Customer Reviews

Herbs in Bloom: A Guide to Growing Herbs as Ornamental Plants

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With this book you will read and read again.  What better compliment can a book and its author receive? 

The emphasis here is on pizzazz for the garden. But, it is not fussy plants with difficult requirements, Ms. Gardner is suggesting, rather the uncomplicated perfection of blooming herbs. What could be easier than herbs? Plants that are disregarded as weeds by the unknowing, but prized by those who value their tenacious and giving nature. And, since Ms. Gardner gardens in Nova Scotia, a zone 4 climate, she is very familiar with the word difficult.

Indeed one of the aspects of this book that makes it valuable is her familiarity with colder zones. Another plus is that she is truly a gardener. How do we know? Because only a gardener would describe Catmint as smelling like Cinnamon. This book is full of personal revelations that come only from experience. Experience that we can benefit from by reading this book.

Eighty herbs are profiled for their value in beautifying the landscape or garden. There are many photos of her selections, including photos of more unusual herbs like Dittany. Also, while discussing Oregano, for example, she mentions numerous kinds, which brings the number of herbs discussed to around 700.

Herbs in Bloom: a simply perfect idea.

"The layout, illustrations and photographs are marvelous; the font and leading easy to read; the use of bluish-lavender for the boxed quotations and plant names not only attractive but easy on the eyes; the common name cross-reference a special boon. There are many flowers I would never have thought of as herbs, but the concise definition of herbs in your preface cleared up my previous misconceptions...HERBS IN BLOOM is a perfect complement to LIVING WITH HERBS."

In the May/June 2005 issue of THE AMERICAN GARDENER, Jo Ann Gardener wrote a rather good article about her favorite herbs for medicinal and culinary purposes. Reading her article and subsequently her book HERBS IN BLOOM I realized her medicinal knowledge was mostly gleaned from books, not hands on experience. The article includes the "cream" of what is found in the book, so I could have done without the book, but I am a book-addict, particularly a garden book addict, so I bought the book. I like the inventory she provides covering the herbs she has apparently grown in her own garden, but as she gardens in NY (and formerly New England), her ideas are of limited use for one who lives and gardens in the upper South, on an urban lot. She doesn't spend much time on "herbs in pots" which is the way I must grow many of my herbs, but she does have a nice section on Valerian, which I shall never again confuse with Centranthus. I wish I had known sooner rather than later that Valerian required moist conditions and sun. Unfortunately, I planted it where the sun shines all day, but where it grows relatively dry. So I discovered the hard way, that not all herbs like dry conditions, or moist shady ones for that matter. This is a nice, but slightly outdated book. Look for the works of Rosemary Gladstar and Deb Soule for more information about the medicinal properties of herbs.

This book is a keeper for me...and i've read many gardening and herb books. I grow many herbs on my property, and this book is helping me grow my garden/yard into what i've always wanted it to be.

I love herbs as ornamentals, and for their scents. This is an awesome guide! Very well written and illustrated. I dont keep many books any more, and this one i WILL.