New Book of Herbs

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View books by Jekka McVicar.

Great for the beginner herb grower - Rated
Being new to herb growing and gardening in general, I wanted a book that would get me going in the right direction with all the info in a simple to read format. This book definetley does this.

There are clear chapters on starting to grow your own herbs, both from seed and cuttings. How to start a new herb garden, what to do each season and also how to tend a more mature garden.

Then there is a chapter on medicinal, beauty and culinary uses and a small amount of recipes. Lastly a list of the most common herbs with good photos and descriptions.

The only problem I had from a beginners point of view would be the herb listings are done alphabetically in the latin names, which made it a pain to have to refer to the index when I want quick information. Other than that the best starters guide I have found.

I would say as a warning to you if you are experienced in gardening and herb growing this may be too basic for you.

A wealth of useful information beautifully illustrated - Rated
I received this book as a Christmas present and it's made me really look forward to Spring so I can try out some of the techniques and grow a great variety of herbs to use in cooking and around the home. The book is clearly writen and has great tips for the first time gardener as well as those who are more experienced growers. I found the practical details particularly useful as you are given lots of general information in the first part of the book, about growing techniques and good organic gardening practice. The book also has useful 'at a glance' tables, showing which herbs you can grow from seed, and which are grown from cuttings or divided, as well as tips on harvesting and using herbs for anything from vinegars to flea repellants for pets and for beauty treatments. I particularly liked the idea of a herbal first aid kit as an addition to the medicine cabinet.

The book then has detailed pages on 100 herbs, some of which I hadn't previously thought of as herbs, giving simple growing and maintenance instructions as well as uses for each plant. All the pages are illustrated with beautiful photographs making it the perfect handbook for anyone interested in growing herbs for their culinary or medicinal, or many other uses, or simply because many are very attractive plants to have in the garden. It is a book I'm sure I'll return to time and time again throughout the season.