Synopses & Reviews
This beautifully illustrated, complete guide to herbs unlocks the secrets of these wonder plants-from planting and harvesting to cooking and storing- including their health benefits. Now you can discover the joy and pleasure of growing your own herbs-for spicing up meals, creating crafts, treating ailments, and more. In this comprehensive and beautifully illustrated herbal guide you'll find information on their history, cultivation, propagation, and harvesting, along with a wealth of great ideas for using herbs everyday in a variety of ways.
This guide unravels the mysteries of these versatile plants, with savvy tips and simple formulas for maximizing their powers. Did you know?
Mint can repel ants, flies, mice, and moths Garlic can seriously lower cholesterol Chives, fennel, tarragon, thyme, oregano, and winter savory are perennials Rosemary was used in the Middle Ages for its tranquilizing effects, and it is still a digestion aid Known for alleviating common ailments, herbs are an ancient natural wonder-herbs are hotter than ever. Extremely informative and fascinating, this book will help you find which herb can treat various complaints. Throughout the guide are instructions for bursting-with-flavor recipes, health-care products, decorative craft ideas, insect repellents, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and much more.
Synopsis
Did you know that Bachelor's Buttons worn by women have been known to attract lovers?and#160; Or that wearing Cloth of Gold crocus confers the power to understand the language of birds and animals?and#160; Hidden Natural Histories: Herbs tells the stories of 150 of the most remarkable herbaceous plants used through the ages by humankind for their culinary, medicinal, and other properties. Often, the herbs most important in cooking and medicine are revered for their supernatural powers. Rosemary, for example, has been burned as an incense to cleanse and purify a room;and#160; hung over a door to keep thieves from the house; worn to aid the memory and preserve youth; bound to the right arm to cure depression, and even grown to attract helpful elves to the garden. For each of the 150 herbs in this book, there are intriguing accounts of unexpected uses (garlic was used to rid gardens of moles; eyebright was used to increase psychic powers) and historic anecdotes (fennel seeds were eaten in the Middle Ages to allay hunger). Hidden Natural Histories: Herbs weeds through the long history of our use of herbs, and provides fascinating natural history and insight on every page.
Synopsis
Behind the pungent aroma of garlic and the cool, palate-cleansing taste of mint in our toothpaste are untold stories of human interactions with the natural world. Celebrating the human heritage of these and other natural phenomena, the new Hidden Natural Histories series offers fascinating insight into the cultivation and use of the bits of nature we take for granted in our daily lives. In Herbs, Kim Hurst concocts a delightful tale of the leafs, seeds, and flowers that for millennia have grown in our gardens, provided savor to our stews, and been used to treat our ailments. Many of herbsandrsquo; uses will surprise: rosemary, renowned for its piney flavor, has also been used to protect homes from thieves, aid memory, preserve youth, cure depression, and attract helpful garden elves. Packed with informative and beautiful illustrationsandmdash;both new and from historical archivesandmdash;Herbs will charm and enlighten anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world and will be a special delight for every gardener, chef, . . . or purveyor of garden elves.
About the Author
About Reader’s Digest Books Reader’s Digest Association (RDA) is a family of iconic brands that celebrate reading, sharing, and doing among consumers on print and digital platforms. For more than 90 years, we have simplified and enriched the lives of a passionate readership. Our portfolio of products includes our flagship magazine Reader’s Digest; Taste of Home, the world’s largest circulation food publication; The Family Handyman, America’s leading source for DIY; and a suite of Enthusiast titles including Birds & Blooms, Country, Country Woman, Farm & Ranch Living, and Reminisce. Reader&