No comments about The Scented Lavender Book.

1 comments about A Creative Step-By-Step Guide to Growing Herbs (Step-By-Step Gardening).

1. The size of this big beautiful book makes the pictures all that more better! (3/8 x 10 x 11) Could also be an eye-catching coffee table book. But the herb details are inspirational - you can't wait to grow your own. The book is divided into two parts: Growing Herbs and Enjoying Herbs in the Home. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Jellies and Preserves, Making Herb Oils and Butters, and Making Herb Teas and Herbal Drinks. Feast your eyes on Page 10 and go from there!.

2 comments about How to Grow Marijuana Indoors for Medicinal Use.

1. I found that this book does a better job explaining how to grow than most books, but i still found that i had some questions at the end. Some parts can be quite confusing, but overall it gave pretty clear instructions. This is a good reference book, but don't depend only on this book if you plan on growing. And make sure that you grow ONLY for medicinal purposes :)



2. This book is small and simple, not much detail which makes it great for the beginer. The price is a little high though for what you get, therefore I had to give it only 3 stars.

No comments about Prescriptions on silk and paper: The history and development of Chinese patent medicines.

1 comments about Malcolm Hillier's Herb Garden.

1. This book is honestly my favorite gardening book - and I have quite a library! It includes basic information on both medicinal and culinary herbs, but what makes this book truly valuable is the information and advice it provides on artfully combining colors and textures. Malcom does an excellent job of combining beauty with herbal functionality. This book is overflowing with beautiful photos of plants combined in various themes, reflecting a variety of seasons and plant types. I've used several of the book's ideas to turn my garden into something really special! I highly recommend this book to every gardener!

1 comments about The Complete Herb Garden.

1. Four chapters on herbs provide what promised: complete guide. The first chapter is on how to grow and raise. The second then talks about herbs in various habitats, i.e. fully shaded, etc.
   The third concerns designing with herbs, while the fourth is a dictionary.

2 comments about The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices.

1. This book contains an overview of information for the budding herbalist: plant lists, pictures, growing information (sun, shade, plant size, and zone!), as well as general information about medicinal usage. Tons of interesting recipes, too. This isn't a detailed herbal medicinal, but a good starting point.



2. Relying on carefully detailed artist's representations of herbs as well as sun-drenched photography, Sarah Garland's attractive and thorough book begins with a hundred-page "Modern Herbal" with description, cultivation directions and various uses and goes on to chapters describing the herbl garden, cooking with herbs, household uses, cosmetics and medications.
   
   Here are wintering and propogation directions as well as harvesting and storage; recipes from breads to sweets; suggestions for insect repellants and dyes as well as potpourries and candlemaking. The cosmetic section -- lotions, oils, conditioners, even perfumes -- includes directions for decoctions, infusions and even distillation.
   
   This is an attractive, useful book which should provide hours of enjoyment for the dillettante or the practiced herbalist.

2 comments about New Herb Bible: Growing and Knowing Your Herbs--and How to Use Them.

1. THE NEW HERB BIBLE was written by a garden designer, a beautician, and an osteopath/naturopath. The authors provide a much useful information about the major herbs used in cooking, cosmetics, and healing. Some of the material is quite good, but there are omissions and discrepancies the novice will not catch. The book is filled with many lovely photographs, a must for best selling gardening books these days, but not always an indicator the text is the most comprehensive, accurate, or current.

   The "gardening" section of the book covers herbs that do well around London, but many of them may do better or worse in the States. For example, England sits on a nice chalk base and English Lavender does quite well along walkways. In the hot, humid, and acid soil found in many parts of the states, Lavender rots (does well in the Great Valley of Virginia which sits on a limestone bed!!). The authors suggest that the blue Cranesbill Geranium `Johnston's Blue' and the Lady's Mantle Alchemilla Mollis will bloom all summer, but they won't south of the Mason-Dixon line or in most of the west beyond the Mississippi. These plants bloom in the spring in the Upper South, and then they fry. Experienced gardeners know that certain roses do well in London, but others do well in the States.

   The "cosmetic" section of this book is fun, and probably the best reason to buy it. However, making cosmetics is work, and if you have Fresh Fields next door, you may prefer to buy herbal cosmetics-I do. However, if you feel adventuresome, you too can make mint eye lotion and rose and basil perfume, provided you are able to grow the roses that produce the attar you need for the latter. You won't have any trouble at all growing the mint.

   The "medicinal" section of this book is interesting, but I prefer Penelope Ody's COMPLETE BOOK OF MEDICINAL HERBS (she's English) or THE GARDEN PHARMACY by James Duke (retired from the USDA). RODALE'S ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS is also a good bet (organic). You will probably want to own more than one book on the subject of medicinal herbs since some herbs can kill if they are misapplied. As the medicinal use of herbs is a tricky subject, I believe in a little cross-referencing. For example, the verdict is still out on Ginko, an "herb" recommended by this book (with caution). THE NEW HERB BIBLE mentions recent drug trials where possible, as does Dr. Duke and the RODALE book. Even when you are fully informed by books, a little trial and error will be required as all of us have different constitutions.

   THE NEW HERB BIBLE is a useful survey work, but probably more useful for those living in England (5 stars) than the States (3 stars).




2. The book is well written and has excellent pictures detailing each herb. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about many common herbs, their history and their uses.

No comments about Natural Pharmacist: Your Complete Guide to Herbs.

1 comments about Medicinal Herbs: A Complete Guide for North American Herb Growers.

1. This book is so interesting and unique, I bought it for my boyfriend's mother who has TONS of gardening books, but she didn't have any quite like this one. It's called medicinal herbs, but I feel like it would be more accurately named holistic or complete herbs, because it really covers the whole range from planting and gardening to identifying and using herbs. And it's perky and interesting throughout.