New Herb Bible: Growing and Knowing Your Herbs - And How to Use Them

Rating:
Summary: Good overview....
Review: 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).

Rating:
Summary: Good overview....
Review: 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).