Herbs for Texas [Hardcover]

Howard Garrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2001

"Herbs are the world's most interesting plants," says Howard Garrett. "They make beautiful landscape choices, are useful for cooking, controlling insect and disease pests, healing wounds, and are effective for improving the immune system." In this fully illustrated, easy-to-use guide, Garrett and veteran herbalist Odena Brannam offer expert advice on growing nearly 150 herbs suited to Texas and Southwestern gardens, along with detailed information on each plant's landscape, culinary, medicinal, and other uses. Individual entries give each herb's common and scientific names and instructions for planting, growing, harvesting, and storing it. The entries also include ideas for using each herb in gardening and cooking (with occasional recipes) and discuss its medicinal uses. A special "insight" section that offers intriguing, often little-known facts about the herb rounds out each entry, as well as a color photo. In addition to the individual herb descriptions, Garrett sets forth the basics of organic gardening, including pest control, and discusses how to design a herb garden and also raise roses, pecans, and fruit trees without chemicals. Of special interest are his instructions for making teas from dozens of herbs and his list of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers with edible and/or medicinal properties. This wide range of information, not available for Texas herbs in any other single source, makes this book the perfect guide for homeowners, gardeners, landscapers, chefs, herbalists, and health care providers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dallas resident Howard Garrett is host of the radio gardening talk show "The Natural Way" (WBAP-820) and author of the Dallas Morning News column of the same name.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292781733
• ISBN-13: 978-0292781733
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good "all around" herb book, July 7, 2001

By 

Writer (The South) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Herbs for Texas (Hardcover)

I've been an herb enthusiast for 15 years. With my personal home library of herb books reaching over 90 volumes, I've read many approaches to this topic. This particular book is large, full of quality color photos, and contains useful information for Texas herb growers (what I used to be). Latin names of herbs are given (along with proper pronunciation). Mr. Garrett includes pertinent information on planting, height and spread of plants, problems, harvest and storage, and culinary, medicinal, and landscape uses. One of my favorite portions of this book is the "insight" paragraph of each herb's profile. Did you know that there is evidence that alfalfa may trigger lupus in sensitive individuals? Also, did you know that although you can use angelica in salads, the juice of the plant should never come in contact with the eyes? I'd recommend this book for those new to herb growing or as an addition to an already diverse herb library. Mr. Garrett includes information that makes this book worth owning. My paperback copy has been a valuable resource.