Review – Starting Out with Herbs by M Roberts
How to Plan and Plant a Herb Garden with Tips on Cooking with Herbs
Originally published by Southern Book Publishers in 1993, Starting Out with Herbs (New Holland, 2009) by Margaret Roberts has recently been released in Australia. Suitable for gardeners of all skill levels, this book is a comprehensive guide to establishing a useful and healthy herb garden.
Starting Out with Herbs
For anyone overwhelmed by how to best organise and maintain a herb garden at home, herb expert Margaret Roberts offers a guide to growing and using 60 common herbs that can be used in cooking, herbal medicine, cosmetic and domestic applications.
The book begins with a general overview explaining the layout of each herb information page, the processes for brewing herbal tea and making herb oil and herb vinegar. A simple comparison chart indicates which herbs are suitable for cooking with different types of foods including soups, dairy, eggs, a variety of meats, puddings and various herbal teas and cold drinks.
Roberts also lists therapeutic plants for treating common ailments, including herbs suitable for treating acne, arthritis, eczema, energy loss, flatulence, indigestion, muscular pain and stomach cramps.
The remainder of the book is a straightforward presentation of the 60 selected herbs with a 2 – 3 page layout including a colour photograph for each herb with details on cultivation and uses.
While not intended as a recipe book, there are a few recipes using fresh herbs scattered throughout Starting Out with Herbs including garlic butter, thyme and lemon sauce, rose-scented geranium scones and rosemary buttermilk rusks.
How to Grow a Herb Garden
The cultivation information for each herb includes basic planting requirements such as soil and climate conditions, propagation from herb seeds or from cuttings, size and harvesting.
This is supplemented by very useful advice on “do’s and don’ts” for each herb. This can include:
- Complementary planting tips – not only suggesting which herbs work well together, but also which fruits and vegetables benefit from growing with particular herbs. There is also information about which herbs to avoid planting near each other or specific fruits/vegetables.
- Insects – some herbs will attract particular insects, such as butterflies, and others will attract less desirable insects that can be harmful to other plants.
- Additional care instructions to ensure that the plants thrive including soil care tips.
Domestic Uses for Common Herbs
Most herb gardens are grown by gardeners keen to use the herbs in cooking and other domestic applications. Offering readers a warning to exercise caution when considering medicinal applications of herbs, Roberts outlines the basic uses of each herb for domestic, cosmetic, medicinal and culinary uses.
Domestic – including home decorating applications such as using lavender in potpourri and more practical uses such as herbal insect repellent recipes, using herbs as cleansers and dyes.
Cosmetic – includes cures for bad breath, herbal hair rinses, skin cleansers and toners, and treatments for acne.
Medicinal – includes tips on how to use and prepare specific herbs for a variety of medicinal uses.
Culinary – tips on using different parts of the plant in cooking and serving food. Information includes how to best prepare and use the herbs and which herbs work best together for the greatest flavour impact.
Create a Cottage Herb Garden
Fresh herbs have a wide range of uses and this very practical, straightforward guide offers gardeners tips from planting to harvesting and beyond to ensure that they benefit from the time they invest in growing and maintaining their herb garden.
Starting Out with Herbs is a simple yet comprehensive guide suitable for gardeners of all skill levels interested in growing their own herbs for use in cooking, herbal remedies and other household applications.
Starting out with Herbs (ISBN: 978-1-7410-853-8, 176 pages)
Starting Out with Herbs by Margaret Roberts
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Reading & Literature
Latest Articles