A Handful of Herbs: Inspiring Ideas for Gardening, Cooking, and Decorating Your Home With Herbs (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Louise Pickford (Author), Rose Hammick (Author) "Best used freshly picked, basil can also be frozen in leaf form or in homemade sauces..." (more)
Key Phrases: hardy evergreen perennial, welldrained soil, hardy perennial (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The cultivation and use of herbs has three main purposes: culinary, medicinal and aromatic, with many appearing in more than one category. In general herbs are easy to cultivate, growing well in most soil types or in containers on a window sill. They associate well together and herb gardens have a particularly natural appeal. Amongst the vast number of plants worldwide that are cultivated as 'herbs', a smaller group have been grown in this country in kitchen gardens for centuries, planted close by the house to be easily on hand when required. The culinary and aromatic uses of herbs are self-evident, and their long medicinal and cosmetic history involves folklore, old wives' tales and superstition as well as undoubtedly effective treatments and applications. Given the size of the subject, comprehensive reference books about herbs tend to be hefty tomes. This is a much more manageable size, a good entry-level book for anyone who has developed an interest in herbs. It is aimed at the first-time or novice gardener, cook or homemaker and is divided into sections: growing herbs, using herbs in various ways around the house, and cooking with herbs. The section on cooking has a selection of recipes where the flavouring obtained from specific plants is an essential ingredient. There is also a discussion of the 20 most popular and versatile herbs, and an A-Z section where the attributes of a further 75 are listed. These two sections are useful for reference when looking up cultivation requirements, propagation methods and other technical information. This is a very attractive looking book, square format with a pleasing layout, excellent photographs in the cooking and homemaking sections, and very good quality colour reproduction generally. (Kirkus UK) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Herbs have been valued for thousands of years for their health-giving, culinary, and aromatic qualities. Today they are used as attractive additions to homes and gardens as well as for their therapeutic effects. "A Handful of Herbs" celebrates herbs in all their beauty and variety. The book profiles the Super Herbs - 20 of the most popular varieties, including basil, lavender, and thyme. Essential advice about cultivation is covered in Growing Herbs, while Living with Herbs presents a wealth of creative ideas for using herbs to scent and decorate the home. There are also recipes for cooking with herbs, as well as a detailed A-Z of 75 common herbs.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 127 pages
• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841720283
• ISBN-13: 978-1841720289
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,134,765 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Had to have one for myself, November 26, 2005

By	CasiNada Cook (Wimberley, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Handful Of Herbs: Gardening, Cooking And Decorating (Paperback)

I bought this book as a gift, but had to buy two so I could keep one. It covers all the standard herbs in the standard way, but what stands out in this little book are the photos of some very creative uses for the herbs. The "cooking with herbs" section is also well done and I've actually used some of the recipes! The print is very small, but the typeface is clear and simple so that helps to keep it readable.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the crafter and herb lover!, July 17, 2007

By	K. Hicks (South Bend, IN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Handful of Herbs: Gardening, Cooking and Decorating (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book and am reading it again right now. I loved the recipes and the photos are great. Good reference book for those getting into the field of herbs, whether it be for growing or for crafting.