an herb-based home business fromyour own creations. The last section is a fascinating materia medicathat devotes a separate page to each herb, going into beneficialcompanion plants, harvesting time, market value, and home pharmacyuses. From common peppermint to the unusual yerba de la negrita,you'll enjoy the lovely pictures at least as much as the helpfulinformation. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Quality and service
The book was delivered promptly and in super condition.I purchased it through Amazon.

Garden tips, including types of plants, harvesting, and treating pests
This is a good overall step-by-step guide if you are ready to begin your garden.It gives tips on how to trap pests, and what they look like.It has good photos to accompany the narrative.

Well worth the Read a really good book
Informative and v easy to use.This is a great book to teach anyone interested in herbs, remedies, healing and growing.Really worth a read.

EXACTLY what I wanted!!!
This book gave me what I wanted to know from every step of the proccess of making my own medicines and home remedies.From seed to jar!

A Must-Have Book for Beginning Herbalists
This book should be required reading for anyone seeking a certificate in herbology, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a greater understanding of herbs, their uses, and how to cultivate them.It's a beautiful reference book, full of charts and pictures to keep the reader visually satisfied.It touches on EVERY aspect of growing herbs, from soil preparation, to set-up, to understanding what parameters you will need for your garden, pest control, growing conditions, etc.Includes information about harvesting, and even recipes to make use of your herbs.This is one of my favorite gardening books, packed full of useful information. ... Read more

Product Description
With a catalog of 150 different culinary herbs and their varieties, more than 30 recipes, step-by-step photographs on how to plant, nurture, harvest, and store, and flavor charts that list the best herbs to partner with popular ingredients, The Cook's Herb Garden shows you how to grow your own supply of herbs whether on a window ledge, in pots, on the patio, or in a vegetable garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

wonderful book
This book is well designed and chock full of useful information presented in an attractive format. Provides information all the way through about growing,harvesting and using the herbs. Very comprehensive look at how to grow herbs.A keeper for reference or as a fun little coffee table book.

Gardening herbs
Great book for selecting herbs to garden, grouping compatable plants together, and using herbs for cooking, etc. Includes recipes.

Herb Gardening at your fingertips!
We looked at this book at a local store and the price was really quite spendy.Then I found the book on Amazon and jumped at the chance to buy it! This is a good book for us because we are working to start a retail site for berries, herbs and veggies.This book will help us put together "baskets" of herbs for people that are looking for a certain type of kitchen herb packet.Thank you ~

Fantastic!
Wonderful pictures of each herb with explanations including best usage.I really appreciated the first few pages with pictures of containers of herbs and directions on how to set them up.I have made some nice gifts following their advice.I brought this book with me to work and everyone wanted to look at it.It makes a great gift especially if you give it along with some herbs!You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
Sol Meltzer shares his expertise in this third edition of Texas' most popular herb book. Featuring stunning color photos and details about more than 90 herbs, this volume teaches you how to put pizazz in your cooking, control pests in the herb garden you ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun, accessible resource
I refer to this little book again and again.The sections on propagation of herbs are invaluable, well-illustrated and easy to understand.If youlove herbs and garden in Texas, you need this book.I would love to seethe author's list of herbs expanded in a future edition.The only realdown-side to the book is the author's recommendations for watering.I'vefound that in San Antonio, my herbs take a lot more supplemental wateringthan he recommends.Remember, Sol Meltzer lives in Houston, an area whichgets more rain than the other two-thirds of the state.Also, I'd rathersee more information on the plants than have recipes in the back.Still,it's deservedly a classic Texas gardening book.

Good herb book
Meltzer's guide to growing and using herbs offers useful information on raising herbs organically and inexpensively.It is filled with practicalinformation and helpful hints. ... Read more

Product Description
Essential for every professional and aspiring herb gardener, this work is packed with information on cultivation, propagation and harvesting. It covers both the practical uses and fascinating history of herbs from around the world. It includes features on beneficial properties as well as the inclusion of special warning symbols to alert you to potentially toxic or harmful herbs. ... Read more

Product Description
A Backyard-Gardener’s Guide to Growing a Bountiful, Great-Tasting Harvest

The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener features:

• A full-color encyclopedia of over 100 vegetables and herbs with detailed, expert advice on growing them successfully from planting to harvest
• Planting and growing techniques that keep maintenance to a minimum
• Entries on how to grow unusual edibles, such as refreshing mesclun for salads, colorful edible flowers, spicy mustards, and more
• Descriptions and photos of a host of succulent vegetables, both hybrids and heirlooms, from common to exotic
• Complete information on improving even the poorest garden soil using safe, organic techniques, plus practical advice on making compost
• Recommendations on garden tools you need--and those you don’t
• Information on controlling pests and diseases organically, without resorting to poisonous sprays
• Spectacular full-color photographs of vegetables and herbs, food gardens, and edible landscapes, plus 30 black-and-white line drawings

Customer Reviews (35)

Very Detailed
This is a very complete and detailed book with lots of information, pictures and "solves." For a beginning gardener like myself, it was a little overwhelming and I didn't end up using it to "get started" but rather referenced it as I went along. This is probably more ideal for someone a little more advanced or someone who likes a lot of up front information (and reading) before starting. It seems great, just a little too much for me :)

Good Book but needs a Companion
I bought this book to replace the book I left while shopping for seeds. Previously I had "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" which I totally loved and would probably recommend above this book. Overall it has great guides for individual plants and good summaries, and companion planting. Additionally I have the book The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields. Which is wonderful for determining when to plant, and where. It has a full schedule of when to seed, thin and plant.

No attention to hardiness zones
As a gardener who has moved a lot and now lives in a hardiness-zone 9b, I find this book utterly lacking.The only attention to hardiness zones is on page 430 where a hardiness-zone map has been reproduced on such a small scale one cannot even read the numbers.Skip this book.The rest of the material is not good enough to make up for this total lack of information.

great book
so helpful!! so much information! love the layout, sooo many different vegetables havent heard of alot of them but there interesting to read about none the less.

Great for a new gardener
This is a great book for newbies.It contains a lot of good getting started tips and is a good guide to review in later years. ... Read more

Product Description
Gardeners everywhere love herbs for the wonderful flavors they add to food, the beauty they lend to the garden, and for their many uses in crafts and as home remedies. This hands-on guide shows how anyone can successfully grow a wide range of more than 90 herbs in the back yard. Features a full-color encyclopedia section. 300 color photographs; 50 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

--Not just pretty pictures of plants--
I collect books on growing herbs and without exception they are all useful. Some books are personalized and others give general and basic information. This is probably one of the very best"all round" books that I've ever seen.

Some of the topics that are discussed are as follows: Climate, Topography, Garden Style, Understanding Basic Botany, Species Chart, Soil Preparation, Weeding, Propagating Herbs, Over-Wintering Plants, Drying Herbs, Cooking with Herbs, Medicinal Herbs, a Plant by Plant Guide and a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

The section on Preventing Pests and Diseases has very good illustrations of plant damage with a drawing of the insect culprit next to the herb. The Species Chart is six pages long and gives the growth form, the preferred climates, soil conditions, propagation season, the primary usage of the plants and the pests and diseases that each plant is susceptible to getting.

This is a very concise and usable book.

A very good herb gardening book, better for large spaces...
+AH4-More of a 3.5, but I'll round up :-) This is one of the first herb gardening books I got.Because I am not gardening in a large space, like a raised bed or half my backyard, many of the directions and much of the information was sort of overwhelming, at least for right now.I do mostlycontainer herb gardening and in flower boxes and barrels, so there wasn'tmuch info specifically geared for these types in this book, but cut downthe organic gardening, soil preperation, pest control,+AH4-+AH4- sowing,watering, and composting info into small-scale size and it's great.

However, the info on the herbs specifically, which ones work for whatclimate zones and how to cultivate, dry and use them is wonderful and allbut makes up for the focus on larger-scale gardens. The info on more than50 common herbs is invaluable, especially the chart that details each oneindividually with all the necessary info you need at a glance, name, growthform and size, climate, soil condition,+AH4-+AH4- propagation, pests, andprimary uses.It is a good supplemental to the other gardening books Ihave.I use the herb chart and specific herb info in the back of the booka lot, the instructions on how to harvest and dry the herbs, and theculinary and craft ideas, such as how to make herbal vinegar, dressings,spreads, teas, dyes, potpourri, soap, oils, and more.

It is a very goodbook for a beginning herbal gardener, especially one interested in raisingthem organically and wanting to+AH4-+AH4- know the many things you can dowith herbs once you've grown them!I would just hasten to add that thisbook would be best in conjunction with a book on container or patiogardening or something in a smaller scale if that is your main goal,otherwise for larger-scale backyard herb gardening from the ground up, it'sperfect.+AH4- ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive sourcebook to growing, harvesting, preserving, and cooking.

This superbly illustrated reference contains a wealth of information to help gardeners choose the plants best suited to their space, climate, and needs. Three experts guide the reader in choosing which vegetables, herbs, and fruit to grow, and then in successfully producing the crop.

The vegetable and herb sections are arranged alphabetically by botanical Latin name, and the fruit section is arranged by fruit type. Accompanied by full color photographs and a brief introduction discussing the plant's origins and history, each entry presents a wealth of practical tips on cultivation, including:- Edibility, nutritional value, the most useful and recommended varieties- Plant hardiness, propagation, and growing guidelines- Cropping, harvesting, and storing- Weed, pest, and disease control- Ornamental and wildlife value- A maintenance calendar- Pruning and training- Companion planting- Container growing.

The remainder of the book focuses on the practical aspects of gardening and has in-depth sections on creating a garden, pollination, soil fertility, greenhouse growing, and much more. The book wraps up with a glossary, further reading, seed sources, hardiness zones, and a detailed index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

i'm a novice
Honestly growing up i had a brown thumb but I really wanted to grow a garden and so I checked this book out from the library and just kept renewing it for a year before buying my own copy.It taught me a ton of tips and tricks that seed packets and other gardeners wouldn't tell me.Probably because what I needed were bare bone basics about specific plants that a gardener with experience wouldn't think about it [it'd be second nature]. The sections are clear and understandable, well organized, there are recipes for after you harvest, and even a plant killer like me has successfully grown a small vegetable garden.I recommend this to everyone who wants to learn more about plants; and even successful gardeners would benefit from this encyclopedia.I recommend this in combination with square footgardening as it becomes fun and easy to grow your own food or flowers.

A must have for your gardening book shelf
I love this book.I just started our eatable garden this year and have used this book a lot as a tool.

Happy Customer
This book is very informative and is good for those who don't know much about fresh produce.It is helpful in describing and defining and preparing fruits and vegies.Beautiful illustrations make it attractive and inviting.

Best Gardening Book I have purchased
This book is very comprehensive.I loved it so much I purchased a copy for my brother and sister-in-law.I especially appreciate the details regarding each plant including season to plant, what to plant with, recipes examples and medical explanations. There are sufficient pictures and there is also a brief history of the fruit or vegetable.

If you can only buy one gardening book- buy this one!
Book combines gardening knowledge with a little herbology and provides culinary recipes to bring garden to table. I found the gardening info to be interesting and informative- and I have been gardening for 2 decades! Beautiful pictures were a definite bonus! My copy is now dogeared and well worn from much use. ... Read more

Product Description
Visually inspiring, accessible, and inexpensive, Simple Steps Herbs will show you how to create the herbal garden of your dreams no matter how small your plot, including seeding, propagation, harvesting, and then drying. It's attractive and inspiring approach will appeal to the occasional gardener, while in-depth horticultural information will appeal to more experienced gardeners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Easy to use information, many projects to inspire
I was looking through the gardening section at the book store when I came across this book and after browsing through it for a minute I was inspired to buy it and start my own herb garden. There are lots of color photographs depicting the care, propogation, harvesting, and identification of herbs. There is also reference/plant identification section in the last part of the book with information of specific herbs. ... Read more

Product Description
If you're interested in learning what it takes to grow an amazing herb garden, then "Secrets of Successful Herb Gardening" is the perfect book for you! Imagine being able to grow flavorful herbs in just a few days, without using harmful chemicals or spending a fortune on expensive store-bought herbs.

"Secrets of Successful Herb Gardening" is packed with nothing but the most practical, effective herb gardening tips and strategies, including:

- 3 things you should never do when it comes to picking a location for your herbs
- How to control diseases and pests in your garden
- Little known, yet simple ways to harvest your herbs...
- When to use different types of herbs such as culinary herbs, aromatic herbs, ornamental herbs and medicinal herbs
- 7 everyday but often overlooked tips and tricks for picking the best companion plants for your herbs
- A pennies on the dollar approach to using the herbs you grow
- 3 simple techniques to help you preserve your herbs

...and more!

"Secrets of Successful Herb Gardening" is written in plain, easy to understand English (you won't find any complicated technical jargon here), and it's laid out so that it will effortlessly lead you through the entire herb gardening process, step-by-step.

Whether you're an experienced gardener who wants to try out some new ideas, or a complete newcomer to this wonderful pursuit, "Secrets of Successful Herb Gardening" will help you create a beautiful, bountiful herb garden that you can be proud of. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great guide for the budding gardener
This is a great book for the newbie herb gardener. It is laid out in a simple to understand fashion and takes you through all of the steps necessary to set up your herb garden the right way. It will get you very excited about the possibility of tasting those fresh herbs from your own garden very soon!

I have my very own herb garden now! :) Thanks Joanna!
I picked up this book a few days ago after finally committing to my new-year's resolution of trying to eat healthier. I figured heck, my girlfriend is a good cook, and she'll get a kick out of me trying to get into growing herbs... so I jumped. I'm glad I did!

I already had a nice space in my yard for pursuing this new hobby of mine, so I've already started putting this book to work. I'm a pretty slow reader, as I just like to make sure I understand everything I'm reading within its context. However, I can tell you this book was a very, very easy read (just as the description promises).

If I bought the book at full price, and only received Chapter 3 in the mail, I still would have been pretty happy. Seriously, the Ch. 3 pages are soiled from being out in the garden with me day in and day out (pun intended). That chapter pretty much took me by the hand as I was planting my herb garden.

Even if I wanted to grow my herb garden indoors, Joanna fills me in on all the dirty details about doing that too. This book is seriously an herb-growing bible...

I'm not trying to hype up a book about herbs here too much. But, I'm extremely pleased with how valuable the information in this book is, and how much it's helped me so far (pretty much taking me from knowing nothing about growing herbs all the way to having a full-fledged garden in a matter of days). ... Read more

Product Description
Discover how fresh herbs can breathe new life into your home, health and garden with the queen of herbs, Jekka McVicar. Learn how to propagate, raise and maintain herbs the organic way. Cook up simple, delicious recipes using fresh herbs that boost flavour and your health. Discover the many domestic uses for herbs - from first aid kits to natural air fresheners. A tasty treat - savour it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A great all rounder for the beginner
I can recommend Jekka McVicar's "New Book of Herbs" for anyone who has an interest in herbs.
The focus is on growing herbs, which makes a lot of sense since Jekka is the UK's leading herb expert and has won more than 60 Royal Horticultural Society gold medals for their herb exhibits around Britain.

This book provides a wealth of information but doesnt just limit itself to growing herbs.I love that it also covers a multitude of uses for the herbs you have grown.From cooking with herbs, making beauty products, a first aid kit and even treating your pets with herbs, "New Book of Herbs" is a great all rounder for people who wish to enter the world of herbs.

Great reference to answer a lot of your questions.

Perfect Content, Not-so-quick-reference Layout
I think this book is perfect for any herb gardener. Full-color photographs on every page and concise, clear explanations lend to a thorough, all-in-one guide to herb gardening and herb use.

Pro's:
* great photos
* clear, concise explanations
* step-by-step guides to gardening & harvesting
* recipes for lots of uses for herbs (food, pets, first-aid, medicine, relaxation, etc.)
* easy for beginners but still FULL of information

The first part of the book walks you through gardening (preparing, maintaining, and harvesting), using herbs in the kitchen (cooking), and using herbs at home (cleaning, freshening, medicine, and other health care uses).

The second half is one- to two-pages per each of the author's chosen "top 100 herbs," alphabetized by scientific name (don't worry, you'll learn them quickly as you reference the book; otherwise, the index directs you from the common to the scientific name). Within each herb type (for example, "Origanum") are several specifics: "Oregano Acorn Bank," "French Marjoram/ French Oregano," "Oregano/Wild Marjoram," "Cretan Oregano," and "Sweet Marjoram." Most of the herbs have a larger-than-life photo to help you identify them, along with words pointing to descriptions of the leaf, stem, size, etc. Each entry has cross-reference page numbers which are especially good for finding a particular herb's use in the kitchen and home.

Con's:
* huge (only a con if you're looking for pocket reference; this is more of a coffee-table book)
* cross-references don't always point to the relevant harvesting entries

The only complaint about the book is the sometimes confusing layout. I mostly use the book for home recipes (cleaning & air freshening, etc.), so I haven't really noticed, but my husband finds it hard to quick-reference some of the items in the "gardening" section. You really need to do a full read-through of the sections on maintenance and harvesting so you'll know where to find this information because it is not consistently cross-referenced from the herb pages (example: you can't pick up the book, turn to "Basil," and find from there how to harvest basil). Once you're familiar with the layout and especially the "garden" section, though, you'll be able to find it all on your own.

this is a wonderful guide for how to use all herbs .
There are many ways this book can help,in domestic uses,medicine remedys
cooking great different meals,also it gives you a complete instruction of how to grow them in your garden,and it can help very much for natural ways
to cure,and some aspects,regarding health problems,like allergys,and other.
excellent¡ IN ALL ASPECTS.

Best color photos of herbs for better identification!!!Must have.
This is a great reference book if you are trying to identify herbs as well as use them.I found the color photos wonderful and very professional.The data on each as well as the basic information overall is very useful.I recommend this to everyone who is serious about herbs.

Herbs for the Garden, Kitchen, Home and Health
"Once you start growing and using herbs, I defy anyone not to become hooked." ~Jekka McVicar

If you are thinking of growing your own herb garden, I can't think of a more detailed and interesting book on the subject. You will find information about how to attract butterflies to your garden or the reason Queen Victoria requested that jam be made from Chilean guava berries. Have you ever read about a "curry leaf" in a recipe? Well, there is information in this book on how you can grow your own plant, but probably only in a greenhouse. A greenhouse seems essential if you are really serious about gardening.

Jekka McVicar is a popular radio and television personality. She has helped to revitalize the traditional use of herbs and shows how herbs can enhance your home, health and garden. Jamie Oliver calls her the "queen of herbs." Now I understand why he loves cooking with so many herbs.

My favorite section was the "kitchen" section where you can learn how to make everything from "borage ice cubes" to "roasted vegetables with herbs."

Some of the highlights include:

1. An A-Z of the top 100 herbs - Half the book is dedicated to pictures, cultivation techniques, harvesting tips and uses. 'After trying to grow French lavender from seeds (Hardy Lavender has more of a chance), I see the plants are best grown from cuttings taken in the spring. It seems only the "lavandula stoechas French Lavender" will grow from seeds and probably only inside with extra warmth, in "coir/bark/perlite," and covered with perlite (naturally occurring siliceous rock with a neutral pH).

I had never even heard of "perlite" before and this was all very enlightening for me. Coir is the outside layer of husk surrounding the shell of a coconut and bark would just be tree bark, but you need a fine grade bark and not fresh green bark. Finally, I realize why the poor little seeds I planted had no chance of germinating.

2. Organic Gardening - Many of the herbs can be mixed in with your vegetable garden. If you grow beans, you might want to grow "blue borage flowers" alongside as they will attract bees that will pollinate the beans, producing a larger harvest.

3. Lists of plants that will grow best in sand, clay, chalk, loam type soils.

4. Designing an Herb Garden

5. Detailed information on growing herbs from seeds, hardwood cuttings, layering, root cuttings and root division.

6. Using Herbs in Petcare

Ever since discovering a lavender furniture oil, I wondered how I could make my own. In the "Home" section, there are recipes for Natural furniture polish, upholstery shampoo and even herbal window cleaner. You might also want to make up an herbal first-aid kit. If you have ever steamed your face, you will appreciated the added benefit of herbs like lemon verbena or spearmint. There are recipes for mouthwash, shampoo, face packs, nail strengthener, bath tonics, bath bags and a foot bath. Having trouble sleeping? You can make a "hop pillow."

The Top 100 herbs include: Yarrow, Anise hyssop, Lady's mantle, Onions, Chives, Aloe, Lemon verbena, Angelica, Dill, Chervil, Horseradish, Arnica, Silver artemisias, Green-leaf artemisias, Borage, Box, Pot marigold, Incense plant, Caraway, Balm of Gilead, Bachelor's buttons, Gotu kola, Chamomile, Goosefoot, Chicory, Coriander, Sea fennel, Lemon Grass, Cardoon, Foxglove, Wild rocket, Echinacea, Cardamom, Wild rosemary, Joe Pye weed, Queen-of-the-meadow, Fennel, Wild strawberry, Sweet woodruff, Ginkgo, Licorice, Hops, St. John's Wort, Hyssop (gorgeous blue-violet flowers), Elecampane, Woad, Juniper, Bay leaves, Hardy Lavender, Colorful bract lavender, Tender lavender, Lovage, Flax, Luma, Gypsywort, Yellow loosestrife, Purple loosestrife, mallow, mandrake (toxic), White horehound, Lemon balm, Classic Mints, Peppermints, Meu, Wild bergamot, Curry Tree, Myrrh, Myrtle, Catnip, Black cumin, Basil, Eastern basil, Evening primrose, Olive tree, Hardy Oreganos, half-hardy oreganos, Scented pelargoniums, Fruit-scented pelargoniums, Shiso, Vietnamese coriander, Parsley, Pokeroot, Purslane, Primrose, Australian mint bush, Rosemary, French sorrel, Rue, Sage, Aromatic sages, Elder, Salad burnet, Lavender cotton, Soapwort, Savory, Virginia skullcap, Houseleek, Goldenrod, Betony, Comfrey, Mexican marigolds, Siler tanacetums, Green tanacetums, Germanders, Wood sage, Upright thyme, Creeping Thymes, Mounding thymes, Nasturtium, Chilean guava, Valerian, Vervain and Viola.

On each page there are cross-reference "buttons" to give you information on where to find uses for the plants in the home, garden and kitchen.

This beautiful book will also be of interest to writers trying to describe herbs or to cooks who want to know what an entire plant looks like.

A fascinating study of herbs that can also double as a fun-to-read coffee table book. There is a good helping of folklore, history and health information. Now I really want to know what jam made from the "Chilean guava berries" tastes like. I'm intrigued! ;)

The "New Book of Herbs" would make a perfect present for all your gardening friends.

Quite Impressive!

~The Rebecca Review ... Read more

Product Description
Find all your favorite herbs, delicious recipes--even herbal crafts--in this elegant volume that shows gardeners of all levels how to successfully grow herbs indoors and out. Ten colorful, foolproof garden designs include a Potpourri Garden and an Herbal Tea Garden. An herb directory, special harvest chapter, and seasonal care calendar complete the sumptuously illustrated guide.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

very helpful
no matter what your purpose for planting herbs, this book is helpful. Contains a section providing detailed planting and harvesting for each herb as well as a color photo. Then each chapter is a different "purpose" for an herb garden, everything from culinary, to tea, to drying for potpourri, to attracting butterflies. Within those chapters there are specific details on which plants you will want, a suggested layout for planting, info on which to start from seeds and which to buy as a plant, and --most importantly in my opinion-- what you should be doing for your garden each monthly period to get the most from your harvest. In the culinary section there are also recipes for using your fresh herbs. An indispensable tool for the herb gardener!

Great buy, easy read and awesome reference
This is a awesome reference book for beginners with easy information about the size of the land to plant each herb.

A must have for beginner gardener looking to enhance his or her knowledge about herbs for the garden.

Cool Herb Book for beginners
I got this herb book the other day and i think its pretty cool its colorful and has pictures of different herbs their uses and facts about them plus recipes garden ideas and more. ... Read more