Herbs are an important but often neglected part of garden life. Not only are these plants useful for their culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal properties, but they also make a delightful addition to any border and are usually very attractive to the insect, bird, and animal life we should be attracting into our gardens. This introduction to herbs - now in a newly revised and expanded second edition - is the ideal guide for the beginner. It is informative and easy to understand, giving sufficient pointers to further research without overwhelming the reader.

Food plants have their own ornamental value, adding harmony to existing landscapes without creating a separate vegetable garden. They also provide a fresh, healthy alternative to the tasteless and woody fruits and vegetables bred for long-distance transportation and shipped to our grocery stores from all over the world. In this book, we show how, with just a little effort, you can augment your landscape with edibles of every description in an environmentally sustainable manner: * Veggie favorites: tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, beans and onions * Berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries * The superhealthy: flax, broccoli, kale and garlic * The oddly beautiful: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, asparagus and artichokes * The ancient and exotic: quinoa, amaranth and fennel * Plus starting, maintaining and harvesting an edible garden, propagation and winter care, and solutions to common garden problems.

For any herbist this is an indispensable handbook of fascinating lore, of tips on practical herb garden design, and of comprehensive guidance in cultivating and harvesting herbs. Nonnative herbs grow best and look best in gardens that reproduce their native habitats. This view is the keystone of "The Essence of Herbs," an engaging book that combines a descriptive study of herbs with a history of the role herbs have played in culture, cuisine, and medicine. Here in a book for both specialists and nonspecialists are important guidelines for the herbist who gardens in harmony with the environment.

From remote times onwards people have sought to vary and enliven the flavour of their staple foods or disguise the taste by adding pungent herbs and spices. This practical guide deals with the herbs from the outdoor garden which can be used in the kitchen for spicing foods or added to salads.