Herbs: The Complete Gardener's Guide [Hardcover]

Patrick Lima (Author), Turid Forsyth (Illustrator, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2012

When first published, Herbs was extremely well received and set a new standard of excellence for gardening books. Turid Forsyth's photographs and watercolor illustrations capture all the beauty and detail of these fascinating and practical plants, and Patrick Lima's highly entertaining text is chock-full of clear information, helpful advice and wry anecdotes.

The book covers:

• Selecting and growing herbs
• Soil
• Perennial kitchen herbs, such as horseradish, oregano, bay leaf and rosemary
• Annual and biennial kitchen herbs, such as basil, chili peppers and parsley
• Varieties of thyme
• Varieties of sage
• Seeds and sprouts, including anise, caraway, coriander and cumin
• Alliums, including chives, leeks, onions, garlic and shallots
• Leafy herbs, such as arugula and watercress
• Herbs for blending and brewing, such as mint, chamomile and bergamot
• Fragrant herbs, such as old roses and lavender
• Gathering wild herbs

Special sections outline how to use herbs to add color to flowerbeds and how to propagate, preserve and grow herbs indoors. The book concludes with 16 delicious recipes that make the most of fresh herbs.

This beautiful book combines the wisdom of two longtime gardeners, creating a comprehensive reference that any gardener will enjoy and use regularly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Leafy, flowering vines and kitchen herbs, seeds, pods, bulbs and all things herbal are showcased in this expansive study. Lima (The Art of Perennial Gardening) and Forsyth focus on the plants' physical characteristics rather than on cultivation: how they look, smell, feel and taste, what makes them thrive, which parts make the best food or medicine. With some basic but not comprehensive know-how ("This 3-foot North American herb [anise-hyssop] wants a place in the middle of a bed of tea herbs or perennials"), the book offers facts and aesthetic appreciation, and as such will primarily benefit cognoscenti. A handful of recipes and hundreds of photos enhance this charming book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

A most attractive coffee-table book, this volume is at the same time an excellent reference resource for the herb gardener. (Koraljka Lockhart American Reference Book Annual 20020101)

The book is like a colorful, calming stroll through the realm of summer. (Maclean's 20011210)

Comprehensive guide ... lots of practical advice on growing herbs as well as suggestions for medicinal uses, recipes and decorations. (Globe and Mail 20011124)

A must read for cooks ... people interested in natural alternative medicines, craftspeople ... and, of course, gardeners. (Chesapeake Home 20020101)

What a lovely, informative and motivating book this is. (Robert Howard Hamilton Spectator 20011108)

Expansive study ... focus[es] on the plants' physical characteristics ... recipes and hundreds of photos enhance this charming book. (Wylie O'Sullivan Publishers Weekly 20011105)

Filled with delightful vignettes and essential advice ... lavishly illustrated. (Paper Clips 20010901)

Striking color photographs and detailed watercolors ... This is a delightful and very informative read. (Julie Coleman Lexington Herald-Leader 20020315)

Informational material in this book is exquisitely complemented by photos and illustrations ... as beautiful as it is useful. (Myrna Collins Appleton Post-Crescent 20020227)

Herbs provides you with the essential knowledge to build your herbal garden from the soil up ... fun read. (Haley Carpinelli Colorado Homes and Lifestyle Magazine 20020615)

It is ... herbs as they can be used to enhance the landscape that is most appealing about this book. (American Gardener 20020101)

A text to sit back and read enjoyably while comparing qualities of different herbs. (American Herb Association Quarterly 20041031)

Essential... Lima is one of our great garden writers... a literate charming guide. (Robert Howard Hamilton Spectator )

Herbs: The Complete Gardener's Guide by Ontario gardener Patrick Lima is big, beautiful and reasonably priced. More than 100 herbs are covered in chatty fashion, together with tales of Lima's personal herb-growing adventures. (Mary Fran McQuade Vaughan Today )

Patrick Lima's graceful garden prose takes a wide-ranging approach to herbs.... A lovely book. (Aldona Satterthwaite Canadian Gardening )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (April 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552096025
• ISBN-13: 978-1552096024
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,009,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful & inspiring, April 24, 2003

By 

Kalan (lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Herbs: The Complete Gardener's Guide (Paperback)

"I want to plant a herb garden!"
That's how I felt after reading this book!

I learnt that herbs are beautiful, useful & so colorful, yet they are easy to grow.
The book shows many pictures so you know how the herbs look & how to arrange them. It also introduces other herbs that you may have forgotten about. The book chapters make it easy & helpful to look through, chapters such as: herbs that seed, salads, tea, silver colored herbs, flowering, scented etc.

At the end there are tips on planting, freezing & drying. Also a few herb recipes that look delicious, but I haven't tried them yet.
All in all a beautiful book to look at