The New American Herbal: An Herb Gardening Book - Softcover

Orr, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0449819930 ISBN 13: 9780449819937

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2014

Synopsis

From modern garden master Stephen Orr comes a new, definitive book on herbs to finally replace the dusty and outdated classics. Here are entries on hundreds of plants that are extraordinarily useful in cooking, homeopathy, and more; dozens of recipes and DIY projects; and beautifully styled photographs so you know just what you're growing.

With more than 900 entries, each accompanied by brand new photography and helpful growing advice, The New American Herbal takes the study of herbs to an exciting new level. Orr covers the entire spectrum of herbaceous plants, from culinary to ornamental to aromatic and medicinal, presenting them in an easy to use A to Z format packed with recipes, DIY projects, and stunning examples of garden design highlighting herbal plantings. Learn about the herbs you've always wanted to grow (chervil, chamomile, and lovage), exotic herbs (such as Artemisia, the bitter herb used in Absinthe, or the anti-inflammatory Meadowsweet), and ornamental varieties (Monkshood and Perilla). For cooks there is indispensable guidance on planting and maintaining a bountiful kitchen garden and crafters will delight in dozens of exciting new uses for fresh, dried, and distilled herbs. Here, too, are 40 delicious recipes such as Ragu Bolognese with Fennel and Lemon Semolina Cake with Lavender, as well easy steps for projects such as a hanging herb garden and instructions on how to plant, dry, and preserve your garden’s bounty.

Meticulously researched and exhaustive in its scope, The New American Herbal is an irresistible invitation to explore the versatility of herbs in all their beauty and variety.

About this title

From the Author:

Over a couple of decades, I have discovered how easy the majority of herbs are to grow in two very different city gardens, inside my apartment as houseplants, and at my small weekend lake cabin in upstate New York. There, I plant hundreds of herb varieties in a situation with too much shade and too many deer. Through trial and error, I've learned that most of these independent plants are more than able to fend for themselves when I'm not there during the week, or even when I skip visits while traveling. Also important, I know those plants that the always-ravenous deer won't eat (though admittedly that seems to change a little each year). I want every reader to realize that in a small quarter-acre in the country, in an ordinary suburban backyard, or on even a cramped city terrace ten floors up, herbs will thrive without too much fuss and provide a valuable harvest. It's one no labor-intensive vegetable garden can match square foot for square foot. All it takes is a snip here or a snip there and you've spiced up a stew, soup, tea, or cocktail. The goal of this book is to describe this vast herbal world by looking at its members as individual characters, while at the same time trying to be reasonable and manageable about the length and breadth of such a wide-ranging topic.The main section concerns an A-Z of major herbs that I've emphasized. Hundreds of others are included in lists or sidebars. My focus is on plants that North American gardeners can, generally speaking, grow in their gardens, though some species might be cold tender and need to be sheltered indoors over the winter. Each of these valuable plants leads down a different route for those interested in useful plants. I hope this book will help both the novice and the experienced gardener or cook discover something new. Or direct them to find out more about topics too huge to handle adequately in these pages, such as Chinese medicinal herbs or Native American herbs (I suggest good tomes on those subjects in a reading list). Herbalism is such a big topic, with so much history and color and richness. I hope that this book will inspire you to travel further down whatever herbal path you find most enticing, surrounded by your own selected family of useful plants that add spice, flavor, fragrance, health, and magic to your daily life.
Stephen Orr

From the Inside Flap:

A masterful A-to-Z introduction to the full spectrum of herbal plants, gorgeously photographed by the author and with fascinating insights into their myriad culinary, medicinal, and decorative uses, The New American Herbal is an indispensable addition to the library of every cook, crafter, and gardener.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0449819930
• ISBN 13: 9780449819937
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384