Product Description

A guide to herbs around the globe, covering the practical uses and history of herbs. This volume presents an A-Z of herbs, with cultivation, propagation and harvesting information. It features all the beneficial properties of herbs, including culinary, medicinal and commercial uses. Special warning symbols alert you to potentially toxic herbs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #804570 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Review
This new edition of one of the RHS' best-selling books fully lives up to its reputation as being THE definitive guide to herbs. Culinary, medicinal and economic, listed A-Z, all the information you will ever require on herb cultivation is found within these pages. Written by acclaimed herbalist Deni Bown, it gives an insight into the myths, legends and origins of all popular herbs grown and eaten today. Plants not normally considered herbs such as Abies and Liquidamber make an appearance, educating the reader to the wider implications of herbs and their uses. Fabulously illustrated and laid out, it is a book that combines practicalities with fascinating histories of herbal lore. From the well-known mints, thymes, marjorams and chives, to the more obtuse such as ylang-ylang (Cananga), Henbane (Hyoscyamus) and blackroot (Veronicastrum), all are covered in depth with cultivation, propagation, harvest instructions, properties and uses explained for each. Glossaries of botanical and medicinal terms are provided as, in places, the book, by its very nature, is quite technical. The addition of a list of herb gardens to visit is a useful addendum enabling the reader to see for themselves herbs growing in a variety of settings. Container growing, formal gardens, wildflower gardens, traditional or contemporary, all provide the ideal home for these ever-popular, easily available plants. Buy them, sow them, take cuttings from a friend, herbs are the most amenable of plants and deserve a place in every garden. With this book any possible pitfalls should be overcome, leaving the gardener to enjoy both the scented and culinary delights of this wonderful group. - Lucy Watson

Customer Reviews

All you ever wanted to know about herbs and more!
It is rare to find a book that is packed with so much information and so easy to navigate your way around. The author is without doubt an expert on the subject and has written this book in a clear and concise fashion.

Herbs are defined as any 'useful' plant, and it will only take a short time before you realise that the world is full of the wonders of nature, and many of them are plants that we are familiar with.

The book is very well presented in a format that allows you to find herbs very easily. Most people realise that latin names are usually used to group plants and like almost every other book the latin name is used to catalogue the plants and this is how you search for your plant on an 'A to Z' basis. For the unintiated it is a simple matter to search by common name which is then referenced with the latin name and page number too. Therefore it is difficult not to find your herb. When you have found the herb in question there are plenty of pictures to help identify it correctly together with a wealth of information as to which parts of the plant is useful and whether they are of use in medicine, cooking, for aromatic or economic purposes. Information is given as to the hardiness of the plant and where you are most likely to find it.

For those who with the enthusiasm to grow the herb, there is an enormous amount of information on how it should be grown and of course how to harvest the useful part of the herb, and if the plant is harmful this is also highlighted.

If growing plants is your scene then there is a wealth of information and ideas on planting your own herb garden, no matter how big or small it is or the type of growing conditions you have - there will surely be something to grow.

Historical information is of course included which gives the reader the opportunity to understand the significance of the herb, and naturally advice is also provided on how to preserve herbs so that the reader can enjoy the benefits of the herb at a later date.

This book is a wealth of information, so easy to pick up and dip into, and a must for any herb or plant enthuisiast. You will surely feel inspired to grow and enjoy more of your own herbs in only a short time from picking up this book to read.