“Will delight both the gardener and the cook.” — Library Journal. “A wonderful compendium — for anyone who wants to cultivate them or cook with them as so written as to definitely stimulate the interest of the passing page flipper.” — Kirkus Review. Over the years — as tastes have changed and fads have come and gone — the gentle art of the herbalist has remained a constant, year-round source of joy for an incredible array of connoisseurs — from professional horticulturists and accomplished gourmets to enthusiastic suburban gardeners and city-dwelling naturalists. This versatile, handy reference provides these thousands of amateur and professional herbalists with the most compact and complete handbook on culinary herbs and spices possible. Here in a thoroughly delightful labor of love are detailed instructions on how to plant, transplant, cultivate, harvest, use and preserve virtually every herb and spice available in North America today. Ms. Miloradovich takes us step by step through the various stages of herbal development, from preparing seedlings for early transplanting to drying, cutting, and quick-freezing fragrant herbs for potpourri, medicinal lotions, pomanders, and even moth preventives. Hundreds of herbs and spices are included, each introduced with a fascinating anecdote detailing its historical background and legends. Discover the power of cinnamon, one of the oldest spices known to humanity — used as a love potion by the Romans and a religious incense by the Hebrews and Ancient Egyptians. Find out why Italians still use basil as a token of love and Hindus still consider it a sacred symbol of reverence for the dead. Ms. Miloradovich has found an intriguing tale for each of the hundreds of herbs and spices she discusses — from bitter unblanched celery to delicious roots of love parsley. Whether you’d like to grow perennials, biennials, or annuals in your apartment window box, or you need a convenient guide for preserving rare herbs, or you just want to know more about the romantic histories, mysterious powers, and legends behind your favorite spices and fragrances, you’ll find this engaging book a stimulating source, sure to lead to more and more adventures growing and enjoying herbs and spices.

The authors explain the interrelationships of trees, wildflowers, ferns, bacteria, and the soil of woodlands; suggest ways of preparing both large and small wildflower gardens; and describe when, where, and how to gather woods plants. Includes detailed information on over 200 wildflowers and ferns. 195 illustrations.

Table of Contents Introduction How to Lay Out a Herbal Garden Thinking of Layout Plans Making Paths Best Flower Choices Making a City Herbal Garden Making Leaf Mold Making Natural Organic Compost Feeding the Soil My Way of Planting Making Soil Beds Wooden Boxes as Plant Containers Window Boxes Other Containers Herb Growing Project for Children Suitable Herbs for Your Garden Perennials for herb borders and for beds Culinary and Beauty Uses of Herbs Elderflower Water Conserves Herbal wines Herbal Force Meat Stuffing Apple and Mint Jam The Power of Herbs Which Herbs to Grow Where Do You Grow Herbs? Best Soil for Herbs. Planning Your Garden Chessboard Garden Propagation of Herbs Growing through Cuttings Test – Have Roots Been Formed? Herb Plant Division Plant maintenance Harvesting Your Plants Root Plants Whole Plant Harvesting Leaves Harvesting Herbal Harvesting Flowers Harvesting Seed Harvesting Drying Your Herbs Herb Storing Using Herbs Herbal tips Bouquet Garni Omelet aux herbes fines Making Herb Tea Growing herbs on your window sill Knowing More about Herbal Plant Culture Some Important Herbs and How to Grow Them Basil [Ocimum basilicum] Chives [Allium schoenoprasum] Horseradish [Armorecia rusticana] Horseradish and Applesauce Root Cuttings Sweet Marjoram [Origanum majorana] Parsley Petroselinum crispum Fish Parsley First Method Second Method Fennel [Foeniculum vulgare] Mint Mint Chutney Herb Harvesting Herbal Teas Basil Tea Mint Tea Lavender Chamomile Medicinal Chamomile Tea Sweet Woodruff [Gallium odoratum] Sweet Cicely [Myrrhis odorata] Beneficial Herbs Knowing More about John Innes Compost How to Make Leaf Compost A Little Rant about Outdated Agricultural Practices Growing Herbs in Pots Marjoram- Origamum omites- leaves Thyme – Thymus vulgaris-Leaves Thyme Vinegar Chives –Allium choenoprasum –leaves Tarragon - Artemisia dracunculus – leaves. Fennel -Foeniculum vulgare–F.officinale – Leaves, Stem and Seed Shrub Permanents for Your Garden Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis Sage – Salvia officinalis Roses Rue –Ruta graveolens Artemisias –Artemisia pontica – the Roman wormwood Hair Growth Recipe Bay – The Roman Laurel –Laurus nobilis Winter Savory – Satureja Montana Medieval Sciatica Remedy Other Herb Garden Favorites Sorrel – Rumex acetosa Traditional Sorrel Sauce Tansy – Tanacetum vulgare Poppy – Papaver Orientale Clove Carnation – Dianthus caryophyllus Borage – Borago officinalis – leaves, flowers, and stems Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction The moment you hear the word “Herb” you visualize a soft stemmed plant, which is normally used in cookery, as well as in alternative medicine. These herbs used for millenniums have been an important part of our social traditional and religious fabrics all over the world. No one, without an interest in nature is not going to know more about Rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, hyssop, basil, and other herbs put into use down the centuries.

Excellent, profusely illustrated guide describes hundreds of species. Complete advice for growing, treating diseases, etc. Over 90 color and 187 black-and-white photographs.

Over 200,000 copies sold—fully updated! Dye your own wool, raise chickens, make your own cheddar cheese, build a log cabin, and much much more. Anyone who wants to learn basic living skills—the kind employed by our forefathers—and adapt them for a better life in the twenty-first century need look no further than this eminently useful, full-color guide. Countless readers have turned to Back to Basics for inspiration and instruction, escaping to an era before power saws and fast-food restaurants and rediscovering the pleasures and challenges of a healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient lifestyle. Now newly updated, the hundreds of projects, step-by-step sequences, photographs, charts, and illustrations in Back to Basics will help you dye your own wool with plant pigments, graft trees, raise chickens, craft a hutch table with hand tools, and make treats such as blueberry peach jam and cheddar cheese. The truly ambitious will find instructions on how to build a log cabin or an adobe brick homestead. More than just practical advice, this is also a book for dreamers—even if you live in a city apartment, you will find your imagination sparked, and there’s no reason why you can’t, for example, make a loom and weave a rag rug. Complete with tips for old-fashioned fun (square dancing calls, homemade toys, and kayaking tips), this may be the most thorough book on voluntary simplicity available.

From unusual tropical spices to temperate herbs to native species, this guide covers plants that will succeed in every region with a focus on plants with culinary uses. *Detailed profiles of nearly 100 plants, ranging from unusual tropical species, to temperate herbs, to native species. *Range maps for each species and covers every region of the state. *Information on cultivation, harvest, and use of the plants. *Broad assortment of scent plants and describes growth habits and landscape uses and flowering characteristics for adding interest and color to the garden.

Offers guidance in planning a year-round horticultural program, with activities organized by month, plus program development and evaluation guidelines and a teacher's guide to gardening skills