For Christmas A Book of Herbs and History, The Herbalist's Bible!

The Best Blend of Herbs and History in The Herbalist's Bible!

Well, I'm still reading this, but I wanted you to know how much I am enjoying this read.  You see I have been a history buff for a long time.  Enjoyed history in high school, thought I would enjoy history in college (not so much), but I did end up an art history major in college.   I have always loved the history of the United States and of the world, etc.  So history has always been in my blood.

This selection and commentary called The Herbalist's Bible by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal is of John Parkinson's massive herbal, Theatrum Botanicum or Theater of Plants of 3,800 species and 1,788 pages published in 1640.  If you click on the link above and scroll down to Viewability:  There are three links.  The second and third links are a page by page view of the text of the book.  I will definitely get several cups of herbal tea on a cold and snowy winter day and enjoy looking through it.  Julie and Matthew's adventures to obtain their own copy of this treasured herbal is recounted.  It was published between two well-established herbalists' herbals by Gerard and Culpeper.  Gerard and Culpeper much better known as English herbalists.  Parkinson grew herbs in his garden called Long Acre. 

What gave Parkinson validity was that King named him King's Herbalist.  Another writer looked at his work as a theft of de l'Obel, but Parkinson came through the critics with his reputation intact.  For his time, Parkinson used a wide range of methods to treat diseases and illnesses with herbs.  He was very interested in gynecology.  A lot of diseases were the same in the 1500 and 1600 as today.  There were exceptions though.  The plague was still a big problem as was leprosy and syphilis.   Infectious diseases were also a problem without the vaccinations and antibiotics of today.

This book is just a selection and commentary not a translation of the complete work.  The three criteria for what herbs that Julie and Matthew chose to comment on were as follows:

"Herbs well known to Parkinson that continue to be medicinally popular today, some times with different uses.

Herbs known and used medicinally in Parkinson's time but which have since dropped out of common practice--in other words--lost herbs that we think deserve a second look.  AND

Herbs new to Parkinson from either European herbal knowledge or as part of the explosion of plant samples or seeds then arriving in England from North or South America."

So I think it is safe to say that Julie and Matthew will continue their journey with this treasured classic and keep us enthralled by the results.  In this volume, I was just so happy that Julie and Matthew picked a lot of herbs that I was familiar with but also some I'm not.  Parkinson's words and Julie and Matthew's commentary in modern terms are side by side.  I loved reading from Parkinson that lemon balm calms bees.  There is a chili bread recipe from Parkinson that calms the heat of the chili.  Would like to try that and that chilies improve acid levels (maybe for people with low acid).  There were several herbs used for snake bites or mad dogs in Parkinson's time.  Betony was used for reflux and burdock was used for skin conditions then and now.

I do have a lot more to read.  I will add more thoughts as they come along.  It is wonderful to actually see an old herbal come to life in modern times.  This will be an ongoing project for them as for me as well.   Besides the history leading up to its publication, the selection of herbs, the notes are a book of their own and the appendix is full of inside facts about the times and the book, a timeline of Parkinson, his firsts in plants and what always gets me in trouble, a bibliography!  If you are thinking of a history selection for your herbal friends, think of The Herbalist's Bible.

Well, my car is encased in ice at the moment.  Christmas is less than a week away!  Where did the year go?  Hope you are ready for all of your festivities.  The one of the boxes for my latest giveaway was delivered early this morning in Michigan and my Texas delivery is in the vicinity.  So I will talk to you later.

More Christmas Book Suggestions for the Beginning Herbalists!

A Beginning Guide from Rosemary Gladstar

Two Volumes from Henriette Kress for the Practical Herbalist!

Well, never in a million years would I think that I would be posting about medicinal herbal books, but here I am.  As I am getting older, I am turning to more herbal remedies.  I will not be prescribing for you, but will talk about my experiences and what successes I have had.  So we are less than two weeks away from Christmas and if you are still trying to find that perfect gift herbally speaking, I think I have some help.

Natural Health Magazine calls "Rosemary Gladstar one of the most influential herbalists."  I have always heard her name and when I had the chance to buy one of her latest books, Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner's Guide, I did so.  The book is divided into four chapters, Chapter 1 Welcome to the Wonderful World of Medicinal Herbs, which talks about what a medicinal herb is, how it is used, the benefits of medicinal herbs and starting a medicinal herb garden.  Chapter 2 How to Make Your Own Herbal Remedies talks about making tea, syrups, oils, salves, etc. and dosages and duration.  Chapter 3 9 Familiar Herbs & Spices to Grow and Use talks about very common herbs and spices like cinnamon and rosemary and that's why I thought this is something I could do myself.  Chapter 4 24 Safe & Effective Herbs to Know, Grow and Use.  Again,  I don't think there were any on this list that I hadn't heard of, such as chickweed and burdock, but I really don't know the medicinal value and I think I will enjoy learning about them.  Well, now I have a little more time to read and learn for next year's season!

The second books I would recommend come from an herbalist in Finland named Henriette Kress called Practical Herbs and Practical Herbs 2.  I have always said as always as long as you know the botanical name of the plant you are learning about, you will be able to read anyone's book from anywhere in the world.  These books were recommended by my herbal sister, Debs Cook in England.  She has never steered me wrong at least herbally speaking!  Henriette has basics for making various basic preparations in her first book and then a description of various herbs and some pages called quick helps.  Her second book has more recipes, a chapter on energetics whether an herb is hot or cold, dry or moist, a chapter on problems and the last chapter with a different description list of herbs than in the first book.  Again, I liked the information I found about heartburn.  As I read both of these books in more detail I will comment further.  Both of these women grew up with strong herbal backgrounds with family members.  I trust their opinions.  I was just given the name of a fourth book for you to consider.  Just ordered it on BookFinder.com.  It is called Herbal Home Remedy Book by Joyce Wardwell.  It was recommended by one of our members of Herbaholic's Herbs on Facebook.  Always learning something interesting about herbs from them.  Ms. Wardwell is an American and Sarah who recommended it to me says she recommends it as a beginning book in all of her workshops.  Thanks Sarah!  I'll put a photo up on this post when I get my copy!

My Joyce Wardwell Book Arrived!

All three books are very well written, have good photos and I think would give a beginner herbalist a great start.  Less than two weeks until Christmas.  You still have a chance to enter my giveaway.  Two people are winning this year!  Here is a link A Holiday Giveaway with a Lemon and Artemisia Twist!  U.S. Readers Only!  We will draw the winning names on Monday afternoon.  So check for a new post after 1:00 PM EST.  Maybe the winner will be you!  Cold and gray in the 'Burgh!  Typical winter day.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you later!

Herbal Beginnings, Herbal Choices, Herbal Passions and Herbal Blessings! An Herbal Gift for Giving!

Well, I had to give it away in the title of my post!  It isn't about my life in herbs!  I'm going to try and give you some gift choices for the upcoming holiday season.  By all means, if you have an herb shop or herb farm in your vicinity and they are open for holiday shopping, please patronize them!  I have a bunch of links on my home page and maybe they will do mail order if they aren't around the corner from you.  Remember to patronize the small businesses.

I have been wanting to do a post about the four books in an herbal series by herb farm owner extraordinaire, Carolee Snyder.  Her herb business is called Carolee's Herb Farm in Hartford City, Indiana.  The series is all about the adventures of Callie Gardener.  Each of the four books has twelve monthly chapters.  At the end of each chapter, Carolee talks about an herb of the month.  The last chapter of each book has herbal recipes for four different courses.  Herbal Beginnings has appetizers and cocktails, Herbal Choices has soups and salads, Herbal Passions has entrees, side dishes and other delights and Herbal Blessings has desserts and other great recipes.

I loved each of these books for different reasons.  Herbal Beginnings gives Callie the courage to start her own herb business after being stood up by her fiance.  The twists and turns of her life and all of those prospective boyfriends and her beloved lab, Wicca, who is almost human makes this a wonderful first chapter to her extremely busy life on the herb farm.  Then to add on top of that herb education and recipes!  It is a real winner!  We especially loved the pesto stuffed eggs and lavender pizza recipes.  I look forward to trying more of the recipes in the coming months.

In Herbal Choices, Callie's adventures continue with marriage possibilities, boyfriends, girlfriends, Wicca and herb farm adventures in its second season.  Twelve different herbs to learn about and soup and salad recipes that I'm eager to try.

Herbal Passions, continues Callie's adventures in the Joyful Heart Farm, her tryouts of herbal recipes with her girls' nights out, old and new loves, lots of surprises and of course, herbs and entree, side dishes and other delights.

Herbal Blessings is my favorite and the final book of this series.  It is Callie's fourth year in business.  I don't want to give too much away but it is an exciting time for Callie.  Carolee asked if she could use my pineapple sage jelly recipe and so you will not only get my recipe, but lots of herbal dessert ideas in this final chapter of her series.

So I hope I have started your gift giving thoughts with some herbal ones.  Carolee not only has these books but many other choices for herbal gifts, including t-shirts and sweatshirts with herbal themes.  She does do mail order for everything, but plants.

It is a glorious day in the 'Burgh.  Hope you are out enjoying your herb garden.  Talk to you later.

A Book Review of Blue Jelly by Debby Bull!

A Very Quick and Enjoyable Read!

I have such a big book collection that I don't always read each book as they are purchased!  It sometimes takes years for me to read them.  Dusting is an excellent way for me to pick out a book that I might not otherwise have read and get it read!  Such is the case with Blue Jelly--Love Lost and the Lessons of Canning by Debby Bull, a former editor at Rolling Stone magazine.  Blue Jelly is a memoir with canning recipes.  What more do you need! Now that I think about it I probably nipped my herbal jelly title from this book.  Ms. Bull talks about jelly making and canning as being a zen experience.  Some people enjoy a crowd when they are canning.  I prefer to go it alone hence the zen experience.

My kitchen is so small that to get more than just me working on process is almost too many!  This book is described on the cover as a deliciously quirky memoir.  She drops names because she can (pun intended) and because she had therapy, I can relate to her story in some small way.  If you enjoy canning whether it be savory or sweet recipes, you will love this book, like dilly beans, red current jelly and a recipe for raspberry jam when her therapy didn't work.  Just to name a very few.  I'll let you figure out which jelly was made blue!  Even the chapter descriptions in the beginning of the book will make you laugh out loud!  It is really a group of short life adventures with canning as a finishing touch.

Ironically the recipe I really wanted to do was one that she didn't give and I won't ruin the reason why.  You need to read the book.  So some day soon I will give you a recipe for rosemary apple jelly!  Thanks Debby Bull for making me laugh, think and love making jam and jelly so much!  In a similar vein, I have been very busy picking raspberries (because of rain) and making jam.

Book Review: Herbs Their Culture and Uses by Rosetta E. Clarkson

The third book written by Mrs. Clarkson

Rosetta Clarkson became an herb junkie after spending time in England becoming familiar with Seven Oaks Herb Farm and Culpeper's.  That was in 1931.  This book was written in the 40's (I have the 1990's version.) after her first two books called Magic Gardens and Green Enchantment were published.  She didn't have an herb business, but she did have a large herb garden that she used for her herbal inspiration.  As I was taking notes, I was practically writing down each sentence.  It does not have glossy, color photos.  What it lacks in photos, it does have very solid information on how to propagate herbs, outdoor plantings, unusual herb plants, the culinary garden, the fragrant herb garden, indoor herb gardening, harvesting and drying, herb dyes, potpourri, herb products, herb vinegars, the uses of herbs in cooking, herb teas and beverages, the marketing of herbs, tabular paragraphs on 101 useful herbs and herb tables.

In a bit of over 200 pages, she jam packs each page with very useful information.  I especially like the last chapter of herb tables where she has 26 (Yes, one for each letter of the alphabet.) tables on various herb subjects, herbs that grow in shade or part shade, herbs for dry places, herbs for moist places, herbs for low edgings, ground cover herbs, etc.  I think you get the idea.  If you are looking for a good basic book on herb gardening, give this one a try.  It is available from amazon.com and bookfinder.com

If you are looking for additional information on artemisia, the 2014 Herb of the Year, check out Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh's post on artemisia and dusty miller. We are a balmy 21 degrees here and the temperature is only going to go up.  Although we are supposed to get snow in between rain and warmer temperatures for the weekend.  Hope you are warmer wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

The Romance of Rosemary!

The Herb Society's (UK) The Romance of Rosemary by Guy Cooper & Gordon Taylor

Before I forget completely, here is the fourth in a quartet of booklets by The Herb Society (UK) The Romance of Rosemary compiled by Guy Cooper & Gordon Taylor.  The preface is by Caroline Conran who writes that garlic and rosemary are a great combination because garlic tempers the strong flavor of rosemary.  If I hadn't been making rosemary garlic jelly for several years, and enjoyed the combination, I wouldn't have believed it.  If a room smelled musty, a few branches burned in the fireplace will give the room a sweet fragrance.

It is native to southern Europe, Asia Minor (or Turkey) and along the Mediterranean coasts.  It grows best by the sea and will grow inland and is found in regions of the Sahara.  It has been cultivated in the UK for over 600 years and probably introduced to England by the Romans.

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with needle shaped leaves.  It has lovely blue, pink or white flowers depending on the variety grown.  The flowers are very attractive to the bees in the herb garden.  Rosemary has a very strong taste and odor of camphor or pine.  Best in very well drained soil and sheltered from the winter winds in England.  Here in the mid-Atlantic region, rosemarys must go indoors to survive, but even then it can be tricky to get them through the winter.  A dry or too wet rosemary is a dead one.

There are three methods of propagation, seed (I wouldn't waste time with this method because it is slow.), cuttings and layering.  "Taking cutting 2 to 4 inches long or cuttings from the half-ripened wood with a "heel" is the quickest form of increase."  Layering is the most fool-proof form.  If you have an older bush with long branches, you can take a branch, scrape a wound on the branch and pin it to the ground and cover the pin with soil and water and wait until it forms roots.  It doesn't say how long this takes in the booklet.  I would say it would be take at least six to eight weeks.  Once rooting has taken place, you can severe the baby rosemary from its mom.

As I noted previously, you must bring in your rosemary if you live in the north and place it on a south, west or east facing window.  If you only have north, you will have to give it an artificial light source as well.  You want it to have great air circulation and if you have forced air heat, you will need to place a bowl of water near by to produce humidity.  I have always found that my rosemarys in containers do bloom easier than ones in the garden.  I think being pot bound or under a bit of stress gives the plant encouragement to bloom.  It is also a very good candidate for bonsai.

Harvest your rosemary when it is in bud or before and not when it is in flower.  It is very easily dried and keeps a very green color even after drying.

The Greeks thought it strengthened the brain and memory.  The Romans used it in their bath houses and as a strewing herb.  One of the many Christian legends is that when Mary was resting during her escape to Egypt, she placed her cloak over a rosemary bush and turned the white flowers to the blue of her cloak.  Rosemary is part of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale in which is was used in a failed attempt to awaken her.  In the language of flowers and herbs, rosemary is for remembrance.

Rosemary was found in herbals as early as the year 1000 and was listed as a remedy for toothache.  Gertrude Jekyll wrote about it that she planted it all over her garden to enjoy the incense of the rosemary everywhere she was.

Rosemary was described in the 15th century as a customary condiment for salted meats.  In 1981 (when this booklet was written) was a "high favorite" in current English cooking.  Rosemary in herbes de Provence were used to flavor olives.  Dipping a branch of rosemary in oil and sweeping it over fish being grilled on the grill was another use.  One good thing about rosemary is that it holds its flavor whether used fresh or dried.  It also says in this booklet that it should never be used uncooked.  The reasoning given is the spikiness of the needle like leaves may get caught in the throat.  It talks about putting them in a bag or having some way to take them out of the dish you are making.  If you chop them up finely or grind them into a powder, you will not have a problem.

As Thanksgiving is near, the one recipe that was in this booklet was for Turkey Souffle.  I think I will give that a go after the Thanksgiving holiday next week and will share it with you if it is a success.

The other use for rosemary is in cosmetics.  In colonial America, it was thought that a rosemary rinse preserved the color in brown and black hair, but also the curl!  Rosemary oil is still used today for both skin and hair products.  There is a recipe for rosemary water which then is used to make an astringent lotion, cold cream and hair tonic. 

So you see rosemary is a very traditional and necessary part of an herb garden and I hope that I have encouraged you to explore more about rosemary and its uses.  Thanks to The Herb Society (UK) for these informative booklets on chives, parsley, mint and rosemary.   Since it is such a rainy and warm day outside and I may not get enough time tomorrow to post this, here it is a bit early.

A Multitude of Mints!

The Herb Society (UK) A Multitude of Mints by Guy Cooper & Gordon Taylor

Continuing my review and comments of the quartet of booklets from 1981 and The Herb Society (UK), here is a booklet called A Multitude of Mints.  This herb is most associated with the English and English cooking.  Even though I do grow mint in various places in our garden.  My major clumps of mint are in containers.

The Best Way to Curtail the Spread of Mint!

Like a lot of herbs, mint was brought to England by the Romans.  It seems like good digestion was the major reason the English served mint sauce with lamb.  Mint sauce doesn't appear in cookbooks until the 19th century.  Mints are from southern Europe and the Mediterranean regions.

Mints have these basics in common:

1.  Mints have square stems.
2.  They have opposite single leaves.
3.  White to purple flowers formed in clusters
4.  Mints spread quickly underground.
5.  Mints are very invasive in any garden unless controlled.
6.  All are perennial.

Mints are very easy to grow.  They do not like compacted and heavy soils.  The ideal planting area is a warm, sheltered south-facing one with partial shade, as the essential oil seems to evaporate if mints are planted in full sun.  Propagation is best and easily done by root division in spring or autumn.  Personally I think it could be done in winter if you have a mild one.  Beds should be renewed every two or three years which will improve the quality and growth habit.  A separate pot of mint will grow on an east facing windowsill very easily.  The soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged!  It is easy for a plant to die because of too much water which is unnecessary.  The book mentioned that mints can get rust and have problems with red spider mites.  Here in southwestern Pennsylvania my main problem for mint is the four lined plant bug who love all square stem plants, including mint!  Here is a post I did for Herb Companion (now Mother Earth Living) called Herbal Pests:  The Four-Lined Plant Bug.  In that post you will see a photo of the damage it does to peppermint!  The good news is there is only one generation a season.  Some years they do a lot of damage and others not so much.

This is Damage on Oregano, but Mint Gets This Same Damage

Here are the Four-Lined Plant Bugs That Damaged Square Stems Herbs, such as Mint!

It should be harvested in bud and not in full flower.  Harvest in the late morning or late afternoon.  If mint is wet when harvested, it will turn black and not dry well.  Good air circulation give mint good color when drying.  The easiest way of preservation is drying on a line or between paper towels or freezing in ice cube trays or in plastic bags or containers.

One of the earliest mentions of mint is in the New Testament of the Bible in Luke 11:42 which talks of tithes of mint, anise and cumin which the Pharisees were commanded to pay.  Greek mythology also talks of mint including how the genus got its name Mentha.  The two forms of mint in ancient times were wild water mint and pennyroyal which was also known as flea mint.

Mint was used in ancient times as a strewing herb to drive away mice and insects.  It was also used in bathing, cosmetics and medicines.  Mints are found on all medieval plant lists.  Culpeper lists almost forty diseases for which mint is 'singularly good.'

A healthy mint leaf fresh or dried can be used interchangeably without affecting the taste of the dish.  You only have to use a quarter dried to fresh in any recipe.  I really don't use mint too much because of my GERD or reflux disease.  It gives me a major bout of coughing.  So I stay away.  And mint and chocolate which is a favorite of many people around the world is really a no no for me.  I do use some spearmint, pineapple or orange mint in my tea blends and they don't seem to affect me as much as peppermint does.

I would like to try some of the recipes in this booklet such as:

Mint Jelly
Mint and Parsley Salad
Moroccan Mint Tea

Mint has been used for centuries as an antiseptic, appetizer and digestive.  In 1981 Egypt was the largest producer of spearmint.  Now it is the United States, India and China that are all major producers.  Because it has been so mild here, I will be harvesting a bit more mint to dry in the coming days.  Hope you are enjoying these booklet reviews.  I'll talk about the final one about rosemary in Friday's post.  It was a mild beautiful day.  Halloween will be a bit soggy here.  Happy Halloween everyone!

Happy Halloween from Our House to Yours!

In Praise of Parsley!

The Herb Society (England) In Praise of Parsley by Guy Cooper & Gordon Taylor

I have been mulling over topics for the colder months that are coming.  Just a thought that I would keep reviewing herb books from my vast library.  I think I have tried this in the past without much success, but this time with your help, I will do it.  So a couple of times a month, starting next month (November), I will select an herb book and if you have it, you can read along with me and we can discuss it when I do a post on it.  You see 30 plus years ago I was in a bus accident where I was reading and believe it or not, I have trouble reading to this day.  I am able to read.  I just read very short books or magazines.  I can read a mystery on the plane back from London.   So I think if I have a mission and if you don't let me veer far from the path, I will get back to reading and discussing my herb books with you.

Today's selection from the bookshelf is a continuation of my review of four small booklets from England and The Herb Society from 1981.  This one is In Praise of Parsley.  It seems like I never know everything about herbs, I am always learning something new each time I read a book or article in a magazine.  In each of these booklets, there is a Preface by a guest author and known writer in England.  This one is written by Arabella Boxer who talks about parsley as the best known and most neglected of the herbs.  It is always underutilized.  I will always thank my mother for making me eat my parsley garnish when we went out for dinner.  One of the wonderful things about parsley is it has a large content of Vitamin C.  It is usually added to the end of cooking time because it loses its punch if added too early.  I like to add some to the beginning and then some at the end of cooking time.  That seems to work best for me.

In 1981 the curly form of parsley was the preferred parsley in England.  There are three types, curly, French/Italian flat leaved and Hamburg which is grown for its root.  Its taste is a cross between parsley and celeriac.  Cook it like a root vegetable, grate it and eat it raw in salads or use it to flavor soups, stews and casseroles.  I love to see it used as a hedge in an herb garden.  Parsley is a true biennial but I usually grow it as an annual.  It is a tough seed to germinate.  You can soak the seeds for 24 hours in water or urine! or pour boiling water into the holes prior to sowing.  You should also not plant them too deeply.  An eighth of an inch is sufficient.  Even with these tactics, germination takes six weeks and may be as long as eight weeks.  I have just taken to buying plants, because we just don't have the indoor space to start seeds ahead of time.  It is said that the best and most tender leaves are picked during the first summer.  More reasons to grow it as an annual.

Dried parsley is not worth the effort.  Freezing parsley in ice cube trays and then in plastic bags or containers is the way to go.  Here are two of my favorite recipes using parsley.  I'm looking forward to making some of the recipes in this booklet.  I went to an elementary school where lunch was homemade!  I loved the parsley buttered potatoes.  There is a parsley butter recipe and I'll give you my version of it.  There is a cream of parsley soup recipe.  I think you will enjoy the version of parsley dill soup in the link above.  Cheese and parsley biscuits.  It is soup and stew weather.  So I think these would be a great addition.  I'll share these recipes as soon as I try them out.  Remind me if I don't! 

It was a beautiful day here in the 'Burgh.  We did have some frost last night.  The nasturtiums finally came to an end!  We just had a ton of them this season.  Everything else has survived to live another day and we are going to be mild through Halloween.  So I hope you have had a great day.  I'll talk to you later.

In Celebration of Chives!

The Herb Society's In Celebration of Chives Compiled by Guy Cooper & Gordon Taylor

Cut a Huge Bit of Chives Down for the Freezer

Two Containers for the Freezer Full of Sliced Up Chives!

Before I Pour in the Egg Beaters at Breakfast with Chives!

Always Have to Take That Bite!

Well, I said in my last post that I would talk about another favorite herb in my next post.  Couldn't think of what that might be!  Ha!  The mind even with herbs is going fast!  So, chives is one of the easiest herbs to grow and use.  I got my first clump of chives from a friend and it is still going strong.

I came across a quartet of small booklets from the UK several years ago.  In Celebration of Chives is one of them by Guy Cooper and Gordon Taylor.  Not a big book.  Only 48 pages, but jammed with historical, cultural and culinary information.  Just about half of this booklet is recipes.

One of my favorite ways to use chives is in my Egg Beaters at breakfast.  I wrote about chives for The Herb Companion (now Mother Earth Living) called Spring Favorites:  The Good, The Bad and the Curly Chives.  You'll find the recipe for Hungry Girl's Classic Egg Mug Recipe in my guest post.

Damp and dreary out in the 'Burgh.  Hope you are having a great wherever you may be.  Got the first round of pineapple sage jelly made.  A second round will be sometime over the weekend.  Always something this time of year.  Talk to you later.

Celebrating Five Years of Blogging! A Favorite Repost of 2013!

Sometimes people or events come your way when you blog.  A marketing specialist at Timber Press found my blog and asked if I would like to review books for them.  I said "Yes, of course I would!"  I have reviewed three books for Timber (You can find links to those reviews in my Pages links.) and this came to me when I needed it most.  So here is my post called Lemon Verbena Lady's Book Review for Timber Press--Gardening for a Lifetime by Sydney Eddison.  Hope it comes in the right time in your gardening life.  Well, we are getting down to the wire.  You still have time to comment before the giveaway ends tomorrow at 10 AM EDT, but you have to hurry!

So hope you enjoy this early journey in my blog.  Again, you may comment on this post to be entered into the giveaway.  Please do not comment on the early post.  Oh, you can comment if you wish, but it won't count towards entry in the giveaway.  Please if you don't have a blog contact, please give me some kind of contact info.  You can also leave a comment on my Facebook page, Nancy Heraud.  One comment per person please.  I will be reposting my five favorite posts from each of the years in the coming days and if you haven't already commented, you may comment on those reposts as well.  This giveaway will end next Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 10 AM EDT.  The winners will be announced once selected by The Herbal Husband from the magical cheese making basket.  Good luck and thanks for reading my blog!

Lemon Verbena Lady's Book Review for Timber Press--Gardening for a Lifetime by Sydney Eddison

I have been struggling with planning what was going to happen in the garden this season.  The cold weather particularly did not give me a spark to do much.  I have always loved Sydney Eddison's writing and remembered that she had written a book about gardening at an older age called Gardening for a Lifetime from Timber Press.  Yes, I'm probably too young to be worried about this, but at the same time it is never too early to start.

Basically even before reading the book, I had started the process Mrs. Eddison went through by starting to clean out the house.  We still have a long way to go.  It is all a process.  Mrs. Eddison had begun to be overwhelmed by the garden and decided to start clearing the rooms of her home.  It helped her to focus better on what needed to be done in her garden.

Mrs. Eddison takes the reader into her life and journey of coming to grips with changes in her life (her beloved husband's death) and a beautiful garden that had become too much work.  You learn the history of her garden and how it was developed.  She also talks about two friends who go through changes in their lives and gardens and how they coped.  She gives tips for making choices about maintenance and suggestions of plants to make the garden easier to enjoy.

What I liked about this book is the Gleanings at the end of most chapters.  It lets you see the main points of each chapter and so you can refer to them when you need to in later times without reading the entire book.  This book has a lot of common sense help at a time when you may be overwhelmed by garden and life.  It is comforting to know that you aren't alone. With Mother's Day coming, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with the day to day issues in the garden.  Take the journey with Mrs. Eddison.  I think you will enjoy it and it may help you to refocus your energy in your garden.

Getting a Jump on the 2013 Herb of the Year, Elder!

OK, I know it isn't quite 2013 (Elder is the Herb of the Year, 2013.), but here is a little gem that won't cost you an arm and a leg.  It's from my friend, Tina Sams at The Essential Herbal magazine.  It is an e-book.  I always like the feel of a book in my hand, but for $5.00 plus tax in my case because I'm in Pennsylvania, you can download this book to your computer.  I will be learning about elder right along with all of you.  So get a head start and think about purchasing this book.  It's 40 pages and it is just chock full of information.  The button on the right hand side of my home page will take to The Essential Herbal store.

Went to see Trouble with the Curve last week which was good.  Today we went to see The Master.  Tremendous performances, but a strange little movie.  It was a bit too long.  I would say both male Oscars will come from this movie.  Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are both brilliant as is Amy Adams in a lesser role.  Well, sorry to be posting so late.  Getting close to the end of my jelly making for the season.  Hope you have all had a great day.  Talk to you later.

Elderflower in Our Garden Last Year

Lemon Verbena Lady's Book Review for Timber Press-What's Wrong With My Vegetable Garden? by David Deardorff & Kathryn Wadsworth

My next book review for Timber Press is called What's Wrong With My Vegetable Garden? by David Deardorff & Kathryn Wadsworth.  This book brought me right back to the days that I volunteered as a Penn State master gardener answering the public's questions on Gardenline.  I wish I had had a copy of this book back then, but certainly glad I have it now.  This book is all about being organic, but it does have chemical solutions if the problem is beyond the beyond as far as control.  I liked having all of the solutions from least toxic to most in one place.

In the INTRODUCTION called Prepare for Success, Deardorff and Wadsworth talk about four essential physical factors for success in the vegetable garden (or any garden as a matter of fact):  temperature, soil, light and water.  Each has a related problems chart that shows photos of the most common problems with symptoms and diagnoses and cross-referenced solutions.  Love those cross-references and charts!

Then the authors talk about 50+ vegetables for the garden in Plant Portraits.  Each has a two page concise description which includes a Family Problem-Solving Guide for each veggie.  They discuss, season, temperature, soil, light, water, garden uses and planting techniques and problem-solving of each vegetable.  The Herbal Husband and I grow a limited number of vegetables in our garden, but with these concise instructions, I feel like we could successfully grow other vegetables as well.  Now the family is really going to think we have a farm and sell produce (We do not sell our produce!)   These pages are edged in dark green so they are easy to locate in the book.

Next Deardorff  and Wadsworth discuss Family Problem-Solving Guide talking about both pests and diseases of each vegetable family with photos and cross referenced solutions from least toxic to most toxic.  I always seem to have the one insect or disease a book doesn't have, but this one seems to have all of the answers or at least the majority of them.  While I always try to use the least toxic solution I can, I was glad to see all of the options including the toxic ones discussed.  I think it is important to see all of the options.

The next section covered is called Organic Solutions to Common Problems.  Deardorff and Wadsworth talk about the five rules in Safety First, such as using the least toxic product first, keep products out the reach of children and pets, read the label and use only as it is directed and on the plant is it labeled for (People think more is better and it is not!), dispose of the product properly as recommended on the label and wear protective clothing and gear if you are going to use a toxic solution.

Change Growing Conditions to Solve Problems is the next section which talks about those four important physical components.  Temperature Solutions which covers cool and warm season crops and modify effects of temperature.  In Soil Solutions, Deardorff and Wadsworth discuss how to create healthy soil, make raised beds, use organic fertilizer, has a chart of Nutrition Guidelines relating to fertilizer and what organic fertilizers to use (could have used this information many times), measure and modify pH, and how to solarize the soil.  The Light Solutions talks about modify the site.  Water Solutions gives the reader a lot of options including how to manage water.  This section has several photos to show how to make better use of water with rain barrels, soaker hoses, drip irrigation and other systems.  They also talk about how to improve drainage and watering a container garden.  In Plant Polycultures talks about planting unrelated plants together which makes it harder for pests to find your veggies, diseases can't jump from one plant to another and the garden as a whole attracts beneficial organisms.  Rotate Your Crops is a very important section that gives you a three-year rotation system.  Encourage Beneficials talks about the herbs and flowers that attract beneficials to your vegetable garden.  Learn how to Maintain a Healthy "Home" by weeding, mulching, sanitizing and moving the air.  Solving Pest Problems has a chart of Troublesome Wildlife Problem-Solving Guide and this is where they talk about organic and chemical solutions.  Just as in Solving Pest Problems, Solving Disease Problems are discussed from organic to chemical fixes.

The Appendix is full of good information including Choosing the Right Cultivar, the authors discuss resistant cultivars, annuals, biennials, hybrids, GMO, Heirloom, open-pollinated, perennials and plant patents.  There is a very nice Resources section with information on organic regulations, sources for organic and biological remedies, sources for seeds and plants of disease and pest resistant cultivars and sources for fertilizer, irrigation and other gardening equipment.  And finally, there is a nice page with additional Recommended Reading choices.

As I said at the beginning of this review, I could have used this book when answering questions in my master gardener days.  This book is full of good diagnostic photos and information on solutions for your vegetable garden.  If you are a beginner or an experience gardener, What's Wrong With My Vegetable Garden? by David Deardorff & Kathryn Wadsworth should be on your bookshelf.

Lemon Verbena Lady's Book Review For Timber Press--The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader

Lovely Front Cover of The Lavender Lover's Handbook

I got an e-mail from Timber Press recently asking if I would like to review books for them.  Heck yes!  I have purchased many books published by Timber Press over the years.  So it was a no-brainer.  Just so you know, I am not being compensated (Well, maybe a free book!) and just giving an honest review of the book.

My first review is The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader.  I wasn't familiar with the author so I went to the back of the book and read her biography.  Ms. Bader is the owner of Lavender at Stonegate in Oregon and has planted at least 5,000 (Bet it's more now!) lavender plants.  I didn't need to know more.  I think she is a bit obsessed and in my opinion, that's great.  From the cover (Who doesn't love an adirondack chair in a field of blooming lavender?  Maybe a swarm of bees!)  There are smaller photos at the bottom to tease what's inside.

So I'm just going to take you through the book and highlight my notes.  From the preface where Ms. Bader had her a-ha moment with lavender.  It actually happened for me with lemon verbena on a hot summer day.  I should have taken an herbal liking to an herb that had more than just one cultivar!  I guess it's not too late!

The next chapter summed up Ms. Bader's love of lavender called Lavender Obsession:  An Introduction.  I really liked her charts with bloom colors, favorite lavenders, best lavenders for humid summers, best cold weather lavenders and lavenders with the strongest scent.  She explains types of lavender and explains common names that are different throughout the world.  I'm always preaching about learning botanical names and this is one of the reasons because as long as you know the botanical name, it will be the same throughout the world!   I'm sure now that Ms. Bader is obsessed and it's a very good thing!

In Lavender in the Garden:  Landscapes, Containers and Herb Gardens this chapter gives you lists of drought tolerant plants to plant with lavender, a list of early bloomers, all season lavenders, hedges of lavender and lavenders for containers.  This chapter also gives you ideas with photos of lavenders in landscapes with perennials for inspiration.

While this book is labelled a beginner's guide, as a gardener who has killed her fair share of lavenders, I loved the next chapter called The Lavender Palette:  100 Varieties to Try.  Being an herb plant collector as well, 100 varieties of lavender give you something to find in your travels.  There is a flower color and foliage color guide.  It is really helpful to see the cultivars chosen in bloom.  Ms. Bader also highlights her top ten favorites.

Under the Care and Cultivation:  From Planting to Pruning, Harvesting and Drying chapter, the author's explanations of soil preparation, pH levels and fertilizers for lavender growing are very easy to understand.  She talks about the difference of growing lavenders from seed and cuttings with her own tested method for rooting lavender cuttings.  Ms. Bader goes into irrigation issues, insect, wildlife and disease problems.  Then she gives you a year by year (for the first three years) pruning schedule. Boy, do I need that!

How NOT to Prune Lavender!

Ms. Bader also talks about harvesting and drying lavender for the best results.  She goes into the best lavenders for culinary use and gives some good culinary recipes from herb blends like Herbes de Provence and main dishes such as Mediterranean Chicken to desserts like lavender and lemon verbena ice cream.  Think there is an additional reason for enjoying dessert!

The final chapter called Scented Creations:  Wands, Wreaths, Swags, Sachets and Beyond.  gives you a list of the best lavenders for crafts with the best color and staying power.  I especially liked the lavender wreaths, herb box, herb swag, all-purpose cleaner, lavender spray and lavender dryer sachet recipes.

There is a nice Resources section with lavender associations and festivals and mail order plant companies.  The Further Reading page had a nice list of supplemental reading including my favorite herb magazine, The Herb Companion.  Even the back cover is a wonderful field of blooming lavender.

The Lavender Continues to Bloom on the Back Cover!

While this is a very good beginner's book for lavender growing, I think it is just as good for an advanced gardener.  That 100 varieties chapter of lavender would encourage me to purchase it.  I also have really FINALLY learned how to prune my lavenders the proper way!  REALLY, I have!  Yes, Jekka in England, I have found out the correct way to prune lavender.  I think over all Ms. Bader takes into consideration different factors that go into growing lavender in the different regions of the U.S.  The only negatives that are keeping it from being a national book for me, would be the four-lined plant bug that attacks members of the mint family including lavender in sections of the mid-atlantic states and maybe the northeast and additional mail order nurseries that sell lavender in the eastern part of the country, like Well-Sweep Herb Farm in New Jersey, Companion Plants in Ohio and Sandy Mush Herb Nursery in North Carolina.  Maybe in the next edition!

I also found an online excerpt from the book at The Herb Companion website.  Overall, I highly recommend The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader to you.  Hope you enjoy reading it and using the lavender wisdom from Ms. Bader.  I have a vegetable book to review next time.

Finally, going to get outside.  The garden is growing like a weed and not an herb!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.