November 2008

It's a busy time of year for all of us, whether you really get into the spirit of the holidays with decorating, baking, visiting, crafting gifts and more or take the more relaxed approach and let the swirl of activities simply go around you, it's difficult not to be affected by the rush and pressure of the season.

Gift giving is one of the traditions of the holidays, and sometimes we all spend more than our wallets- or credit cards- can absorb. Gift giving is also somewhat of an art. Don't you know people who always give the perfect gift? Something personal, special and desired? You know a lot of thought went into the selection of such a gift.

One of my favorite gifts is a book. Even with all the information available on the Internet, I cherish my herb and garden books. Just referring to one for a simple fact will lead me to other pages and before I know it, I've spent much more time than I planned looking up that one little detail about a plant or insect. But, I always learn more than I started to look for in the first place, and the time is well spent.

So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite herb books that you might like to look at for gifts. And, remember, the gift of a book does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. A used book in good condition is just as welcome as a new book when given in the spirit of the season.

There are so many books to choose from. The ones I've listed are in my own library, and are ones I refer to very often when writing the newsletter or responding to questions that come my way.

Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay. This book gives profiles of most of the common and many uncommon herbs and how to grow them in our humid conditions. There is a section on planning your herb garden, and a wonderful selection of recipes using many of the herbs profiled in the book. This book is a must for anyone attempting to grow herbs along the Gulf Coast.

Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown. This is a very complete Herbal Encyclopedia. The book is divided into 2 parts. In the first section, at least 1000 herbs are profiled with complete descriptions of their appearance and general growing requirements. There are great photographs throughout. The second section is devoted to culinary and medicinal uses of each herb, with further growing information. This is a very complete volume, with many entries for plants barely considered herbs now. It's fascinating to page through. You can easily get lost in this one!

Herbs, Growing and Using the Plants of Romance by Bill and Sylvia Varney. The Frederickburg Herb Farm, in Fredericksburg, TX, is well known now for their restaurant and day spa. The book written by the Varneys is full of not only herb growing information and recipes, but lots of little tidbits of historical and other little known information about various herbs. I find myself using this book more than I thought I would, actually.

The Big Book of Herbs: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance by Tom DeBaggio and Arthur O. TuckerThe introductory chapters cover "Plant Identification," nomenclature, "Maximizing Flavors and Fragrances," "Container Cultivation," creating the best growing conditions, "Propagation and Planting," "Keeping Herbs Healthy," and harvesting. Includes profiles of over 100 herbs. Individual profiles include common and botanical name, names in various languages, family, growth form, hardiness, light, soil, propagation, uses, chemistry and botanical description. With black and white line drawings, extensive reference list and index. This book was years in the making, and has more complete information on the herbs included in it than any other book I am aware of.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs by Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton, eds. Entries for each plant range from one to several pages and include history, uses (medicinal, ornamental, culinary, cosmetic, dye), description, flowering, range, growing conditions, cultivation, and folklore. Includes entries on herbal topics as well as 140+ individual plants. Even though this is an older book, it is packed with information. There are some classic herb garden designs, too. A comprehensive addition to any herb library.

I hope this little tour though my herb library may give you some ideas for gift giving this holiday season.

Until Next Time,

Good Growing to You,

Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964
phone & fax: 979-562-2153
http://theherbcottage.com