Reviews

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