Herbs: Growing & Using the Plants of Romance

This book has lots of great pictures of different herbs. Very useful info for not only growing the herbs but also how to use them in everyday living!

Let me put it this way - I loaned it out to a couple of neighbors and now I am online buying them a copy. First of all it is put together in an easy to understand context. The information can be found in a quick manner. The information that is provided is exactly what we were looking for. It tells about the herb, a little history, how to plant it, any variations that are available, and finally how to use it effectively. So many times I would have to be looking at 3 books to get just such information. The recipes are very useful too. It's great to go to the nursery now - pick out an herb that isn't oregano, basil, parsley, etc. and know exactly how I am going to effectivley use it. This book gave me so many ideas beyond adding the herb to salads or teas.

Authors, Bill and Sylvia Varney's herb farm is in the Hill Country of West Texas in a town called Fredericksburg. Right from the beginning of their book you're aware that the knowledge they pass on to the reader is the result of on-the-job research and information they learned through trial and error while working on their farm. That to me is the best kind of information. As I read this book I was aware that their love affair with herbs had infused all of the pages. This is not just a cut and dried encyclopedia of the usual culinary herbs everyone has heard about, but rather a book written lovingly by two people who have deep feeling about herbs and their uses. In addition to the usual culinary herbs there are also descriptions of medicinal and cosmetic herbs, information on using herbs to decorate your life, and ways to add them to your landscape. In the Gallery of Herbs section the information for each herb supplies a little history, planting and care, and harvesting and uses. A nice touch in this section is the side-bars with additional information such as recipes, folklore, and different quotes such as "He who bears chives on his breath is safe from being kissed to death" by Martise, a Roman poet. Too often a new gardener just jumps in and decides one day to plant an herb garden and the next day puts the plants in the ground. It's easy to forget that although everyone says herbs are easy to grow, there are important tasks that come before the planting. The sections 'Framework for a Garden' and 'Putting Down Roots', will ensure your success when planting your new garden and is what makes this book great for beginners. Besides the side-bar recipes there is also a section called 'Herbal How-to Recipes' to help you use your harvest in both the kitchen and bath and to decorate your home. At the beginning and end of this book are two handy sections that are always an asset, the 'Glossary' and 'Sources and Resources'. The exceptional photography throughout the book might lead you to keep it on your coffee table for everyone to enjoy; but the soft cover says to me that this is a manual to be used.